Node.js 26.0.0 arrives with Temporal API enabled by default, replacing the long-deprecated Date object for modern date and time handling. V8 is updated to 14.6.202.33 (Chromium 146), adding Map.prototype.getOrInsert and Iterator.concat(). Build requirements rise to GCC 13.2+ and Python 3.9 support is dropped; the Windows SDK minimum is now v11, and NODE_MODULE_VERSION bumps to 147. Several breaking changes require developer attention: http.Server.prototype.writeHeader() is removed in favor of writeHead(), legacy internal stream modules (_stream_wrap and related) are fully gone, and DEP0203/204 crypto APIs enter runtime deprecation alongside module.register(). Node.js 26 is the Current line and will become an LTS release in October 2026, making it the right upgrade target for teams planning ahead.