Automattic, the company that runs WordPress.com, has announced that it will reduce its contributions to WordPress core, the open-source project that powers most of its products, in a move that is likely to have significant implications for the WordPress community.

The decision comes amid an ongoing feud between Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine, a rival hosting provider, over the issue of contributions to WordPress as an open-source and community project. In a blog post, Automattic said it would match its volunteering pledge with those made by WP Engine and other players in the ecosystem, amounting to around 45 hours a week that qualify under the Five For the Future program.

The reduction in contributions is a significant one, given that Automattic currently contributes around 2,560 hours per week, down from 3,900 hours per week in September. While the company did not specify the reason for the reduction, it is unclear whether it is due to the company's shrinking headcount or a general strategy shift.

The move is seen as a response to WP Engine's historically slim contributions to WordPress core, which Mullenweg has been critical of in the past. In an event last year, Mullenweg called WP Engine "cancer to WordPress," citing the company's lack of contribution to support sustainable growth. Automattic reiterated this point in its latest blog post, stating that WP Engine's contributions underscore the imbalance that must be addressed for the health of WordPress.

The company's new directive also means that engineers will focus on building commercial products like WordPress.com, Pressable, WPVIP, Jetpack, and WooCommerce instead of contributing to WordPress core. This shift in focus is likely driven by Automattic's need to perform better financially, following a 10% markdown of its investment by BlackRock in December, which has devalued its investment by more than 50% overall.

In related news, Thijs Buijs, a WordPress core contributor and leader of the sustainability team, has stepped down as a representative, citing disagreements with Mullenweg's approach to advancing WordPress. The sustainability team focused on ensuring the longevity of WordPress through social, economic, and environmental aspects.

The tensions within the WordPress community have also led to calls for a different kind of leadership, with Joost de Valk, the creator of Yoast, a popular WordPress SEO tool, outlining a plan for a "federated" approach to the WordPress repository for decentralized access to assets like plug-ins and themes.

The ongoing feud between Automattic and WP Engine, as well as the community tensions, are likely to have significant implications for the future of WordPress, which relies heavily on contributions from its community of developers and users. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the WordPress community will respond to these changes and what they will mean for the platform's future.