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Adobe has released Magento 2.4.0. It changes infrastructure requirements, security defaults and system compatibility in ways that will shape your upgrade plan, so it is worth reading before you schedule one.
Elasticsearch is now mandatory
The biggest change: Elasticsearch is required as the search engine, and MySQL search has been removed. There is no longer an alternative to fall back on.
If you have been running product search on MySQL, that is an infrastructure change, not a config toggle. Elasticsearch gives you better full-text search, relevance tuning and performance at scale — but it also brings new infrastructure to stand up and new operational knowledge to hold.
The direction of travel is clear enough. Search is doing more work in eCommerce than MySQL was ever going to do well, and 2.4.0 stops pretending otherwise.
Two-factor authentication on by default
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is now enabled by default for admin accounts. Every installation gets a smaller attack surface for administrative access out of the box.
Plan for the operational side. Anyone who logs into the admin needs to be set up for the 2FA workflow before they hit it cold on a Monday morning.
PHP 7.4 and MySQL 8.0
Version 2.4.0 adds support for PHP 7.4 and MySQL 8.0. If you're on older versions, this is the point to start planning the infrastructure upgrade — it needs careful testing, and it buys you performance, security and better compatibility with modern extensions and integrations.
Three questions before you upgrade
Can your infrastructure support Elasticsearch?
Are your development and operations teams ready to manage 2FA?
Does your hosting environment support PHP 7.4 and MySQL 8.0?
If you are coming from an earlier Magento 2 version, run a proper compatibility assessment first. Extensions and customisations may need updating to work with 2.4.0, and finding that out during a deployment window is the expensive way to learn it.
What this means for you
2.4.0 is a version you plan for rather than one you slot in on a quiet Friday. Get the infrastructure and testing time booked, and the release gives you a stronger base to build on.