The feud between WP Engine and Automattic escalated this week when WordPress.org blocked WP Engine from accessing vital resources, including themes and plugins.

Automattic’s CEO, Matt Mullenweg, accused WP Engine of profiting from WordPress without significantly contributing to its open-source community. Due to the ban, WP Engine customers lost the ability to install plugins or update themes, which has raised serious security concerns.

Mullenweg, who co-founded WordPress, publicly attacked WP Engine, labeling the company a “cancer to WordPress” and criticizing its lack of contributions to the open-source project. In response, WP Engine, one of the largest managed WordPress hosting providers, issued a cease-and-desist letter.

The company accused Automattic of demanding financial compensation and threatening a “scorched earth” approach if they did not comply. Automattic then retaliated with its own legal action, accusing WP Engine of violating WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.

As a result, WP Engine users find themselves in a precarious situation, unable to access necessary updates from WordPress.org, potentially jeopardizing their site security. This ongoing legal battle has created uncertainty, with users, developers, and the wider WordPress community closely monitoring how this dispute could impact the future of WordPress hosting.