Dynamics 365 release waves and how they affect your job

What a release wave was, and what changed in 2026

For years, Microsoft published a release plan twice a year, called wave 1 and wave 2. Each one listed the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform features due over the next six months. The 2026 release wave 1 plan, for example, covered features shipping from April 2026 through September 2026. Project teams used each plan as a fixed moment to review what was coming, update training and schedule regression testing.

On August 25, 2026, Microsoft said it was retiring the wave 1 and wave 2 model and moving to continuous publishing on the AI at Work roadmap. That roadmap began taking new Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Dataverse items in September 2026. There is no 2026 release wave 2 plan. Release Planner retires by November 15, 2026, and old plans stay on Microsoft Learn for reference. Microsoft says the change affects how it announces features. How products are built and deployed stays the same, and Message Center is still where tenant-specific change notices appear.

How updates reach each product

Customer engagement apps and Power Platform still have two major releases a year, in April and October. Each environment uses one of two release channels. The semi-annual channel turns new features on at general availability in April and October, and Microsoft recommends it for production. The monthly channel turns features on every month and gets weekly preview updates, and Microsoft recommends it for dev and test. The old Early Access opt-in is deprecated. The monthly channel has replaced it, and you can switch an environment between channels at any time without a deployment.

Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, Human Resources and Project Operations follow One Version. Microsoft ships four service updates a year, with autoupdates in February, April, July and October. Customers must take at least two a year and can pause no more than one in a row. Business Central has major updates in April and October, with a preview starting about a month earlier. After general availability, admins get a five-month window in which to schedule the update.

What consultants, admins and testers actually do

Admins set maintenance windows, keep a sandbox copied from production, and decide when each environment moves. On finance and operations apps, updates go to the UAT sandbox first, and the sandbox autoupdate runs seven days before production. Testers run regression packs in that gap. Microsoft recommends the Regression suite automation tool (RSAT) for finance and operations apps. Because One Version updates are backward compatible, nobody merges code. The job is to find out what broke before users do.

Functional consultants read each new feature against the client's processes and decide what to switch on, what to hold back and what to retire from custom code. Microsoft's own validation checklist for monthly channel testing covers three things: key scenarios, customizations that need adjusting, and refreshed training and communications. On support contracts this cycle is steady, billable work. On implementations it can move your go-live date if an update lands mid-project.

How to stay current without a wave calendar

The twice-yearly plan used to set your reading schedule for you. Microsoft now suggests a recurring review, monthly or quarterly, built on a saved AI at Work roadmap filter and an RSS feed. You can also export filtered views to CSV for a client deck. Roadmap items move through In Development, Rolling Out and Launched, so check status before you promise a client a feature.

For finance and operations apps, keep the Service update availability page bookmarked. Its targeted schedule shows version 10.0.50 entering preview on October 23, 2026, available to self-update on December 22, 2026, with the first production autoupdate starting January 31, 2027. Microsoft labels those dates subject to change. Business Central people should read each version's What's new page. The 29.0 page, which starts 2026 release wave 2, now links every feature to its roadmap ID.

What you need

Environment managementYou need to create sandboxes, copy production and set release channels in the Power Platform admin center, Lifecycle Services or the Business Central admin center.
Regression testingBuild and maintain a repeatable test pack of key business processes. On finance and operations apps that usually means RSAT.
Roadmap readingFilter the AI at Work roadmap to your client's products and judge each item's impact on their processes and custom code.
Message Center habitsMessage Center remains the source for tenant-specific change notices, so someone on the team must watch it.
Change communicationTurn feature changes into short training notes and release communications that business users will actually read.

How to get there

OngoingWatch the roadmapReview saved AI at Work roadmap filters and Message Center on a set monthly or quarterly rhythm.
Weeks before GAPreview in a sandboxMove a test environment to the monthly channel, a Business Central preview sandbox, or a finance and operations preview build.
Preview to GARegression testRun key scenarios and integrations against the new build and log any regressions with Microsoft Support.
Before productionDecide on featuresAgree with the business which new features to enable, defer or use to replace customizations.
Update windowSchedule productionSet the maintenance window or update date inside the allowed period, and pause only where the rules permit it.
After updateTrain and close outUpdate training materials, brief users and record what changed for the next cycle.

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Questions people ask

Are Dynamics 365 release waves gone?

The twice-yearly wave announcements and release plans are gone. In August 2026 Microsoft said it would publish new capabilities continuously on the AI at Work roadmap and would not issue a 2026 release wave 2 plan. Products with established release schedules keep following them.

What replaced early access for Dynamics 365?

For customer engagement apps and Power Platform, the monthly release channel replaced the deprecated Early Access opt-in. Set a dev or test environment to the monthly channel and you see new features each month. You can switch back to the semi-annual channel at any time without a deployment.

How many updates must a Finance and Operations customer take?

Microsoft releases four service updates a year, with autoupdates in February, April, July and October. Customers must take at least two a year and cannot pause more than one in a row. The sandbox is updated seven days before production.

When does Business Central update?

Business Central has two major releases a year, in April and October, usually going live on the first workday of the month. A preview opens about a month earlier, in March and September. Admins can then schedule the update anywhere within a five-month update period.

Do release updates create work for consultants?

Yes. Every major update needs someone to test it in a sandbox, check customizations and integrations, decide which features to enable and update user training. Support and managed service contracts are often built around this cycle.

What are Dynamics 365 release waves and how do they affect your job?