According to Thurrott.com, Microsoft will launch .NET 10 at its annual .NET Conf virtual conference running from November 11 to 13, 2025. The free three-day event features the official release of .NET 10 alongside previews of Visual Studio 2026 and deep dives into cloud-native development with Aspire. Microsoft principal tech program manager Jon Galloway confirmed the conference will emphasize upgrading existing applications to .NET 10 and building intelligent apps with AI tools including the Microsoft Agent Framework and Model Context Protocol support. The event kicks off on November 11 with a keynote by Scott Hanselman and the .NET team, with sessions available on the .NET YouTube channel and detailed agenda on the .NET Conf website.
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Why This Timing Matters
Here’s the thing about Microsoft‘s release cadence – they’ve been hitting these annual .NET releases like clockwork. .NET 10 arriving right on schedule in November 2025 keeps developers in their predictable upgrade rhythm. But what’s really interesting is how they’re positioning this as more than just another framework update. They’re pushing hard on the AI angle with that Microsoft Agent Framework and MCP support. Basically, they’re telling developers “hey, we know AI is the next big thing, and we’re building the tools to help you ride that wave.”
The Bigger Business Picture
So why does Microsoft care about a free developer conference? Look, it’s all about ecosystem lock-in. The more developers they can get building on .NET with Azure-optimized tools like Aspire, the more they’re feeding their cloud revenue machine. And let’s be real – when they showcase Visual Studio 2026 previews alongside .NET 10, they’re creating that natural upgrade path that keeps the entire Microsoft development stack sticky. It’s smart business disguised as community outreach.
What This Means for Developers
For the actual people writing code, this conference is basically Christmas coming early. Free training on upgrading to .NET 10? Deep dives into AI frameworks that everyone’s trying to figure out? That’s valuable stuff. And the fact that they’re addressing “quickly and confidently upgrading existing applications” tells you they know migration pain is real. The cloud-native focus with Aspire shows where Microsoft thinks the puck is going – everything’s moving to distributed systems and containers. Want to stay relevant as a .NET developer? You’ll probably want to check that agenda and maybe clear your calendar for November 11-13.
Catch It Live or Later
The beauty of virtual conferences is that you don’t have to travel to get the content. You can follow along on the .NET YouTube channel live or catch the recordings later. And yes, there’s apparently going to be a Commodore 64 session because of course there is – Scott Hanselman loves his retro computing segments. But behind the fun stuff, this is Microsoft laying out their development roadmap for the next year. For anyone invested in the .NET ecosystem, it’s worth paying attention to what they’re pushing hard on.
