Windows 11: Wasn't Windows 10 supposed to be the last version of Windows?

Microsoft said Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows. Is that no longer the case?

What you need to know

• A leaked build confirms that Windows 11 is on the way.
• In the past, Microsoft said that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows.
• The situation appears to have changed.

When Microsoft released Windows 10, people at the company explained that it would be the last version of Windows. "Right now we're releasing Windows 10, and because Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, we're all still working on Windows 10," said former senior technical evangelist at Microsoft, Jerry Nixen, back in 2015. Now, a leaked build of Windows 11 seemingly confirms that Windows 10 is not the last version of Windows. What gives?

Since we're dealing with a leaked version of Windows 11, there aren't any official comments from Microsoft on the topic. That being said, we can speculate as to the shift in strategy. The most likely reason is, to put it bluntly, things change. Microsoft was going to do one thing and then decided to do another thing.

As explained in our post gathering together all of the known information on Windows 11, this version of Windows could be large enough to warrant a name change. Our senior editor Zac Bowden explains:

However, things change, and Microsoft could decide to ship a Windows 11 if they really wanted to. This would only be necessary if a new version of Windows was coming that was significant enough to warrant a name change. We know Microsoft is working on a significant Windows UI overhaul codenamed Sun Valley right now, and we think this would be a good opportunity for Microsoft to ship Windows 11.

Microsoft will hold an official event to show off Windows 11 on June 24, 2021. At the event, we'll likely hear official word regarding why Microsoft decided to go with a new name for its latest version of Windows.