Paul Chapman discusses key support deadlines for Visual Studio editions, urging developers to upgrade to Visual Studio 2022 for modern features and security, including GitHub integration and AI-powered coding.

Visual Studio 2015 Retirement: Support Deadlines and Upgrade Recommendations

Author: Paul Chapman

Support for Visual Studio 2015 will end on October 14, 2025. Developers using this or older versions are encouraged to upgrade to Visual Studio 2022. The latest version includes significant enhancements like:

AI-powered code completions (Copilot integration)
Built-in Git version control and robust GitHub integration
Productivity improvements in the editor
Support for .NET 8 and .NET 9, and .NET MAUI

Support Lifecycle Dates

Visual Studio 2015: Extended support ends October 14, 2025.
Visual Studio 2017 (v15.9): Extended support until April 13, 2027. You must use version 15.9 for updates.
Visual Studio 2019 (v16.11): Extended support through April 10, 2029. Only version 16.11 receives updates.
Visual Studio 2022 (v17.14): Mainstream support through January 12, 2027; extended support through January 13, 2032. LTSC versions also have distinct cutoffs.

Note: Upgrading is especially important for security updates, as only supported versions receive security fixes.

Products and Components Affected by 2015 Retirement

All editions: Enterprise, Professional, Community, Build Tools, Team Explorer, Test Professional, Shell (Integrated/Isolated)
Related tools: SDK, Remote Tools, Agents, Feedback Client, Azure Tools
MSVC Tools v140: Projects should migrate to newer toolsets in later Visual Studio releases.
Visual C++ Redistributable: Developers should update dependencies.

Additional Resources

Visual Studio Hub: Find the latest release notes, videos, social updates, and community discussions.
Developer Community: Share feedback, report issues, and contribute to Visual Studio’s future.

Conclusion

Staying on a supported version of Visual Studio ensures continued productivity, security, and access to new features—especially for teams leveraging Microsoft’s developer ecosystem. Upgrading also unlocks AI-powered coding assistance and deep GitHub workflows.

This post appeared first on “Microsoft VisualStudio Blog”. Read the entire article here