Kubernetes 1.31 was released in late 2025. Here's a brief look at what changed in the core and ecosystem and what to watch when upgrading.
API Changes and Stability
Some features moved to stable (GA): Job API improvements, extended restart and backoff handling. Cleanup of deprecated fields in manifests continues — if your cluster hasn't been updated in a while, run kubectl apply --dry-run=server before migration and check deprecation warnings.
Network and Storage
CSI and network plugin updates: better support for stateful workloads and fine-grained network policies. kube-proxy performance improved in large clusters, important for those running hundreds of services and thousands of endpoints.
Security and Compliance
Tighter default security, updated Pod Security guidance. For teams planning upgrade from 1.29–1.30, review the official changelog and test scenarios before production. Check whether you use APIs marked deprecated in earlier minor releases — some may be removed in 1.31.
Pre-Upgrade Checklist
Recommended order: update test or staging cluster first, run main scenarios (deploy, scale, rollback, config and secret updates). Ensure all CRDs and operators are compatible with the new version. Then plan a production window with fallback to the previous version if needed.
Summary: 1.31 is an evolutionary release focused on API stability, networking, and security. For most teams upgrade should be smooth if you're not tied to deprecated APIs and have verified component compatibility upfront.