Monday Merge: GitLab 18 is here – and it’s kind of a big deal.

Hey everyone, welcome to the June edition of Monday Merge – hot off the processor!

We’ve got major updates, fresh AI features, and DevSecOps insights to power your next sprint. The headline? GitLab 18 is officially here. And with it, every GitLab Premium and Ultimate customer now gets access to essential GitLab Duo AI features, at no additional cost.

Let’s jump in. 👇

GitLab 18: One small step for GitLab, one giant leap for DevSecOps

GitLab 18.0 brings the next wave of AI-native DevSecOps to life — with essential GitLab Duo capabilities now built into Premium and Ultimate tiers.

Here’s what’s new:

• Duo Code Suggestions and Duo Chat in your IDE — for real-time help writing, understanding, refactoring, and testing code.

• Repository X-Ray (in beta for Self-Hosted) — a visual overview of your repo’s structure and code health.

• Auto-enabled Duo Code Review — ensuring all MRs get the AI treatment.

• Prompt caching — reducing latency and speeding up AI interactions.

According to our latest global DevSecOps study, developers spend 79% of their time on tasks other than writing code. The takeaway here is that if developers are only using AI to assist with code, then they aren’t capturing the full power of AI. In comes GitLab 18 which embeds AI across the entire software development lifecycle — helping teams focus on innovation, not busywork.

This release wouldn’t be possible without our incredible community. With 328 contributions from developers worldwide, GitLab 18 is truly built by and for the people who use it every day.

And a special shoutout to our Notable Contributor of the Month, Michael Hofer from Adfinis, for his standout work on GitLab’s Geo features and Secrets Manager. Michael, your dedication to open source and community leadership inspires us all.

Read the full GitLab 18 release notes →

Customer spotlight: Ignite by FORVIA HELLA

As software becomes a defining force in the automotive industry, Ignite by FORVIA HELLA launched Ignite — a Berlin-based software innovation hub building for the next era of software-defined vehicles.

Felix Kortmann, CTO at Ignite, shares how GitLab Duo is accelerating development:

“Duo's intelligent code suggestions have become a daily asset for our developers. Combined with the chat feature, it allows for immediate feedback and iteration, resulting in faster development cycles and a more secure codebase. It's a seamless and powerful addition to our workflows.”

By integrating GitLab’s CI/CD and AI-powered features, Ignite has streamlined repetitive testing and quality checks while maintaining compliance across its software pipeline. Automation now kicks in as soon as code is pushed — catching issues early and enabling fast, incremental delivery.

GitLab 18 Virtual Launch Event

Join us on June 24 for a global virtual event showcasing the future of intelligent DevSecOps.

✨ What’s in store:

• Live demos of GitLab 18’s new features

• Insights from GitLab leaders (Bill Staples, Sabrina Farmer, Josh Lemos, David DeSanto and more)

• A first look at The Developer Show, our new live series featuring coding demos, product deep-dives, and community stories

Choose your time zone. Bring your questions. Leave inspired.

Register for our virtual event now! →

GitLab Duo now included with Premium

With GitLab 18, essential Duo capabilities are now included in Premium and Ultimate — bringing intelligent assistance to every step of the dev process. No extra tools. No added cost. Just smarter software development, right inside your IDE.

Included features:

• Duo Code Suggestions: write and refactor faster in over 20 languages

• Duo Chat: explain complex code, generate tests, and troubleshoot with ease

And for teams ready to go deeper? Duo Enterprise (previously only for Ultimate) is now available to Premium users, unlocking advanced features like Root Cause Analysis, Self-Hosted support, and AI-powered code reviews.

Duo is ready when you are. Turn it on and get building →

Meet us at AWS Summits

Come see GitLab in action at AWS Summits across the globe! Get hands-on with GitLab + AWS integrations, see how teams are building secure cloud-native applications, and pick up some swag while you’re at it.

🗓️ June Events:

• Sydney | June 4–5

• Stockholm | June 4

• Hamburg | June 5

• Madrid | June 11

• Milan | June 18

• Mumbai | June 19

• Tokyo | June 25–26

Register for a summit near you →

A thought to code on

Before we wrap up, here’s a little inspiration I’ve been carrying with me this month — a reminder that momentum beats perfection, and that big ideas start with small steps:

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

Let’s keep building, learning, and creating — one merge at a time. 💜

🦊 Until next time…

Thanks for being part of the GitLab community! We can’t wait to see what you’ll build with GitLab 18. Don’t forget to check out the virtual launch event and start exploring the AI features now included in Premium and Ultimate.

Until next time — Happy Merging!

Fatima Sarah Khalid | Developer Advocate, GitLab