Java and MegaMek

We currently (11-Apr-2022) recommend Java 11 for all players and require it for all releases starting with 0.49.x. Stable 0.48.X is our final release supporting Java 8. All new MILESTONE releases will require Java 11 or 17 ONLY.

As of the 0.49.11 MegaMek/MegaMekLab/MekHQ releases (December 22/2022) we've added support for Java 17.

The Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap shows Oracle's version of supporting future Java releases, and is as of time of writing a solid source of future information about Java releases. The roadmap is about how long they will provide public support for certain versions. First, one must explain the split between Java versions. The primary Java versions are long-term support (LTS), which means that they will provide updates and fixes until they determine it end of life (EoL) (expected 5+ years from release). As of the day of writing, these are Java 8 (EoL), Java 11, and Java 17. All other Java versions are short-term, which means that they stop providing support when the next version is released.

Date: 22-December-2022

Minimum Version (0.48.X): Java 8

Minimum Version (Any 0.49.x release): Java 11

Recommended Version: Java 11

Maximum Supported Version: Java 17 - this is ONLY for releases including and after 0.49.11 (December 22nd/2022). Any releases prior to this will have issues on Java 17