On December 23, 2021, WP Engine announced the acquisition of the Frost theme, created by renowned WordPress designer Brian Gardner, and released it as a free, open-source Full Site Editing (FSE) theme.
This move underscores WP Engine’s commitment to advancing block-based theming tools and supporting the WordPress community.
Frost Becomes an Open-Source Full Site Editing Theme
Frost began as a premium child theme based on the Genesis framework before evolving into a standalone block-based theme.
Gardner joined WP Engine in late September as Principal Developer Advocate and led development alongside plugin creator Nick Diego.
Key highlights:
- Fully open-sourced on GitHub and included in WP Engine’s theme repository, making it accessible to all users.
- Fully embraces Full Site Editing features, block patterns, global styles, and
theme.jsonsupport. - All existing customers were refunded following its transition to a free plugin.
This release aligns with WP Engine’s focus on providing tools that help users “experiment with the expanding capabilities of the block editor.”
Strategic Benefits for Developers and Community
WP Engine’s acquisition goes beyond owning a theme; it’s a strategic play to boost innovation in WordPress theming and developer outreach.
Advantages include:
- Accelerated innovation: Brian Gardner’s team focuses on experimental features like block patterns and theme.json enhancements.
- Educational impact: Frost is a learning resource for developers exploring Full Site Editing.
- Community-driven iteration: Open-source status allows external contributors to shape its evolution.
Gardner emphasized that the goal is to “help the community transition to the block editor and Full Site Editing.”
A Turning Point for Theme Development
With Frost free and open, WP Engine extends a powerful toolkit to agencies, freelancers, and hobbyists, encouraging site builders to leverage modern theming without licensing barriers.
WP Engine’s ongoing investment signals:
- More substantial support for FSE ecosystem growth
- WP Engine’s positioning as both a hosting provider and a dev relations leader
- A future where open-source contributions drive feature-rich, public-good WordPress tools
Explore similar developments in theme innovation in WP Engine’s monthly updates on WPEdition: visit the Edition page. For other recent acquisitions, see WordPress M&A news, and for top theme and page builder rankings, browse the Top‑10 rankings section.
Looking Ahead with Block-Based Themes
WP Engine’s acquisition of Frost marks a pivotal shift; it brings high-quality block-based theming into the public domain, nurturing a learning path for developers and elevating the design possibilities within WordPress.
As Frost evolves, contributors and users can expect fresh patterns, improved site editing flows, and tools that redefine theme customization. This acquisition sets a new benchmark for what WordPress theming can look like in the era of Full Site Editing.