Perl's 2026 Zombie Apocalypse: TIOBE Resurrection, Moose on Speed, Thunderhorse Framework Drops WebSockets – Devs, It's Alive!

Perl continues to gain momentum in 2026, with its improved position in the TIOBE Index indicating renewed attention and relevance. The language's active development and innovative tooling, such as Toby Inkster's Moose extensions and William McLean's Perl MCP servers on Cloud Run, contribute to its growth. The community remains strong, with CosmoShop sponsoring the German Perl Workshop and the launch of the Thunderhorse web framework beta. Open-source contributions thrive, with Corion's 2025 module releases and Robert Acock's work on practical data structures. The Perl community emphasizes knowledge-sharing and accessibility, with resources like Dave Cross's slide archives and the Perl Ad Server. Discussions within the Perl Steering Council focus on evolving the language responsibly, with a growing emphasis on transparency and sustainability, as seen in Makoto Nozaki's financial analysis of TPRF. With a strong ecosystem and industry engagement, Perl's momentum is expected to continue, driven by its dedicated community and innovative developments.