AMD has announced changes to the licensing model of its Vivado FPGA development tool beginning with the 2026.1 release, affecting the availability of its free tier.

According to a report based on a Slashdot submission, the updated licensing structure expands support for additional FPGA devices in the free tier, which AMD positions as an improvement for users.

However, this benefit is accompanied by significant restrictions, including the removal of certain debugging features and, most notably, the elimination of Linux support from the free edition of the tool.

The change is expected to have a substantial impact on hobbyists, developers, and small-scale FPGA users, many of whom rely on Linux systems for development workflows.While AMD has indicated that existing licenses for version 2025.

2 will remain valid, allowing users to continue using that version indefinitely, uncertainty remains about whether installation and support will continue smoothly once newer releases are introduced.

AMD engineers have also clarified that Vivado versions older than the most recent three releases will eventually lose official support, meaning no further bug fixes will be provided after that point.

An AMD product engineer noted that internal surveys suggest approximately 70% of users currently operate Vivado on Windows, which may explain the company’s prioritization of that platform.Despite the changes, users will still be able to use the free version of Vivado 2025.2 without a license fee, although additional IP core or specialized tool licenses may still be required.The decision has sparked concern in the FPGA community, particularly among Linux users who depend on open development environments.