The 6.6.0 release of Logstash introduces the initial phase of native support for Java plugins, allowing developers to write input, filter, and output plugins using Java without relying on Ruby's ecosystem. This update aims to provide first-class support for pure Java plugins, enabling them to function seamlessly alongside Ruby plugins within the same Logstash pipeline and optimize performance by minimizing the interoperability cost between JRuby and Java. Although this feature is still experimental and does not yet offer full parity with Ruby plugins, the Java execution engine is being promoted to GA, and full feature parity is expected in a future release. Developers can experiment with Java plugin development, and feedback is encouraged through community channels.