Kong Gateway 2.6 introduces significant enhancements aimed at improving API security, compliance, and performance. The update features a new jq plugin that enables powerful transformations for API requests and responses, allowing for versatile data handling tailored to various consumers, such as reducing bandwidth usage for mobile applications. Enhancements to Kafka integration include updated plugins supporting modern features like TLS and multiple authentication methods, addressing key customer requests. Performance improvements promise a 12% increase in average requests per second and reduced latencies. Additionally, the release includes updates to several plugins, such as the Canary, OPA, Rate Limiting Advanced, and OpenID Connect plugins, expanding their capabilities and flexibility. Kong Gateway 2.6 is available for free download and integrates with Konnect, Kong's SaaS platform, offering a comprehensive solution for API management and development.