Hi to everyone. Hope the developers see this post. Any chance we can get a tidbit of news about what to expect with Zorin 18 (which is due this Fall) other than the self-explanatory stuff (e.g., new Ubuntu 24.04 base with updated programs)? Will there be new features (this is a "given," yes, but you know what I mean - features that will be unique to Zorin or whatever)? And so on. I don't want to have to wait for a "big" announcement that explains everything when Zorin 18 finally does come (I'm sure I'm not alone on this). Couldn't hurt to ask. Thanks.
I guess that is what You have to and everyone of us too.
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Sorry, but you better learn to be patient and wait like everybody else. The Zorin team have always operated this way since forever, its done when its done, and they release the big update on their website blog.
Its literally a 2 person team, they have no PR person. Its done when its done, and they will tell everyone about it once its released. Patients is key here. From what I just read in your post, you already know the most important info.
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I figured distros had free volunteers. Got to be rough for just two people.
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I'd happily volunteer, some time if the lads wanted a hand, i figure theirs a few people who would fall into a similar category.
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So, unlike me you know how to code, have in-depth knowledge of Ubuntu 24.04 and also the Gnome shell used by Ubuntu 24.04 and manage to keep the Windows styled menu that Zorin makes working flawlessly? Not to mention the restrictions the Gnome devs put on each Gnome shell? 
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Me?
Not yet but the trick to learning something is pick an area and start 
Theirs always handy aspects for people who aren't deep into tech to volunteer on projects like these, whether it's tutorials, wikis, blog posts, art, wallpapers, etc/UX.
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My contributions are post-release. I used to create wallpapers for Zorin but not now. My main contributions have been the Unofficial manuals for Core, starting with 12 (translated into French, German, Greek, Italian and a forum member from Argentina into Spanish), 15 and 17. And help here where I can. Hopefully the forum is helping to keep them focussed on what needs to be done.
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its probably quite likely some of the folk on the forums have definitely solved or helped solve/troubleshoot some issues that would've otherwise been directed their way.
Thanks to all for their responses. Moving on ...
Genuinely don't know why people keep asking to switch base, 22.04 is supported until 2027... There's more than enough time, even so, 24.04 is only supported until 2029, so two more years 
and with all of that, the devs need to change their theming, extensions, and other things just to be able to function on GNOME 46, which will change on 26.04 anyway.
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From what I have seen, yellow and brown themes will be added and a "major refresh" for the old ones.
Exactly!
It really only matters to people like me, who are still on Zorin OS 16. Support has now since dropped for the OS, so I will need to jump onto Zorin OS 18 right away. I've already noticed that my machine is behind on Nvidia driver updates, I'm getting left behind lol.
You are correct though, anyone still on OS 17, are not getting left behind yet, and still receive support updates, including Nvidia drivers. If a user is on OS 17 they have no need to upgrade right away. Those still on OS 16, we do.
I would rather be left behind with what is working then catch up to the hopelessly broken future of Gnome.
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Well, the only reason I have for 24.04 is for better support for newer hardware, since "some" things arent running on Ubuntu 22.04 XD.
(I guess some folks here know what I am talking about)
I think the Zorin team, regardless of size, is banking on the marketing of the end of Windows support. I'd wager they'll wait until the right time to release version 18 to maximize the migration of MS users. With a GUI that's as user-friendly as possible and focused on a more Windows-like appearance than ever! I also think other consumer-focused distributions are looking into this.
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I actually suspect that this is not the case. There is not a predictable timeframe for migration since it takes a lot for a user to be willing to switch operating systems. Even the end of life of Windows editions will not earmark a date for users to make the switch. Rather, they will begrudgingly attempt to use Windows newer addition for quite a long time before getting fed up.
But more importantly, stability is one of the most prominent ZorinGroup priorities.
Waiting to release Zorin OS 18, assuming it was ready sooner, would cause the ZorinGroup more grief.
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While major updates certainly create expectations, having a more stable system is a positive experience. I'm not always willing to research ways to fix bugs, which I often cause myself. Perhaps that's why I'm happy with Zorin OS and don't crave major updates. For me, what works well is ideal, especially with older hardware.
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Agree completely. I myself have been exploring XFCE more and more lately. Put simply, I like what I see. Too bad Zorin OS is dropping XFCE ...