# Traefik v3.8.0-rc.1 expands Kubernetes Gateway API and HTTP/3 support

> **Key takeaway:** Traefik's latest pre-release introduces significant Gateway API enhancements, improved HTTP/3 transport handling, and expanded authentication capabilities.

**Published:** 2026-10-30T08:54:43+00:00 
**Source:** Traefik Cloud Native Edge Router 
**Category:** cloud-native 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/traefik-v380-rc1-expands-kubernetes-gateway-api-and-http3-su.html 

## Summary
Traefik has released the v3.8.0-rc.1 pre-release of its cloud-native edge router. This update focuses heavily on deepening integration with the Kubernetes Gateway API, adding support for ListenerSet (GEP-1713), GatewayClass options, and various routing filters like CORS and retries.

Beyond Kubernetes improvements, the release enhances the HTTP/3 stack by updating the quic-go dependency and implementing dedicated transports per client connection. It also introduces new middleware features, such as a tap middleware and circuit breaker request minimums, alongside expanded authentication support for NTLM and Kerberos via ForwardAuth.

## Technical improvements in Traefik v3.8.0-rc.1
- **Kubernetes Gateway API:** Adds support for ListenerSet, GatewayClass options, and BackendTLSPolicy for TLSRoute and gRPC backends, while dropping support for Gateway API v1.5.x.
- **HTTP/3 and Networking:** Implements read, idle, and max header byte timeouts for HTTP/3, and optimizes the stack by dedicating a transport per HTTP/3 client connection.
- **Middleware and Routing:** Introduces a new tap middleware, enables CORS filtering for HTTPRoute, and adds support for double wildcard matching in Host and HostSNI matchers.
- **Security and Authentication:** Expands ForwardAuth to support NTLM and Kerberos, and adds a reusePrivateKey option for ACME to streamline certificate management.
- **Observability and Metrics:** Adds the QUERY method to recognized HTTP methods for metrics labeling and optimizes OpenTelemetry (OTel) resource building.

## Why it matters
This release is critical for platform engineers managing Kubernetes clusters, as it aligns Traefik more closely with evolving Gateway API standards. The improvements to HTTP/3 stability and expanded authentication protocols also provide more robust options for high-performance, secure edge routing in enterprise environments.