If you want to keep receiving security and bug fixes for Internet Explorer after January 12, 2016, you’ll have to upgrade to the most recent version first. For now, that means IE 11. But if IE 12 is ready before January 12, you’ll be forced to update to that version.

Microsoft is doing this mainly to reduce support costs. But this is also the approach used by Google for its Chrome browser, and Mozilla is moving in that direction for Firefox.

Additional reading:

• Support for old versions of Internet Explorer to be dropped—in 2016
• Microsoft is finally killing support for old versions of Internet Explorer