In the next major, we'll start copying the ref onto both the props and the element.ref. React will now use the props.ref as the source of truth for forwardRef and classes and it will still create a shallow copy of props that excludes the ref in these cases. At the same time, we'll add a getter for element.ref in DEV that warns if you access it. The upgrade path is now to just access it off props if you need it from the element.

This proposal simplifies how React.createElement works and ultimately lets us remove the need for forwardRef.