The current version of RKE2 is 1.37.1+rke2r1 (as of 30/09/2026). patchletter checks the official source daily and emails you new releases.
RKE2 at a glance
RKE2, also known as RKE Government, is a Kubernetes distribution from Rancher. It is built for hardening against common security baselines and ships with containerd as its runtime. Sysadmins use it to run Kubernetes clusters in their own data center or at the edge without assembling the components one by one.
RKE2 follows the Kubernetes minor versions and publishes patch releases for every supported line on an ongoing basis. Besides Kubernetes itself they include updated components such as the container network and the ingress controller. Anyone running several minor lines therefore has to watch each line separately.
When upgrading, the usual order applies: server nodes first, one after another, then the agent nodes. Minor versions are not skipped. Before starting, make a backup of the etcd data and read the release notes for changed defaults. For air-gapped installations, the images must be available before the upgrade.
Version history & changelog · as detected by patchletter
| Version | Channel | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.37.1+rke2r1 | STABLE | 30/09/2026 | Release notes → |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the latest version of RKE2?
- RKE2 1.37.1+rke2r1, released 30/09/2026. patchletter checks the vendor's official source daily for new releases.
- Where can I find the RKE2 release notes?
- The version history above links to the vendor's official release notes where the vendor publishes them. patchletter deliberately stores no vendor full texts.
- How do I get notified about new RKE2 updates?
- Tick RKE2 off in the catalogue and leave your address. From then on new versions go out by email — one at a time, or bundled in the daily or weekly digest.
An email as soon as a new RKE2 version ships
We reconcile the vendor source daily. When a new version appears, it lands in your inbox right away or bundled as a digest. The update email is free and ends with one click. Alerts about vulnerabilities and end of support are part of patchletter Pro.
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[](https://patchletter.com/en/software/rke2)https://patchletter.com/badge/rke2.svgAlso available: ?v=eol (end of support) and ?v=cve (actively exploited).
