diff --git a/cmake/Python_version.in b/cmake/Python_version.in
index 67b48af46..ef2754d2d 100644
--- a/cmake/Python_version.in
+++ b/cmake/Python_version.in
@@ -1 +1 @@
-@xgboost_VERSION_MAJOR@.@xgboost_VERSION_MINOR@.@xgboost_VERSION_PATCH@-dev
\ No newline at end of file
+@xgboost_VERSION_MAJOR@.@xgboost_VERSION_MINOR@.@xgboost_VERSION_PATCH@rc1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/jvm-packages/pom.xml b/jvm-packages/pom.xml
index e07b98783..77343820f 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/pom.xml
+++ b/jvm-packages/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
     <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
     <artifactId>xgboost-jvm_2.12</artifactId>
-    <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     <packaging>pom</packaging>
     <name>XGBoost JVM Package</name>
     <description>JVM Package for XGBoost</description>
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-example/pom.xml b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-example/pom.xml
index a6857364d..443358b34 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-example/pom.xml
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-example/pom.xml
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
         <artifactId>xgboost-jvm_2.12</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>xgboost4j-example_2.12</artifactId>
-    <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
     <build>
         <plugins>
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
             <artifactId>xgboost4j-spark_${scala.binary.version}</artifactId>
-            <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+            <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.spark</groupId>
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
             <artifactId>xgboost4j-flink_${scala.binary.version}</artifactId>
-            <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+            <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-flink/pom.xml b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-flink/pom.xml
index f6ba1747d..b2ed002a0 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-flink/pom.xml
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-flink/pom.xml
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
         <artifactId>xgboost-jvm_2.12</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>xgboost4j-flink_2.12</artifactId>
-    <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     <build>
         <plugins>
             <plugin>
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
             <artifactId>xgboost4j_${scala.binary.version}</artifactId>
-            <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+            <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-gpu/pom.xml b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-gpu/pom.xml
index 6e4651a4c..ee6c46b96 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-gpu/pom.xml
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-gpu/pom.xml
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
         <artifactId>xgboost-jvm_2.12</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>xgboost4j-gpu_2.12</artifactId>
-    <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark-gpu/pom.xml b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark-gpu/pom.xml
index bac014776..a6bbda378 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark-gpu/pom.xml
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark-gpu/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
         <artifactId>xgboost-jvm_2.12</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>xgboost4j-spark-gpu_2.12</artifactId>
     <build>
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
             <artifactId>xgboost4j-gpu_${scala.binary.version}</artifactId>
-            <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+            <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.spark</groupId>
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/pom.xml b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/pom.xml
index 5e5e0becb..440a6be94 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/pom.xml
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j-spark/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
         <artifactId>xgboost-jvm_2.12</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>xgboost4j-spark_2.12</artifactId>
     <build>
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
             <artifactId>xgboost4j_${scala.binary.version}</artifactId>
-            <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+            <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.spark</groupId>
diff --git a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/pom.xml b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/pom.xml
index 9551ffcd9..adf60b92b 100644
--- a/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/pom.xml
+++ b/jvm-packages/xgboost4j/pom.xml
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>ml.dmlc</groupId>
         <artifactId>xgboost-jvm_2.12</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>xgboost4j_2.12</artifactId>
-    <version>1.7.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>1.7.0-RC1</version>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/python-package/xgboost/VERSION b/python-package/xgboost/VERSION
index de023c91b..d88d8e71e 100644
--- a/python-package/xgboost/VERSION
+++ b/python-package/xgboost/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.7.0-dev
+1.7.0rc1
diff --git a/python-package/xgboost/core.py b/python-package/xgboost/core.py
index cd028ba0b..633cce452 100644
--- a/python-package/xgboost/core.py
+++ b/python-package/xgboost/core.py
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ Error message(s): {os_error_list}
         """Avoid dependency on packaging (PEP 440)."""
         # 2.0.0-dev or 2.0.0
         major, minor, patch = ver.split("-")[0].split(".")
+        patch = patch.split("rc")[0]  # 2.0.0rc1
         return int(major), int(minor), int(patch)
 
     libver = _lib_version(lib)