GKE Version Updates: New Defaults, Available Versions, and Deprecations Across Channels
Google Kubernetes Engine has rolled out significant version updates across its Rapid, Regular, Stable, and Extended channels. These updates introduce new default versions for cluster creation and add several new versions available for both manual and automatic upgrades. Conversely, multiple older versions have been deprecated and will be removed within 90 days or at their end of support, necessitating timely upgrades for affected clusters. GKE's auto-upgrade targets have also been adjusted to guide clusters to the latest supported minor and patch versions, ensuring users maintain up-to-date and secure environments.
- →Rapid channel
Security (1) ›
- Google Kubernetes Engine
(2026-R39) Security updates This release includes new GKE versions that use updated Container-Optimized OS images. These updated images are cumulative, incorporating security fixes from all Container-Optimized OS versions released since the previous GKE release. To identify the specific vulnerabilities that were resolved in each updated Container-Optimized OS image, see the Security release notes for that image. The following table includes links to the release notes for each updated Container-Optimized OS image: GKE version Container-Optimized OS version Details 1.37.0-gke.3503000 cos-129-195
Deprecations (1) ›
- Google Kubernetes Engine
Note : Your clusters might not have these versions available. Rollouts are already in progress when we publish the release notes, and can take multiple days to complete across all Google Cloud zones. Version 1.35.8-gke.1036000 is now the default version for cluster creation. The following versions are now available: 1.34.11-gke.1102000 1.35.8-gke.1439000 1.36.4-gke.1391000 The following node versions are now available: 1.31.14-gke.2704000 1.32.13-gke.2427000 1.33.13-gke.1647000 1.34.11-gke.1102000 1.35.8-gke.1439000 1.36.4-gke.1391000 The following versions are no longer available: 1.34.10-gke
Enhancements (6) ›
- Google Kubernetes Engine Rapid channel
(2026-R39) Version updates GKE cluster versions have been updated. New versions available for upgrades and new clusters. The following versions are now available for new GKE clusters, and for manual control plane upgrades and node upgrades for existing clusters. For more information about versioning and upgrades, see GKE versioning and support and About GKE cluster upgrades . Note : Your clusters might not have these versions available. Rollouts are already in progress when we publish the release notes, and can take multiple days to complete across all Google Cloud zones. Version 1.36.4-gke.12
- Google Kubernetes Engine
(2026-R39) Version updates Note : Your clusters might not have these versions available. Rollouts are already in progress when we publish the release notes, and can take multiple days to complete across all Google Cloud zones. Version 1.34.10-gke.1236000 is now available in the Stable channel. Version 1.34.10-gke.1106000 is deprecated in the Stable channel. This version will be removed in 90 days, or at the end of support, if sooner. Clusters in this channel running the listed minor version have new general auto-upgrade targets. GKE can upgrade control planes and nodes to the following new ver
- Google Kubernetes Engine
(2026-R39) Version updates Note : Your clusters might not have these versions available. Rollouts are already in progress when we publish the release notes, and can take multiple days to complete across all Google Cloud zones. Version 1.35.8-gke.1036000 is now the default version for cluster creation in the Regular channel. The following versions are now available in the Regular channel: 1.34.11-gke.1044000 1.35.8-gke.1225000 1.36.4-gke.1082000 The following versions are no longer available in the Regular channel: 1.34.10-gke.1236000 1.35.7-gke.1222000 1.36.3-gke.1640000 is deprecated in the R
- Google Kubernetes Engine
(2026-R39) Version updates Note : Your clusters might not have these versions available. Rollouts are already in progress when we publish the release notes, and can take multiple days to complete across all Google Cloud zones. Version 1.36.4-gke.1247000 is now the default version for cluster creation in the Rapid channel. The following versions are now available in the Rapid channel: 1.34.11-gke.1102000 1.35.8-gke.1439000 1.36.4-gke.1391000 1.37.0-gke.3503000 The following versions are no longer available in the Rapid channel: 1.34.11-gke.1044000 1.35.8-gke.1225000 1.36.4-gke.1082000 1.37.0-gk
- Google Kubernetes Engine
(2026-R39) Version updates Note : Your clusters might not have these versions available. Rollouts are already in progress when we publish the release notes, and can take multiple days to complete across all Google Cloud zones. Version 1.35.8-gke.1036000 is now the default version for cluster creation. The following versions are now available: 1.34.11-gke.1102000 1.35.8-gke.1439000 1.36.4-gke.1391000 The following node versions are now available: 1.31.14-gke.2704000 1.32.13-gke.2427000 1.33.13-gke.1647000 1.34.11-gke.1102000 1.35.8-gke.1439000 1.36.4-gke.1391000 The following versions are no lo
- Google Kubernetes Engine
(2026-R39) Version updates Note : Your clusters might not have these versions available. Rollouts are already in progress when we publish the release notes, and can take multiple days to complete across all Google Cloud zones. Version 1.35.8-gke.1036000 is now the default version for cluster creation in the Extended channel. The following versions are now available in the Extended channel: 1.31.14-gke.2630000 1.31.14-gke.2667000 1.31.14-gke.2704000 1.32.13-gke.2337000 1.32.13-gke.2393000 1.32.13-gke.2427000 1.33.13-gke.1547000 1.33.13-gke.1613000 1.33.13-gke.1647000 1.34.11-gke.1044000 1.35.8-
https://docs.cloud.google.com/release-notes#September_17_2026
Related releases
- Google Distributed Cloud for VMware 1.34.900-gke.135 Now Available Google Cloud release notes ·
- Google Distributed Cloud for Bare Metal v1.34.900-gke.135 Released with Security Fixes Google Cloud release notes ·
- Pine59's Migration to Airflow 3 on Google Cloud Improves Data and MLOps Pipelines Google Cloud Blog ·
- SeaVerse reduces infrastructure costs by 60% with GKE Agent Sandbox Google Cloud Blog ·
- Google Cloud SDK 585.0.0 Introduces Breaking Changes, GA Features, and Deprecations Google Cloud release notes ·
- Google Distributed Cloud for Bare Metal v1.33.1200-gke.83 Is Now Available Google Cloud release notes ·