diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7757ee8742..455071ccdc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ http://webconsole.spockframework.org.
 
 Latest Versions
 ---------------
-The latest release version is **1.2** (1.2-groovy-2.4, 1.2-groovy-2.5), released on 2018-09-23. The
+The latest release version is **1.3-RC1** (1.3-RC1-groovy-2.4, 1.3-RC1-groovy-2.5), released on 2019-01-22. The
 current development version is **1.3-SNAPSHOT** (1.3-groovy-2.4-SNAPSHOT and 1.3-groovy-2.5-SNAPSHOT).
 
 **NOTE:** Spock 1.2 drops support for Java 6, Groovy 2.0 and Groovy 2.3.
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 44f8eb507c..89fbd5df7f 100755
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ description = "Spock Framework"
 
 ext {
   baseVersion = "1.3"
-  snapshotVersion = true
-  releaseCandidate = 0
+  snapshotVersion = false
+  releaseCandidate = 1
   variants = [2.4, 2.5]
   variant = System.getProperty("variant") as BigDecimal ?: variants.first()
   if (variant == 2.4) {
diff --git a/docs/include.adoc b/docs/include.adoc
index bad994804c..91099c7a72 100644
--- a/docs/include.adoc
+++ b/docs/include.adoc
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-:author: Peter Niederwieser, The Spock Framework Team
+:author: Peter Niederwieser, Leonard Brünings, The Spock Framework Team
 :revnumber: X-replaced-by-gradle
 :sourcedir: ../spock-specs/src/test/groovy/org/spockframework/docs
 :sourcedir-spring: ../spock-spring/src/test/groovy/org/spockframework/spring/docs
diff --git a/docs/release_notes.adoc b/docs/release_notes.adoc
index bca3cca75d..c472f55386 100644
--- a/docs/release_notes.adoc
+++ b/docs/release_notes.adoc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 include::include.adoc[]
 
 
-== 1.3 (tbd)
+== 1.3-RC1 (2019-01-22)
 
 The theme for this release is to increase the information that is provided when an assertion failed.
 
@@ -93,16 +93,27 @@ data structure, then you need to move the condition into a separate method that
 
 === What's New In This release
 
-* Fix erroneous regex where an optional colon was defined instead of a non-capturing group
-* Render class loader for classes in comparison failures
-* Record class literal values to display FQCN in comparison failures
-* Filter Java 9+ reflection stack frames
-* Do not convert implicit "this" expression like when calling the constructor of a non-static inner class
-* Fix class expression recording when there are comments with dots in the same line
-* Show stacktrace of throwables in comparison failure result
-* Use canonical class name in comparison failure results if present
-* Render otherwise irrelevant expressions if they get a type hint in comparison failure
+* Add implicit assertions for CodeArgument constraints (#956)
+* Add power assertion output to asserts with explicit message (#928)
+* Add support for mixed named and positional arguments in mocks (#919)
+* Add NamedParam support for gradle-2.5 with backport to 2.4 (#921)
+* Add special rendering for Set comparisons (#925)
 * Add identity hash code to type hints in comparison failures if they are identical
+* Fix erroneous regex where an optional colon was defined instead of a non-capturing group (#931)
+* Improve CodeArgumentConstraint by supporting assertions (#918)
+* Improve IDE type inference in MockingApi (#920)
+* Improve reporting of TooFewInvocationsError (#912)
+* Improve render class loader for classes in comparison failures (#932)
+* Improve record class literal values to display FQCN in comparison failures (#935)
+* Improve filter Java 9+ reflection stack frames
+* Improve show stacktrace of throwables in comparison failure result
+* Improve use canonical class name in comparison failure results if present
+* Improve render otherwise irrelevant expressions if they get a type hint in comparison failure (#936)
+* Fix do not convert implicit "this" expression like when calling the constructor of a non-static inner class (#930)
+* Fix class expression recording when there are comments with dots in the same line (#937)
+
+
+Thanks to all the contributors to this release: Björn Kautler, Marc Philipp, Marcin Zajączkowski, Martin Vseticka, Michael Kutz, Kacper Bublik
 
 == 1.2 (2018-09-23)