diff --git a/Libraries/Core/ReactNativeVersion.js b/Libraries/Core/ReactNativeVersion.js
index 2f78126ef691a6..96ba741723b100 100644
--- a/Libraries/Core/ReactNativeVersion.js
+++ b/Libraries/Core/ReactNativeVersion.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 exports.version = {
   major: 0,
-  minor: 0,
+  minor: 53,
   patch: 0,
-  prerelease: null,
+  prerelease: 'rc.0',
 };
diff --git a/React/Base/RCTVersion.h b/React/Base/RCTVersion.h
index c741022e5b8537..bbc6cc8d5db31a 100644
--- a/React/Base/RCTVersion.h
+++ b/React/Base/RCTVersion.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 #define RCT_REACT_NATIVE_VERSION @{ \
   @"major": @(0), \
-  @"minor": @(0), \
+  @"minor": @(53), \
   @"patch": @(0), \
-  @"prerelease": [NSNull null], \
+  @"prerelease": @"rc.0", \
 }
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/gradle.properties b/ReactAndroid/gradle.properties
index 9b7ac6d1254dc8..20846f945a8e8a 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/gradle.properties
+++ b/ReactAndroid/gradle.properties
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-VERSION_NAME=1000.0.0-master
+VERSION_NAME=0.53.0-rc.0
 GROUP=com.facebook.react
 
 POM_NAME=ReactNative
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/systeminfo/ReactNativeVersion.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/systeminfo/ReactNativeVersion.java
index b6514ec58be729..cafd7a01454273 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/systeminfo/ReactNativeVersion.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/systeminfo/ReactNativeVersion.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 public class ReactNativeVersion {
   public static final Map<String, Object> VERSION = MapBuilder.<String, Object>of(
       "major", 0,
-      "minor", 0,
+      "minor", 53,
       "patch", 0,
-      "prerelease", null);
+      "prerelease", "rc.0");
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 346a93d0d86fca..b7c6b049eeeb21 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "react-native",
-  "version": "1000.0.0",
+  "version": "0.53.0-rc.0",
   "description": "A framework for building native apps using React",
   "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
   "repository": {
@@ -217,4 +217,4 @@
     "shelljs": "^0.7.8",
     "sinon": "^2.2.0"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file