diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index d42c769e4f..afcb6c5e12 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,61 @@
+# Synapse 1.163.0rc1 (2026-10-06)
+
+## Features
+
+- Advertise support for Matrix v1.14. Contributed by @famedly. ([\#20137](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20137))
+- Catch up [MSC4354 Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354) to remote homeservers that have missed them. ([\#20165](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20165))
+- Add push rules for MSC4075: MatrixRTC invites and notifications. ([\#20227](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20227))
+- Make the task scheduler concurrency configurable via `task_scheduler.max_concurrent_tasks`, defaulting to 5. ([\#20230](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20230))
+- Cancel a user's scheduled [MSC4140](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4140) delayed events when their account is deactivated. ([\#20247](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20247))
+- Advertise support for Matrix v1.15. ([\#20286](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20286))
+
+## Bugfixes
+
+- Fix a bug where read receipts could be permanently skipped and never sent to application services if more than 100 read receipts arrived in a single stream update. ([\#20108](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20108))
+- Use sharded tokens in [MSC4354: Sticky Events] sync and sliding sync, preventing events appearing in multiple sync responses. ([\#20186](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20186))
+- Tell clients to remove local profile information for users after leaving the last room shared with them. ([\#20203](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20203))
+- Do not include `og:image` in responses to `/preview_url` when the media was automatically quarantined by hash matching. ([\#20211](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20211))
+- Requires `require_auth_for_profile_requests` to be enabled to enable `limit_profile_requests_to_users_who_share_rooms`. ([\#20231](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20231))
+- Prevent [MSC4354 Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354) being sticky when they were redacted prior to persistence. ([\#20232](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20232))
+- Send all of a room's [MSC4354 Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354) down legacy `/sync` when a user joins it. ([\#20233](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20233))
+- Fix a bug where push badge counts could ignore notifications in one room based on another room's summarised counts. ([\#20237](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20237))
+- Reject user creation via the Admin API when Synapse is delegating authentication to MAS. ([\#20241](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20241))
+- Fix spurious `Closing scope ... which is not the currently-active one` errors being logged when writing large responses with tracing enabled. ([\#20246](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20246))
+- Prevent `trial` tests from hanging when running with Twisted 26.4.0 against Postgres. ([\#20272](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20272))
+- Fix a bug where sending a `null` or non-object `auth` to an endpoint requiring user-interactive authentication returned a 500 error. Contributed by @ankit373. ([\#20274](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20274))
+- Fix bug where membership events would not be returned in `/sync` when using lazy-loaded members and using an old token for `since`. ([\#20289](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20289))
+
+## Updates to the Docker image
+
+- Add worker support to the endpoint for retrieving a single [MSC4140](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4140) delayed event. ([\#20262](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20262))
+
+## Improved Documentation
+
+- Update ESS support link to point to the new customer portal domain. ([\#19070](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/19070))
+- Clarify the `--exists-ok` help text in `register_new_matrix_user`. ([\#20263](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20263))
+
+## Deprecations and Removals
+
+- Remove the ability to send state events that are sticky, as this feature was removed from [MSC4354: Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354). ([\#20256](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20256))
+
+## Internal Changes
+
+- Switch to `beautifulsoup4` from `lxml` for URL previews. Contributed by @clokep. ([\#19301](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/19301))
+- Add a `synapse_notifier_wait_for_stream_token_timeouts` metric, counting the times a request gave up waiting for a worker to catch up to a stream token, labelled by the lagging stream. ([\#20095](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20095))
+- Avoid taking the GIL on Tokio worker threads when completing Rust futures. ([\#20252](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20252))
+- Bump `cryptography` from `46.0.7` to `50.0.1` to resolve `CVE-2026-69248`, `CVE-2026-69249` and `CVE-2026-69247`, none of which affected Synapse. Also bump `pyOpenSSL` from `26.0.0` to `26.4.0` for compatibility with newer `cryptography` versions. ([\#20253](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20253))
+- Switch dependabot version upgrades to monthly "big bang" upgrades in a single PR per ecosystem to reduce team maintenance burden. Security update PRs remain individual and active. ([\#20255](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20255))
+- Add type annotations for `RestServlet.PATTERNS` to prevent misuse. ([\#20258](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20258))
+- Bump `Twisted` in `poetry.lock` from `25.5.0` to `26.4.0`. ([\#20259](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20259))
+- Stop taking the GIL on Tokio worker threads when calling into Python from Rust. ([\#20267](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20267))
+- Keep in-repo Complement go dependencies up to date with dependabot. ([\#20270](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20270))
+- Ignore suspended users failing to join new room when using the `new_room_user_id` option with the admin API to delete a room. ([\#20283](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20283))
+- Prune `user_ips` less frequently (less stress on the database). ([\#20285](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20285))
+- Fix the `sytest` job failing on the Twisted trunk workflow due to missing build backend dependencies. ([\#20293](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/20293))
+
+
+
+
 # Synapse 1.162.0 (2026-09-29)
 
 No significant changes since 1.162.0rc1.
diff --git a/changelog.d/19070.doc b/changelog.d/19070.doc
deleted file mode 100644
index 0be0703a60..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/19070.doc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Update ESS support link to point to the new customer portal domain.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/19301.misc b/changelog.d/19301.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index a8e802bdf8..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/19301.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Switch to `beautifulsoup4` from `lxml` for URL previews. Contributed by @clokep.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20095.misc b/changelog.d/20095.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 7e0d0c58c7..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20095.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add a `synapse_notifier_wait_for_stream_token_timeouts` metric, counting the times a request gave up waiting for a worker to catch up to a stream token, labelled by the lagging stream.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20108.bugfix b/changelog.d/20108.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a842b22ea..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20108.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix a bug where read receipts could be permanently skipped and never sent to application services if more than 100 read receipts arrived in a single stream update.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20137.feature b/changelog.d/20137.feature
deleted file mode 100644
index 025f9b50cf..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20137.feature
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Advertise support for Matrix v1.14. Contributed by @famedly.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20165.feature b/changelog.d/20165.feature
deleted file mode 100644
index 85763e9af0..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20165.feature
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Catch up [MSC4354 Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354) to remote homeservers that have missed them.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20186.bugfix b/changelog.d/20186.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 686d441a09..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20186.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Use sharded tokens in [MSC4354: Sticky Events] sync and sliding sync, preventing events appearing in multiple sync responses.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20203.bugfix b/changelog.d/20203.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 125afaad56..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20203.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Tell clients to remove local profile information for users after leaving the last room shared with them.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20211.bugfix b/changelog.d/20211.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 363ac18bd0..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20211.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Do not include `og:image` in responses to `/preview_url` when the media was automatically quarantined by hash matching.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20227.feature b/changelog.d/20227.feature
deleted file mode 100644
index e50010aed0..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20227.feature
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add push rules for MSC4075: MatrixRTC invites and notifications.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20230.feature b/changelog.d/20230.feature
deleted file mode 100644
index 769361fa33..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20230.feature
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Make the task scheduler concurrency configurable via `task_scheduler.max_concurrent_tasks`, defaulting to 5.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20231.bugfix b/changelog.d/20231.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index cc9b403e3e..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20231.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Requires `require_auth_for_profile_requests` to be enabled to enable `limit_profile_requests_to_users_who_share_rooms`.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20232.bugfix b/changelog.d/20232.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index c7f4645dc2..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20232.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Prevent [MSC4354 Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354) being sticky when they were redacted prior to persistence.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20233.bugfix b/changelog.d/20233.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index c9d5a6ee8e..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20233.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Send all of a room's [MSC4354 Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354) down legacy `/sync` when a user joins it.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20237.bugfix b/changelog.d/20237.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 3d6c6bf027..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20237.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix a bug where push badge counts could ignore notifications in one room based on another room's summarised counts.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20241.bugfix b/changelog.d/20241.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 3478b28dd3..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20241.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Reject user creation via the Admin API when Synapse is delegating authentication to MAS.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20246.bugfix b/changelog.d/20246.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index e2095ba861..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20246.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix spurious `Closing scope ... which is not the currently-active one` errors being logged when writing large responses with tracing enabled.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20247.feature b/changelog.d/20247.feature
deleted file mode 100644
index 4dbffdc07e..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20247.feature
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Cancel a user's scheduled [MSC4140](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4140) delayed events when their account is deactivated.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20252.misc b/changelog.d/20252.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index a8e1359f34..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20252.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Avoid taking the GIL on Tokio worker threads when completing Rust futures.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20253.misc b/changelog.d/20253.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 54bf15e0e9..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20253.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Bump `cryptography` from `46.0.7` to `50.0.1` to resolve `CVE-2026-69248`, `CVE-2026-69249` and `CVE-2026-69247`, none of which affected Synapse. Also bump `pyOpenSSL` from `26.0.0` to `26.4.0` for compatibility with newer `cryptography` versions.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20255.misc b/changelog.d/20255.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 5be8bda1ce..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20255.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Switch dependabot version upgrades to monthly "big bang" upgrades in a single PR per ecosystem to reduce team maintenance burden. Security update PRs remain individual and active.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20256.removal b/changelog.d/20256.removal
deleted file mode 100644
index e258976f5f..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20256.removal
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Remove the ability to send state events that are sticky, as this feature was removed from [MSC4354: Sticky Events](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4354).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20258.misc b/changelog.d/20258.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index d74f377f2d..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20258.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-Add type annotations for `RestServlet.PATTERNS` to prevent misuse.
-
diff --git a/changelog.d/20259.misc b/changelog.d/20259.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 5a015cf0bc..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20259.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Bump `Twisted` in `poetry.lock` from `25.5.0` to `26.4.0`.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20262.docker b/changelog.d/20262.docker
deleted file mode 100644
index be2a5142b7..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20262.docker
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add worker support to the endpoint for retrieving a single [MSC4140](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4140) delayed event.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20263.doc b/changelog.d/20263.doc
deleted file mode 100644
index 7521d48941..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20263.doc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Clarify the `--exists-ok` help text in `register_new_matrix_user`.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20267.misc b/changelog.d/20267.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index e6321a6acc..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20267.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Stop taking the GIL on Tokio worker threads when calling into Python from Rust.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20270.misc b/changelog.d/20270.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 8269e81946..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20270.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Keep in-repo Complement go dependencies up to date with dependabot.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20272.bugfix b/changelog.d/20272.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 6b545eefcc..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20272.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Prevent `trial` tests from hanging when running with Twisted 26.4.0 against Postgres.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog.d/20274.bugfix b/changelog.d/20274.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 88d371cd7a..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20274.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix a bug where sending a `null` or non-object `auth` to an endpoint requiring user-interactive authentication returned a 500 error. Contributed by @ankit373.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20283.misc b/changelog.d/20283.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 4de827995b..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20283.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Ignore suspended users failing to join new room when using the `new_room_user_id` option with the admin API to delete a room.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20285.misc b/changelog.d/20285.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index 3eb3f49f99..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20285.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Prune `user_ips` less frequently (less stress on the database).
diff --git a/changelog.d/20286.feature b/changelog.d/20286.feature
deleted file mode 100644
index 6331fe13f9..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20286.feature
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Advertise support for Matrix v1.15.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20289.bugfix b/changelog.d/20289.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 74b7d1f0aa..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20289.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix bug where membership events would not be returned in `/sync` when using lazy-loaded members and using an old token for `since`.
diff --git a/changelog.d/20293.misc b/changelog.d/20293.misc
deleted file mode 100644
index ccf00ec409..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/20293.misc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix the `sytest` job failing on the Twisted trunk workflow due to missing build backend dependencies.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 528e6b1d67..b4247c5d4f 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.163.0~rc1) stable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New synapse release 1.163.0rc1.
+
+ -- Synapse Packaging team <packages@matrix.org>  Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:12:01 +0000
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.162.0) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New synapse release 1.162.0.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d4819426ef..4ad1c8d4f2 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "matrix-synapse"
-version = "1.162.0"
+version = "1.163.0rc1"
 description = "Homeserver for the Matrix decentralised comms protocol"
 readme = "README.rst"
 authors = [
diff --git a/schema/synapse-config.schema.yaml b/schema/synapse-config.schema.yaml
index 1a929912a3..252c631cd6 100644
--- a/schema/synapse-config.schema.yaml
+++ b/schema/synapse-config.schema.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 $schema: https://element-hq.github.io/synapse/latest/schema/v1/meta.schema.json
-$id: https://element-hq.github.io/synapse/schema/synapse/v1.162/synapse-config.schema.json
+$id: https://element-hq.github.io/synapse/schema/synapse/v1.163/synapse-config.schema.json
 type: object
 properties:
   modules: