diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 46e14e67b..ef5467441 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+44.0
+====
+ * Bump version
+
+Translators:
+  Piotr Drąg [pl], Martin [sl], Fran Dieguez [gl], Chao-Hsiung Liao [zh_TW],
+  Vasil Pupkin [be], Alexandre Franke [fr], Kukuh Syafaat [id],
+  Fabio Tomat [fur], Sabri Ünal [tr], Anders Jonsson [sv], Boyuan Yang [zh_CN],
+  Marek Černocký [cs], Alan Mortensen [da], Asier Sarasua Garmendia [eu],
+  Daniel [es], Aleksandr Melman [ru], MohammadSaleh Kamyab [fa]
+
 44.rc
 =====
 * Unmute to default volume when slider was at 0 [Florian; !2644]
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2c2c58547..964a9229f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('gnome-shell', 'c',
-  version: '44.rc',
+  version: '44.0',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'GPLv2+'
 )
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ gio_req = '>= 2.56.0'
 gi_req = '>= 1.49.1'
 gjs_req = '>= 1.73.1'
 gtk_req = '>= 3.15.0'
-mutter_req = '>= 44.rc'
+mutter_req = '>= 44.0'
 polkit_req = '>= 0.100'
 schemas_req = '>= 42.beta'
 startup_req = '>= 0.11'
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in b/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in
index a3afb5cae..1d0bd1415 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-app/data/metainfo/org.gnome.Extensions.metainfo.xml.in
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
   </description>
 
   <releases>
-    <release version="44.rc" date="2023-03-06" type="development"/>
+    <release version="44.0" date="2023-03-19"/>
   </releases>
 
   <screenshots>
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build
index 23f502504..f0bfefa02 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-app/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('gnome-extensions-app',
-  version: '44.rc',
+  version: '44.0',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'GPLv2+'
 )
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
index f15f2f1e6..99787efec 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('gnome-extensions-tool', 'c',
-  version: '44.rc',
+  version: '44.0',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'GPLv2+'
 )
diff --git a/subprojects/shew/meson.build b/subprojects/shew/meson.build
index d6871326a..c53fed9ef 100644
--- a/subprojects/shew/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/shew/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('shew', 'c',
-  version: '44.rc',
+  version: '44.0',
   meson_version: '>= 0.58.0',
   license: 'LGPLv2+',
 )