diff --git a/dependencies.yaml b/dependencies.yaml
index af9b4c22f0d..c6492d1b350 100644
--- a/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/dependencies.yaml
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ dependencies:
 
   # Golang (next candidate)
   - name: "golang (next candidate)"
-    version: 1.18beta2
+    version: 1.18rc1
     refPaths:
     - path: images/build/cross/variants.yaml
       match: "GO_VERSION: '\\d+.\\d+(alpha|beta|rc)?\\.?(\\d+)?'"
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ dependencies:
       match: REVISION:\ '\d+'
 
   - name: "k8s.gcr.io/build-image/go-runner (next candidate)"
-    version: v2.3.1-go1.18beta2-bullseye.0
+    version: v2.3.1-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0
     refPaths:
     - path: images/build/go-runner/variants.yaml
       match: "IMAGE_VERSION: 'v((([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)(?:-([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)(?:\\+([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)'"
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ dependencies:
       match: REVISION:\ '\d+'
 
   - name: "k8s.gcr.io/build-image/kube-cross (next candidate)"
-    version: v1.24.0-go1.18beta2-bullseye.0
+    version: v1.24.0-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0
     refPaths:
     - path: images/build/cross/variants.yaml
       match: "IMAGE_VERSION: 'v((([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)(?:-([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)(?:\\+([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)'"
diff --git a/images/build/cross/variants.yaml b/images/build/cross/variants.yaml
index 4e1221afcaf..a1184537843 100644
--- a/images/build/cross/variants.yaml
+++ b/images/build/cross/variants.yaml
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ variants:
   v1.24-go1.18-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.18-bullseye'
     TYPE: 'default'
-    IMAGE_VERSION: 'v1.24.0-go1.18beta2-bullseye.0'
+    IMAGE_VERSION: 'v1.24.0-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0'
     KUBERNETES_VERSION: 'v1.24.0'
-    GO_VERSION: '1.18beta2'
+    GO_VERSION: '1.18rc1'
     GO_MAJOR_VERSION: '1.18'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
     REVISION: '0'
diff --git a/images/build/go-runner/variants.yaml b/images/build/go-runner/variants.yaml
index 0b47b719feb..ca812daec6b 100644
--- a/images/build/go-runner/variants.yaml
+++ b/images/build/go-runner/variants.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 variants:
   go1.18-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.18-bullseye'
-    IMAGE_VERSION: 'v2.3.1-go1.18beta2-bullseye.0'
+    IMAGE_VERSION: 'v2.3.1-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0'
     GO_MAJOR_VERSION: '1.18'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
     REVISION: '0'
-    GO_VERSION: '1.18beta2'
+    GO_VERSION: '1.18rc1'
     DISTROLESS_IMAGE: 'static-debian11'
   go1.17-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.17-bullseye'
diff --git a/images/releng/ci/variants.yaml b/images/releng/ci/variants.yaml
index fbe7c8fdeb1..a8a96aebe41 100644
--- a/images/releng/ci/variants.yaml
+++ b/images/releng/ci/variants.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 variants:
   go1.18-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.18-bullseye'
-    GO_VERSION: '1.18beta2'
+    GO_VERSION: '1.18rc1'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
     REVISION: '0'
   go1.17-bullseye:
diff --git a/images/releng/k8s-ci-builder/variants.yaml b/images/releng/k8s-ci-builder/variants.yaml
index 026d3996614..1a9ef6502e8 100644
--- a/images/releng/k8s-ci-builder/variants.yaml
+++ b/images/releng/k8s-ci-builder/variants.yaml
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ variants:
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
   next:
     CONFIG: next
-    GO_VERSION: '1.18beta2'
+    GO_VERSION: '1.18rc1'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
   '1.24':
     CONFIG: '1.24'
-    GO_VERSION: '1.18beta2'
+    GO_VERSION: '1.18rc1'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
   '1.23':
     CONFIG: '1.23'