diff --git a/build/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json b/build/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json
index 32f0c924dd..1a4dd16fd7 100644
--- a/build/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json
+++ b/build/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
         "version": {
             "type": "parameter",
             "datatype": "string",
-            "defaultValue": "9.3.0",
+            "defaultValue": "9.3.0-rc",
             "description": "The version of Umbraco to load using NuGet",
             "replaces": "UMBRACO_VERSION_FROM_TEMPLATE"
         },
diff --git a/build/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json b/build/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json
index b09050a2a4..fd41de8d1c 100644
--- a/build/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json
+++ b/build/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
         "version": {
             "type": "parameter",
             "datatype": "string",
-            "defaultValue": "9.3.0",
+            "defaultValue": "9.3.0-rc",
             "description": "The version of Umbraco to load using NuGet",
             "replaces": "UMBRACO_VERSION_FROM_TEMPLATE"
         },
diff --git a/src/Directory.Build.props b/src/Directory.Build.props
index 55448806ef..995c8afebd 100644
--- a/src/Directory.Build.props
+++ b/src/Directory.Build.props
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     <Version>9.3.0</Version>
     <AssemblyVersion>9.3.0</AssemblyVersion>
-    <InformationalVersion>9.3.0</InformationalVersion>
+    <InformationalVersion>9.3.0-rc</InformationalVersion>
     <FileVersion>9.3.0</FileVersion>
     <LangVersion Condition="'$(LangVersion)' == ''">9.0</LangVersion>
     <NeutralLanguage>en-US</NeutralLanguage>