diff --git a/.github/workflows/force-release.yml b/.github/workflows/force-release.yml
index 358dc39e88918..bf44188975c1d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/force-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/force-release.yml
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         include:
           # linux
-          - os: ubuntu-latest
-            python: '3.7'
-            python-manylinux-tag: "cp37-cp37m"
           - os: ubuntu-latest
             python: '3.8'
             python-manylinux-tag: "cp38-cp38"
diff --git a/jina/__init__.py b/jina/__init__.py
index a52119160d430..3c2b0a4a65ff4 100644
--- a/jina/__init__.py
+++ b/jina/__init__.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def _ignore_google_warnings():
 # do not change this line manually this is managed by git tag and updated on every release
 # NOTE: this represents the NEXT release version
 
-__version__ = '3.28.1'
+__version__ = '3.29.0'
 
 # do not change this line manually
 # this is managed by proto/build-proto.sh and updated on every execution