diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.md b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
index 32dc0de94d4..7dd196725bf 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Created by running `./pants run build-support/bin/contributors.py`.
 + Antoine Tollenaere
 + Asher Foa
 + Bardur Arantsson
++ Bastian Wegge
 + Benjy Weinberger
 + Bill Farner
 + Billy "Hyun Joon" Seol
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ Created by running `./pants run build-support/bin/contributors.py`.
 + Paul Phillips
 + Paul Yau
 + Peiyu Wang
++ Peter A. I. Forsyth
 + Peter Seibel
 + Peter Vlugter
 + Pierre Chevalier
diff --git a/pants.toml b/pants.toml
index cfe279835b2..f3f74c2a563 100644
--- a/pants.toml
+++ b/pants.toml
@@ -252,3 +252,4 @@ master = "src/python/pants/notes/master.rst"
 "2.9.x" = "src/python/pants/notes/2.9.x.md"
 "2.10.x" = "src/python/pants/notes/2.10.x.md"
 "2.11.x" = "src/python/pants/notes/2.11.x.md"
+"2.12.x" = "src/python/pants/notes/2.12.x.md"
diff --git a/src/python/pants/VERSION b/src/python/pants/VERSION
index cd83ef93604..d5e1cb2914c 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/VERSION
+++ b/src/python/pants/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.11.0rc0
+2.12.0.dev0
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/setup.py b/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/setup.py
index 3a070d3c435..faeee8b7f9f 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/setup.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/python/subsystems/setup.py
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ def generate_lockfiles_with_pex(self) -> bool:
         """Else, generate with Poetry."""
         if self.options.is_default("lockfile_generator"):
             warn_or_error(
-                "2.12.0.dev0",
+                "2.12.0.dev1",
                 "`[python].lockfile_generator` defaulting to 'poetry'",
                 softwrap(
                     f"""
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/scala/subsystems/scalac.py b/src/python/pants/backend/scala/subsystems/scalac.py
index 6ed75f4f91c..091172e3984 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/scala/subsystems/scalac.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/scala/subsystems/scalac.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class Scalac(Subsystem):
             "set `[scalac].plugins_global_lockfile`."
         ),
         advanced=True,
-        removal_version="2.12.0.dev0",
+        removal_version="2.12.0.dev1",
         removal_hint="Use `--scalac-plugins-for-resolve` instead to use user resolves",
     )
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class Scalac(Subsystem):
             "`[scalac].plugins_global`."
         ),
         advanced=True,
-        removal_version="2.12.0.dev0",
+        removal_version="2.12.0.dev1",
         removal_hint="Use `--scalac-plugins-for-resolve` instead, which will add plugin dependencies to JVM user resolves.",
     )
 
diff --git a/src/python/pants/engine/target.py b/src/python/pants/engine/target.py
index 3d6831371c3..de88b8b2d54 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/engine/target.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/engine/target.py
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ def maybe_warn_dependencies_as_copied_field(tgt_type: type[TargetGenerator]) ->
     ]
     if copied_dependencies_field_types:
         warn_or_error(
-            removal_version="2.12.0.dev0",
+            removal_version="2.12.0.dev1",
             entity=(
                 f"using a `Dependencies` field subclass ({copied_dependencies_field_types}) "
                 "as a `TargetGenerator.copied_field`"
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ def validate(self) -> None:
         if self.has_field(MultipleSourcesField) and not self[MultipleSourcesField].value:
             sources_field = self[MultipleSourcesField]
             warn_or_error(
-                removal_version="2.12.0.dev0",
+                removal_version="2.12.0.dev1",
                 entity=(
                     f"specifying an empty `{sources_field.alias}` field for target generator type "
                     f"`{self.alias}`"
diff --git a/src/python/pants/notes/2.12.x.md b/src/python/pants/notes/2.12.x.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b7c69ee9929
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/pants/notes/2.12.x.md
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# 2.12.x Release Series
+
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+## 2.12.0.dev0 (Mar 25, 2022)
+
+### New Features
+
+* Add Protobuf formatting using buf format ([#14907](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14907))
+
+* add registration for the Go Protobuf backend ([#14874](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14874))
+
+### User API Changes
+
+* Remove `--use-deprecated-python-macros` in favor of always using target generators ([#14842](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14842))
+
+* Add `django-dotenv`, `django-safedelete` and `factory-boy` to default Python module mapping ([#14848](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14848))
+
+* Add cattrs to Python's DEFAULT_MODULE_MAPPING ([#14845](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14845))
+
+* hcl parser 3.0.5 ([#14878](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14878))
+
+### Plugin API Changes
+
+* FmtResult now operates on Snapshots ([#14865](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14865))
+
+### Bug fixes
+
+* add cache key for all Go SDK invocations ([#14897](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14897))
+
+* Unify glob-matching implementations to fix malformed snapshot created by subsetting ([#14889](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14889))
+
+* Adds `ClasspathEntryRequest` classification for codegen target generators ([#14893](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14893))
+
+* Adds `jvm_jdk` field to protobufs when the Scala backend is enabled ([#14891](https://github.com/pantsbuild/pants/pull/14891))
diff --git a/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py b/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py
index 6b7169b164c..c99b1fedb08 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def get_scope_info(cls) -> ScopeInfo:
 
     @classmethod
     @deprecated(
-        removal_version="2.12.0.dev0",
+        removal_version="2.12.0.dev1",
         hint=(
             "Options are now registered by declaring class attributes using the types in "
             f"pants/option/option_types.py. See {doc_url('plugin-upgrade-guide')}"