diff --git a/.changes/1.18.json b/.changes/1.18.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee70d3a93e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/1.18.json
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+{
+  "date" : "2020-09-01",
+  "version" : "1.18",
+  "entries" : [ {
+    "type" : "feature",
+    "description" : "Save update Lambda code settings"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "feature",
+    "description" : "Add support for Lambda runtime java8.al2"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "feature",
+    "description" : "Support colons (`:`) in credential profile names"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "feature",
+    "description" : "Several enhancements to the UX around connecting to AWS including:\n- Making connection settings more visible (now visible in the AWS Explorer)\n- Automatically selecting 'default' profile if it exists\n- Better visibility of connection validation workflow (more information when unable to connect)\n- Handling of default regions on credential profile\n- Better UX around partitions\n- Adding ability to refresh connection from the UI"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Fix issue where templates > 51200 bytes would not deploy with \"Deploy Serverless Application\" (#1973)"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Improved rendering speed of wrapped text in CloudWatch logs and CloudFormation events tables"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Fix the CloudWatch Logs table breaking when the service returns an exception during loading more entries (#1951)"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Fix removing a source_profile leading to an IDE error on profile file refresh"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Fix several cases where features not supported by the host IDE are shown (#1980)"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Improve watching of the AWS profile files to incorporate changes made to the files outisde of the IDE"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Fix several uncaught exceptions caused by plugins being installed but not enabled"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Fix Rider building Lambda into incorrect folders"
+  }, {
+    "type" : "bugfix",
+    "description" : "Fix SAM Gradle Hello World syncing twice (#2003)"
+  } ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-538dc871-7dc2-4fbf-a185-1a69cd31dc93.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-538dc871-7dc2-4fbf-a185-1a69cd31dc93.json
deleted file mode 100644
index c91c10dbd2..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-538dc871-7dc2-4fbf-a185-1a69cd31dc93.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Fix several cases where features not supported by the host IDE are shown (#1980)"
-}
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-70aef423-f200-4774-912a-6af2af8080db.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-70aef423-f200-4774-912a-6af2af8080db.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 03bed9f614..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-70aef423-f200-4774-912a-6af2af8080db.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Improved rendering speed of wrapped text in CloudWatch logs and CloudFormation events tables"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-c6ad4272-6b5b-4ca5-b8a2-4c6684432870.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-c6ad4272-6b5b-4ca5-b8a2-4c6684432870.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 5a0987d8b9..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-c6ad4272-6b5b-4ca5-b8a2-4c6684432870.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Fix SAM Gradle Hello World syncing twice (#2003)"
-}
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-cb9820c2-03b5-4d8e-b28e-b6622a697bdd.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-cb9820c2-03b5-4d8e-b28e-b6622a697bdd.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f5d94c235..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-cb9820c2-03b5-4d8e-b28e-b6622a697bdd.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Fix removing a source_profile leading to an IDE error on profile file refresh"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-cf15b891-593c-4493-b594-8fda9f30d031.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-cf15b891-593c-4493-b594-8fda9f30d031.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 21a0fdcbec..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-cf15b891-593c-4493-b594-8fda9f30d031.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Fix Rider building Lambda into incorrect folders"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-d2b78feb-6a6d-4e7f-81dc-af756d3d92a0.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-d2b78feb-6a6d-4e7f-81dc-af756d3d92a0.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 66996ce4b4..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-d2b78feb-6a6d-4e7f-81dc-af756d3d92a0.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Fix several uncaught exceptions caused by plugins being installed but not enabled"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-e9d9fcce-86a0-4b24-87d6-39c38922f58c.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-e9d9fcce-86a0-4b24-87d6-39c38922f58c.json
deleted file mode 100644
index cae90dfdc1..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-e9d9fcce-86a0-4b24-87d6-39c38922f58c.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Fix issue where templates > 51200 bytes would not deploy with \"Deploy Serverless Application\" (#1973)"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-eaed8849-efa2-4aa5-b236-57ce48eb595c.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-eaed8849-efa2-4aa5-b236-57ce48eb595c.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 4a17f11343..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-eaed8849-efa2-4aa5-b236-57ce48eb595c.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Improve watching of the AWS profile files to incorporate changes made to the files outisde of the IDE"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-f0fc84aa-d075-4441-88d3-e17609b267bf.json b/.changes/next-release/bugfix-f0fc84aa-d075-4441-88d3-e17609b267bf.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 4677828bc5..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/bugfix-f0fc84aa-d075-4441-88d3-e17609b267bf.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "bugfix",
-  "description" : "Fix the CloudWatch Logs table breaking when the service returns an exception during loading more entries (#1951)"
-}
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/feature-12cdfa65-4d7a-4c1e-9f61-04b388fce392.json b/.changes/next-release/feature-12cdfa65-4d7a-4c1e-9f61-04b388fce392.json
deleted file mode 100644
index a30810e4f4..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/feature-12cdfa65-4d7a-4c1e-9f61-04b388fce392.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "feature",
-  "description" : "Support colons (`:`) in credential profile names"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/feature-e27cf426-5be2-4251-8d3a-dcf934d8511b.json b/.changes/next-release/feature-e27cf426-5be2-4251-8d3a-dcf934d8511b.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 42f32218ad..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/feature-e27cf426-5be2-4251-8d3a-dcf934d8511b.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "feature",
-  "description" : "Add support for Lambda runtime java8.al2"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/feature-eda3bf80-7f8a-4e30-9fff-4826e84b64ff.json b/.changes/next-release/feature-eda3bf80-7f8a-4e30-9fff-4826e84b64ff.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 489b874dec..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/feature-eda3bf80-7f8a-4e30-9fff-4826e84b64ff.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "feature",
-  "description" : "Save update Lambda code settings"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.changes/next-release/feature-f6a70036-5fd8-46f5-b70f-3841a04ca0c1.json b/.changes/next-release/feature-f6a70036-5fd8-46f5-b70f-3841a04ca0c1.json
deleted file mode 100644
index b92cd98f57..0000000000
--- a/.changes/next-release/feature-f6a70036-5fd8-46f5-b70f-3841a04ca0c1.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type" : "feature",
-  "description" : "Several enhancements to the UX around connecting to AWS including:\n- Making connection settings more visible (now visible in the AWS Explorer)\n- Automatically selecting 'default' profile if it exists\n- Better visibility of connection validation workflow (more information when unable to connect)\n- Handling of default regions on credential profile\n- Better UX around partitions\n- Adding ability to refresh connection from the UI"
-}
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0dddcf3fad..06b44412fa 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,24 @@
+# _1.18_ (2020-09-01)
+- **(Feature)** Save update Lambda code settings
+- **(Feature)** Add support for Lambda runtime java8.al2
+- **(Feature)** Support colons (`:`) in credential profile names
+- **(Feature)** Several enhancements to the UX around connecting to AWS including:
+  - Making connection settings more visible (now visible in the AWS Explorer)
+  - Automatically selecting 'default' profile if it exists
+  - Better visibility of connection validation workflow (more information when unable to connect)
+  - Handling of default regions on credential profile
+  - Better UX around partitions
+  - Adding ability to refresh connection from the UI
+- **(Bug Fix)** Fix issue where templates > 51200 bytes would not deploy with "Deploy Serverless Application" ([#1973](https://github.com/aws/aws-toolkit-jetbrains/issues/1973))
+- **(Bug Fix)** Improved rendering speed of wrapped text in CloudWatch logs and CloudFormation events tables
+- **(Bug Fix)** Fix the CloudWatch Logs table breaking when the service returns an exception during loading more entries ([#1951](https://github.com/aws/aws-toolkit-jetbrains/issues/1951))
+- **(Bug Fix)** Fix removing a source_profile leading to an IDE error on profile file refresh
+- **(Bug Fix)** Fix several cases where features not supported by the host IDE are shown ([#1980](https://github.com/aws/aws-toolkit-jetbrains/issues/1980))
+- **(Bug Fix)** Improve watching of the AWS profile files to incorporate changes made to the files outisde of the IDE
+- **(Bug Fix)** Fix several uncaught exceptions caused by plugins being installed but not enabled
+- **(Bug Fix)** Fix Rider building Lambda into incorrect folders
+- **(Bug Fix)** Fix SAM Gradle Hello World syncing twice ([#2003](https://github.com/aws/aws-toolkit-jetbrains/issues/2003))
+
 # _1.17_ (2020-07-16)
 - **(Feature)** Wrap logstream entries when they are selected ([#1863](https://github.com/aws/aws-toolkit-jetbrains/issues/1863))
 - **(Feature)** Adding 'Outputs' tab to the CloudFormation Stack Viewer
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 3caa5dc8fe..85e1acd7d9 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 # Toolkit Version
-toolkitVersion=1.18-SNAPSHOT
+toolkitVersion=1.18
 
 # Publish Settings
 publishToken=