diff --git a/java-core/CHANGELOG.md b/java-core/CHANGELOG.md
index d5821762db..2ec31079c9 100644
--- a/java-core/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/java-core/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [2.8.1](https://github.com/googleapis/java-core/compare/v2.8.0...v2.8.1) (2022-06-27)
+
+
+### Dependencies
+
+* update dependency com.google.protobuf:protobuf-bom to v3.21.2 ([#851](https://github.com/googleapis/java-core/issues/851)) ([c0f09f0](https://github.com/googleapis/java-core/commit/c0f09f0fcd57a2d90e0a99b17c9e346df8651d65))
+
 ## [2.8.0](https://github.com/googleapis/java-core/compare/v2.7.1...v2.8.0) (2022-06-21)
 
 
diff --git a/java-core/google-cloud-core-bom/pom.xml b/java-core/google-cloud-core-bom/pom.xml
index 4aff21980f..36a0095c36 100644
--- a/java-core/google-cloud-core-bom/pom.xml
+++ b/java-core/google-cloud-core-bom/pom.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
   <artifactId>google-cloud-core-bom</artifactId>
-  <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+  <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
@@ -63,17 +63,17 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
         <artifactId>google-cloud-core</artifactId>
-        <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+        <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
       </dependency>
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
         <artifactId>google-cloud-core-grpc</artifactId>
-        <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+        <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
       </dependency>
       <dependency>
         <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
         <artifactId>google-cloud-core-http</artifactId>
-        <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+        <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
       </dependency>
     </dependencies>
   </dependencyManagement>
diff --git a/java-core/google-cloud-core-grpc/pom.xml b/java-core/google-cloud-core-grpc/pom.xml
index 53817f7710..508d885765 100644
--- a/java-core/google-cloud-core-grpc/pom.xml
+++ b/java-core/google-cloud-core-grpc/pom.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
   <artifactId>google-cloud-core-grpc</artifactId>
-  <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+  <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
   <name>Google Cloud Core gRPC</name>
   <url>https://github.com/googleapis/java-core</url>
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
     <artifactId>google-cloud-core-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+    <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   </parent>
   <properties>
     <site.installationModule>google-cloud-core-grpc</site.installationModule>
diff --git a/java-core/google-cloud-core-http/pom.xml b/java-core/google-cloud-core-http/pom.xml
index 0e4b596323..b37444f9bb 100644
--- a/java-core/google-cloud-core-http/pom.xml
+++ b/java-core/google-cloud-core-http/pom.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
   <artifactId>google-cloud-core-http</artifactId>
-  <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+  <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
   <name>Google Cloud Core HTTP</name>
   <url>https://github.com/googleapis/java-core</url>
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
     <artifactId>google-cloud-core-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+    <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   </parent>
   <properties>
     <site.installationModule>google-cloud-core-http</site.installationModule>
diff --git a/java-core/google-cloud-core/pom.xml b/java-core/google-cloud-core/pom.xml
index c7a8acc2ad..4449270d2c 100644
--- a/java-core/google-cloud-core/pom.xml
+++ b/java-core/google-cloud-core/pom.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
   <artifactId>google-cloud-core</artifactId>
-  <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+  <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
   <name>Google Cloud Core</name>
   <url>https://github.com/googleapis/java-core</url>
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
     <artifactId>google-cloud-core-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+    <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   </parent>
   <properties>
     <site.installationModule>google-cloud-core</site.installationModule>
diff --git a/java-core/pom.xml b/java-core/pom.xml
index c4f8603f4e..37237e4836 100644
--- a/java-core/pom.xml
+++ b/java-core/pom.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   <groupId>com.google.cloud</groupId>
   <artifactId>google-cloud-core-parent</artifactId>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
-  <version>2.8.1-SNAPSHOT</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
+  <version>2.8.1</version><!-- {x-version-update:google-cloud-core:current} -->
   <name>Google Cloud Core Parent</name>
   <url>https://github.com/googleapis/java-core</url>
   <description>
diff --git a/java-core/versions.txt b/java-core/versions.txt
index 2186b20f78..0a7a4f1b82 100644
--- a/java-core/versions.txt
+++ b/java-core/versions.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # Format:
 # module:released-version:current-version
 
-google-cloud-core:2.8.0:2.8.1-SNAPSHOT
+google-cloud-core:2.8.1:2.8.1