Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE1) is EOL. So What's Next?

Rancher Kubernetes Engine 1 (RKE1) reached end of life on July 31st of 2025, meaning no more security patches, bug fixes, or a direct upgrade path forward. For businesses still running RKE1, the clock is ticking - and the decisions made now will have major implications for security, compliance, and operational continuity.In this episode, Edward Ionel of Mirantis is back to walk you through what re-platforming actually looks like in practice, the hidden costs and challenges of migration, and how to evaluate your options for moving to RKE2, RKE3, or a more modern Kubernetes platform. Whether you're managing 10 clusters or hundreds, this is a practical guide to navigating one of the most consequential infrastructure transitions your team may face.A full list of this episode's topics include:Official announcement of EOL for RKE1Why migrating away from RKE1 doesn't workCurrent evolution in App infrastructureCurrent evolution of CloudCommon containerization challengesk0rdent by MirantisFull container solution stackValue of the cloud native/K8s-first approachIf you want to listen to more episodes of Radio Cloud Native, please visit https://www.mirantis.com/radiocloudnative/ to download, or find them wherever you prefer to consume your podcasts.If you are interested in contributing to Radio Cloud Native, please reach out to our podcast team: [email protected]