diff --git a/doc/whatsnew/3/index.rst b/doc/whatsnew/3/index.rst
index 793ea37d85..223a2af420 100644
--- a/doc/whatsnew/3/index.rst
+++ b/doc/whatsnew/3/index.rst
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ This is the full list of change in pylint 3.x minors, by categories.
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 2
 
-   3.4/index
    3.3/index
    3.2/index
    3.1/index
diff --git a/doc/whatsnew/3/3.4/index.rst b/doc/whatsnew/4/4.0/index.rst
similarity index 83%
rename from doc/whatsnew/3/3.4/index.rst
rename to doc/whatsnew/4/4.0/index.rst
index 8ea2fdb764..865dc112e5 100644
--- a/doc/whatsnew/3/3.4/index.rst
+++ b/doc/whatsnew/4/4.0/index.rst
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 
 ***************************
- What's New in Pylint 3.4
+ What's New in Pylint 4.0
 ***************************
 
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 2
 
-:Release:3.4
+:Release:4.0
 :Date: TBA
 
 Summary -- Release highlights
diff --git a/doc/whatsnew/4/index.rst b/doc/whatsnew/4/index.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6572710990
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/whatsnew/4/index.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+4.x
+===
+
+This is the full list of change in pylint 4.x minors, by categories.
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 2
+
+   4.0/index
diff --git a/doc/whatsnew/index.rst b/doc/whatsnew/index.rst
index 4e9c22fea9..e2b9c9c93b 100644
--- a/doc/whatsnew/index.rst
+++ b/doc/whatsnew/index.rst
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
    :titlesonly:
    :hidden:
 
+   4/index
    3/index
    2/index
    1/index
diff --git a/pylint/__pkginfo__.py b/pylint/__pkginfo__.py
index fc725a14b6..9be35c2816 100644
--- a/pylint/__pkginfo__.py
+++ b/pylint/__pkginfo__.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-__version__ = "3.4.0-dev0"
+__version__ = "4.0.0-dev0"
 
 
 def get_numversion_from_version(v: str) -> tuple[int, int, int]:
diff --git a/tbump.toml b/tbump.toml
index 0550b617a8..46f91bc29c 100644
--- a/tbump.toml
+++ b/tbump.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 github_url = "https://github.com/pylint-dev/pylint"
 
 [version]
-current = "3.4.0-dev0"
+current = "4.0.0-dev0"
 regex = '''
 ^(?P<major>0|[1-9]\d*)
 \.
diff --git a/towncrier.toml b/towncrier.toml
index 6e902110f9..32c1c05023 100644
--- a/towncrier.toml
+++ b/towncrier.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [tool.towncrier]
-version = "3.4.0"
+version = "4.0.0"
 directory = "doc/whatsnew/fragments"
-filename = "doc/whatsnew/3/3.4/index.rst"
+filename = "doc/whatsnew/4/4.0/index.rst"
 template = "doc/whatsnew/fragments/_template.rst"
 issue_format = "`#{issue} <https://github.com/pylint-dev/pylint/issues/{issue}>`_"
 wrap = false  # doesn't wrap links correctly if beginning with indentation