diff --git a/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_2019.nuspec b/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_2019.nuspec
index 397a8af4..eb3e77b7 100644
--- a/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_2019.nuspec
+++ b/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_2019.nuspec
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
         <description>This version is for Windows desktop applications using Visual Studio 2019 (16.11) or Visual Studio 2022 on Windows 8.1 or later.
 
 DirectXTex, a shared source library for reading and writing .DDS files, and performing various texture content processing operations including resizing, format conversion, mip-map generation, block compression for Direct3D runtime texture resources, and height-map to normal-map conversion. This library makes use of the Windows Image Component (WIC) APIs. It also includes simple .TGA and .HDR readers and writers since these image file format are commonly used for texture content processing pipelines, but are not currently supported by a built-in WIC codec.</description>
-        <releaseNotes>Matches the July 9, 2025 release on GitHub.</releaseNotes>
+        <releaseNotes>Matches the October 27, 2025 release on GitHub.</releaseNotes>
         <projectUrl>http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=248926</projectUrl>
         <repository type="git" url="https://github.com/microsoft/DirectXTex.git" />
         <icon>images\icon.jpg</icon>
diff --git a/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_win10.nuspec b/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_win10.nuspec
index 50437b54..7884305b 100644
--- a/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_win10.nuspec
+++ b/.nuget/directxtex_desktop_win10.nuspec
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
         <description>This version is for Windows desktop applications using Visual Studio 2022 on Windows 10 / Windows 11 including both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12.
 
 DirectXTex, a shared source library for reading and writing .DDS files, and performing various texture content processing operations including resizing, format conversion, mip-map generation, block compression for Direct3D runtime texture resources, and height-map to normal-map conversion. This library makes use of the Windows Image Component (WIC) APIs. It also includes simple .TGA and .HDR readers and writers since these image file format are commonly used for texture content processing pipelines, but are not currently supported by a built-in WIC codec.</description>
-        <releaseNotes>Matches the July 9, 2025 release on GitHub.</releaseNotes>
+        <releaseNotes>Matches the October 27, 2025 release on GitHub.</releaseNotes>
         <projectUrl>http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=248926</projectUrl>
         <repository type="git" url="https://github.com/microsoft/DirectXTex.git" />
         <icon>images\icon.jpg</icon>
diff --git a/.nuget/directxtex_uwp.nuspec b/.nuget/directxtex_uwp.nuspec
index 48b9b192..a626032a 100644
--- a/.nuget/directxtex_uwp.nuspec
+++ b/.nuget/directxtex_uwp.nuspec
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
         <description>This version is for Universal Windows Platform apps on Windows 10 / Windows 11 using Visual Studio 2022.
 
 DirectXTex, a shared source library for reading and writing .DDS files, and performing various texture content processing operations including resizing, format conversion, mip-map generation, block compression for Direct3D runtime texture resources, and height-map to normal-map conversion. This library makes use of the Windows Image Component (WIC) APIs. It also includes simple .TGA and .HDR readers and writers since these image file format are commonly used for texture content processing pipelines, but are not currently supported by a built-in WIC codec.</description>
-        <releaseNotes>Matches the July 9, 2025 release on GitHub.</releaseNotes>
+        <releaseNotes>Matches the October 27, 2025 release on GitHub.</releaseNotes>
         <projectUrl>http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=248926</projectUrl>
         <repository type="git" url="https://github.com/microsoft/DirectXTex.git" />
         <icon>images\icon.jpg</icon>
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a6c0a4df..38ce052d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,16 @@ Release available for download on [GitHub](https://github.com/microsoft/DirectXT
 
 ## Release History
 
+### October 27, 2025
+* DDS writer now supports a `DDS_FLAGS_FORCE_24BPP_RGB` flag
+* JPEG and PNG auxiliary reader/writer various bug fixes
+  * *breaking change* All functions now take flags `PNG_FLAGS` or `JPEG_FLAGS`
+* Minor code review
+* Added October 2025 GDK projects for VS 2022
+* CMake project update to use 3.21 minimum
+* texconv:
+  * The `-f` format now accepts `RGB24`
+
 ### July 9, 2025
 * Reformat source using updated .editorconfig settings and general lint cleanup
 * Minor code review
@@ -48,6 +58,7 @@ Release available for download on [GitHub](https://github.com/microsoft/DirectXT
 * Xbox auxiliary now has **EncodeDDSHeader** function
 * ScreenGrab9 minor DDS header fix when writing A2W10V10U10 legacy mixed formats
 * CMake project updates including support for ARM64EC
+
 * Added GitHub Actions YAML files
 
 ### June 4, 2024
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e9387ba6..62fe1123 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.21)
 
-set(DIRECTXTEX_VERSION 2.0.8)
+set(DIRECTXTEX_VERSION 2.0.9)
 
 if(XBOX_CONSOLE_TARGET STREQUAL "durango")
   set(CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE "STATIC_LIBRARY")
diff --git a/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h b/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h
index 2a7c5844..b3e4a7a4 100644
--- a/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h
+++ b/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ struct IWICImagingFactory;
 struct IWICMetadataQueryReader;
 #endif
 
-#define DIRECTX_TEX_VERSION 208
+#define DIRECTX_TEX_VERSION 209
 
 #if defined(_WIN32) && defined(DIRECTX_TEX_EXPORT)
 #ifdef __GNUC__
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 07103ce7..b020f73e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=248926
 
 Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
 
-## July 9, 2025
+## October 27, 2025
 
 This package contains DirectXTex, a shared source library for reading and writing ``.DDS`` files, and performing various texture content processing operations including resizing, format conversion, mip-map generation, block compression for Direct3D runtime texture resources, and height-map to normal-map conversion. This library makes use of the Windows Image Component (WIC) APIs. It also includes ``.TGA`` and ``.HDR`` readers and writers since these image file formats are commonly used for texture content processing pipelines, but are not currently supported by a built-in WIC codec.