diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index a5d1822310..835657d2d2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 name: Stable Release
 
 on:
-  push:
-    tags:
-      - '*[0-9].*[0-9].*[0-9]*'
+  release:
+    types: 
+      - prereleased
 
 jobs:
   create_release:
@@ -23,27 +23,18 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install Python requirements
       run: pip install gitpython semver
 
-    - name: Set env
-      run: |
-        echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-        
-        git config user.email ${{ secrets.CI_EMAIL }}
-        git config user.name ${{ secrets.CI_USER }}
-        git fetch
-        git checkout -b main origin/main
-        git tag -d ${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}
-        git remote set-url --push origin https://pypebot:${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}@github.com/pypeclub/openpype
-        git push origin --delete ${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}
-        echo PREVIOUS_VERSION=`git describe --tags --match="[0-9]*" --abbrev=0` >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          
     - name: 💉 Inject new version into files
       id: version
-      if: steps.version_type.outputs.type != 'skip'
       run: |
-        python ./tools/ci_tools.py --version ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+        echo ::set-output name=current_version::${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}
+        RESULT=$(python ./tools/ci_tools.py --finalize ${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/})
+        LASTRELEASE=$(python ./tools/ci_tools.py --lastversion release)
+
+        echo ::set-output name=last_release::$LASTRELEASE
+        echo ::set-output name=release_tag::$RESULT
 
     - name: "✏️ Generate full changelog"
-      if: steps.version_type.outputs.type != 'skip'
+      if: steps.version.outputs.release_tag != 'skip'
       id: generate-full-changelog
       uses: heinrichreimer/github-changelog-generator-action@v2.2
       with:
@@ -55,7 +46,6 @@ jobs:
         addSections: '{"documentation":{"prefix":"### 📖 Documentation","labels":["documentation"]},"tests":{"prefix":"### ✅ Testing","labels":["tests"]}}'
         issues: false
         issuesWoLabels: false
-        sinceTag: "3.0.0"
         maxIssues: 100
         pullRequests: true
         prWoLabels: false
@@ -64,39 +54,75 @@ jobs:
         compareLink: true
         stripGeneratorNotice: true
         verbose: true
-        futureRelease: ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+        futureRelease: ${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}
         excludeTagsRegex: "CI/.+"
         releaseBranch: "main"
 
-    - name: "🖨️ Print changelog to console"
-      run: echo ${{ steps.generate-last-changelog.outputs.changelog }}
-
     - name: 💾 Commit and Tag
       id: git_commit
-      if: steps.version_type.outputs.type != 'skip'
+      if: steps.version.outputs.release_tag != 'skip'
       run: |
+        git config user.email ${{ secrets.CI_EMAIL }}
+        git config user.name ${{ secrets.CI_USER }}
         git add .
         git commit -m "[Automated] Release"
-        tag_name="${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}"
-        git push
-        git tag -fa $tag_name -m "stable release"
-        git remote set-url --push origin https://pypebot:${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}@github.com/pypeclub/openpype
-        git push origin $tag_name
+        tag_name="${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}"
+        git tag -a $tag_name -m "stable release"
 
-    - name: "🚀 Github Release"
-      uses: docker://antonyurchenko/git-release:latest
-      env:
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}
-        DRAFT_RELEASE: "false"
-        PRE_RELEASE: "false"
-        CHANGELOG_FILE: "CHANGELOG.md"
-        ALLOW_EMPTY_CHANGELOG: "false"
-        ALLOW_TAG_PREFIX: "true"
+    - name: 🔏 Push to protected main branch
+      if: steps.version.outputs.release_tag != 'skip'
+      uses: CasperWA/push-protected@v2
+      with:
+        token: ${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}
+        branch: main
+        tags: true
+        unprotect_reviews: true    
+    
+    - name: "✏️ Generate last changelog"
+      if: steps.version.outputs.release_tag != 'skip'
+      id: generate-last-changelog
+      uses: heinrichreimer/github-changelog-generator-action@v2.2
+      with:
+        token: ${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}
+        breakingLabel: '**💥 Breaking**'
+        enhancementLabel: '**🚀 Enhancements**'
+        bugsLabel: '**🐛 Bug fixes**'
+        deprecatedLabel: '**⚠️ Deprecations**'
+        addSections: '{"documentation":{"prefix":"### 📖 Documentation","labels":["documentation"]},"tests":{"prefix":"### ✅ Testing","labels":["tests"]}}'
+        issues: false
+        issuesWoLabels: false
+        maxIssues: 100
+        pullRequests: true
+        prWoLabels: false
+        author: false
+        unreleased: true
+        compareLink: true
+        stripGeneratorNotice: true
+        verbose: true
+        futureRelease: ${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}
+        excludeTagsRegex: "CI/.+"
+        releaseBranch: "main"
+        stripHeaders: true
+        sinceTag: ${{ steps.version.outputs.last_release }}
 
 
-    - name: 🔨 Merge main back to develop    
+    - name: 🚀 Github Release
+      if: steps.version.outputs.release_tag != 'skip'
+      uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
+      with:
+        body: ${{ steps.generate-last-changelog.outputs.changelog }}
+        tag: ${{ steps.version.outputs.release_tag }}
+        token: ${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}
+
+    - name: ☠ Delete Pre-release
+      if: steps.version.outputs.release_tag != 'skip'
+      uses: cb80/delrel@latest
+      with:
+        tag: "${{ steps.version.outputs.current_version }}"
+
+    - name: 🔁 Merge main back to develop   
+      if: steps.version.outputs.release_tag != 'skip'
       uses: everlytic/branch-merge@1.1.0
-      if: steps.version_type.outputs.type != 'skip'
       with:
         github_token: ${{ secrets.ADMIN_TOKEN }}
         source_ref: 'main'