diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index d6292005d..74b1a06f9 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 strongswan-4.5.0
 ----------------
 
+- IMPORTANT: the default keyexchange mode 'ike' is changing with release 4.5
+  from 'ikev1' to 'ikev2', thus commemorating the five year anniversary of the
+  IKEv2 RFC 4706 and its mature successor RFC 5996. The time has definitively
+  come for IKEv1 to go into retirement and to cede its place to the much more
+  robust, powerful and versatile IKEv2 protocol! 
+
 - Added new ctr, ccm and gcm plugins providing Counter, Counter with CBC-MAC
   and Galois/Counter Modes based on existing CBC implementations. These
   new plugins bring support for AES and Camellia Counter and CCM algorithms