---
title: Crystal 1.6.1 is released!
version: 1.6.1
summary:
thumbnail: +
author:
comment_href: https://disqus.com/home/discussion/crystal-lang/crystal_161_is_released_45/
---

We are releasing the first patch release of the [1.6](/2022/10/06/1.6.0-released/) series.

Pre-built packages are available on [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/releases/tag/1.6.1) and our official distribution channels.
See [crystal-lang.org/install](https://crystal-lang.org/install/) for installation instructions.

## Stats

In this release we included [12 changes since the 1.6.0 release](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/pulls?q=is%3Apr+milestone%3A1.6.1) by 7 contributors. We thank all the effort put into improving the language! ❤️

## Compiler

There were a couple of regressions in the compiler which are now fixed.

1.6.1 refactored the ordering of `def` overloads to be more robust ([#10711](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/pull/10711)). A regression caused incorrect ordering for methods with splat arguments, which is fixed in [#12584](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/pull/12584).

Additional regressions are fixed in the formatter with escape sequences in macro literals ([#12582](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/pull/12582)) and the playground considering `localhost` and `127.0.0.1` as different origins ([#12599](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/pull/12599)).

The interpreter received a couple of minor improvements. Most notable feature is the welcome message which is printed to `STDERR` when starting the interpreter ([#12511](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/pull/12511)). It can be disabled by setting the environment variable `CRYSTAL_INTERPRETER_SKIP_BANNER=1`.

For more details, visit the [changelog](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/releases/tag/1.6.0).

> **THANKS:**
> We have been able to do all of this thanks to the continued support of [84codes](https://www.84codes.com/), [Nikola Motor Company](https://nikolamotor.com/) and every other [sponsor](/sponsors). To maintain and increase the development pace, donations and sponsorships are essential. [OpenCollective](https://opencollective.com/crystal-lang) is available for that.
>
> Reach out to [crystal@manas.tech](mailto:crystal@manas.tech) if you’d like to become a direct sponsor or find other ways to support Crystal. We thank you in advance!
