diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index ecef6ff..1219656 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 env:
-  PYICU_VERSION: "2.15.2"
-  LIBICU_VERSION: "77"
+  PYICU_VERSION: "2.16"
+  LIBICU_VERSION: "78"
 
 jobs:
   linux:
@@ -225,18 +225,6 @@ jobs:
           hatch run pyicu:src
           hatch run pyicu:tests
 
-      # NOTE: only required for v2.15.2
-      - name: Patch pyicu for MSVC
-        shell: python
-        run: |
-          import pathlib
-          f = pathlib.Path("pyicu/arg.h")
-          t = f.read_text()
-          if "#ifndef _MSC_VER" not in t:
-              t = t.replace("#define _IS_POD(T)", "#ifndef _MSC_VER\n#define _IS_POD(T)")
-              t = t.replace("#undef _IS_POD", "#undef _IS_POD\n#endif")
-              f.write_text(t)
-
       - name: Cache libicu
         id: cache-libicu
         uses: actions/cache@v4
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2ee507f..54ed351 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ dependencies = ["hatch_buildext"]
 [tool.hatch.envs.default.env-vars]
 _LIBICU_DIR = "{root:real}/.build"
 PYICU_URL = "https://gitlab.pyicu.org/main/pyicu.git"
-PYICU_VERSION = "2.15.2"
-LIBICU_VERSION = "77"
+PYICU_VERSION = "2.16"
+LIBICU_VERSION = "78"
 
 
 [tool.hatch.envs.pyicu]
diff --git a/scripts/install-libicu.ps1 b/scripts/install-libicu.ps1
index 0bd8ab2..2956326 100644
--- a/scripts/install-libicu.ps1
+++ b/scripts/install-libicu.ps1
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
 $ICU_PLAT = $env:ICU_PLAT
 $ICU_LIB_SUFFIX = $env:ICU_LIB_SUFFIX
-$ICU_URL = "https://github.com/unicode-org/icu/releases/download/release-77-1/icu4c-77_1-${ICU_PLAT}.zip"
+$ICU_URL = "https://github.com/unicode-org/icu/releases/download/release-78.1/icu4c-78.1-${ICU_PLAT}.zip"
 $TMP_DIR = Join-Path $env:TEMP "icu-download"
 $ICU_ZIP = Join-Path $TMP_DIR "icu.zip"
 
diff --git a/scripts/install-libicu.sh b/scripts/install-libicu.sh
index 7962dbf..6a147d1 100755
--- a/scripts/install-libicu.sh
+++ b/scripts/install-libicu.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 _HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 
 _TMP_DIR="${_HERE}/.libicu.tmp"
-_ICU_SRC="https://github.com/unicode-org/icu/releases/download/release-77-1/icu4c-77_1-src.tgz"
+_ICU_SRC="https://github.com/unicode-org/icu/releases/download/release-78.1/icu4c-78.1-sources.tgz"
 
 
 # NOTE: see the docs for `runConfigureICU` for the options
diff --git a/src/icu/__about__.py b/src/icu/__about__.py
index 611bd69..ac45593 100644
--- a/src/icu/__about__.py
+++ b/src/icu/__about__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024-present Init7 <softeng@init7.net>
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-__version__ = "2.15.2"
+__version__ = "2.16rc0"