If global.php is updated with that version, then yes, it will have to be hacked.
However, its just a small text replacement, so I don't see it being too much of a problem.
Just for the record, I am working on some scripts to "auto-hack" this into your board, as well as providing a global.php (already hacked, but only accessible with your vB username/password). So basically, you login:
http://www.unreal2.net/vb, fill in your details, and you can download the hack itself. This way, we're not violating copyright issues but still making it easy to install a hack.