OpenAI ships Images 2.6 with faster generation, GIFs and new API image models
OpenAI released Images 2.6 in ChatGPT, Codex and the API on November 4, 2026, claiming about 50% faster generation, GIF animation, finer editing controls, and two API models: GPT-Image-2.6 Flare and Sunburst.
What happened
- Images 2.6 is available globally in ChatGPT and Codex on all subscription tiers on desktop, mobile and web, and as GPT-Image-2.6 Flare and Sunburst in the API.
- OpenAI says Images 2.6 generates images about 50% faster than before; with quality set to low, Flare can generate in as little as six seconds.
- GIF creation is supported for animated loops such as mascots, reactions and storyboards; image markup editing comes to the API, with SVG export and a new complexity parameter for planning effort.
- OpenAI reports people now create about 4 billion images per week across ChatGPT, Codex and the API.
- API pricing is linked from the launch post; safety details point to a separate system card.
Why it matters: Creators and product teams who iterate on product shots, brand characters or social graphics in ChatGPT or the API get faster rounds and motion without a separate animation tool. Developers also get markup, SVG and quality/complexity knobs in the API.
Sources
- OpenAI: Introducing Images 2.6 openai.com
Checked November 5, 2026 against the sources above. Claims about performance or benchmarks are the company's own unless stated otherwise.