EXPLAINER

Sora (OpenAI Video Generation) and Its Discontinuation

modelfreshness: volatilekey claims checked 2026-10-09

Sora was OpenAI's text-to-video model family. Sora 2 launched on 30 September 2025 with synchronised audio; OpenAI says the Sora product was discontinued on 26 April 2026 and scheduled the API's shutdown for 24 September 2026.

Short answer: Sora was OpenAI's video-generation family: the 2024 research report (diffusion transformer on spacetime patches), then Sora 2 (30 Sep 2025, with synchronised dialogue and sound, plus a social app). OpenAI says the app and web product ended on 26 April 2026 and the Videos API and sora-2 models were scheduled to shut down on 24 September 2026. Don't build new work on it.

What is it?

Sora is a good case study in how fast AI products can appear and vanish. It turned text prompts into video, first as a research preview and later as a consumer app and an API. OpenAI has since announced it is discontinuing the product and its API. If you saw demos or tutorials built on Sora, the underlying service may no longer exist, so check the vendor's notices before relying on any AI product.

Also known as: Sora, OpenAI Sora, Sora 2, sora-2, Sora API, Videos API, OpenAI video generation, Sora shutdown.

Technical definition

OpenAI's February 2024 report "Video generation models as world simulators" describes a transformer that operates on spacetime patches of video and image latent codes, trained as text-conditional diffusion models on videos and images of variable duration, resolution and aspect ratio; the report says the largest model could generate a minute of high-fidelity video and lists limitations, for example that it does not accurately model the physics of many basic interactions such as glass shattering. The Sora 2 announcement (30 September 2025) claims improved physical accuracy, realism and controllability and describes synchronised dialogue and sound effects and a companion iOS "Sora" app; these are the vendor's claims. The announcement page now carries a banner stating that as of 26 April 2026 the Sora product is no longer available. OpenAI's help-centre article says the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on 26 April 2026 and the API on 24 September 2026, explains how to export content, and says OpenAI will permanently delete data associated with use of Sora after any final export window. OpenAI's API deprecations page records a 24 March 2026 notice that the Videos API and the sora-2, sora-2-pro and dated snapshot models would be removed on 24 September 2026, with no recommended replacement. The Sora 2 system card describes the safety approach, including restrictions on uploads of photorealistic people. Provenance and disclosure matter for any synthetic video (C2PA and Content Provenance (Content Credentials)).

Entity type: model · Freshness class: volatile.

When should I use it?

Read for history and for lessons about vendor dependency; do not start new work on Sora.

Implementation patterns

  • Abstract the video provider behind your own interface so a shutdown means swapping an adapter.
  • Keep prompts, seeds and outputs you are entitled to keep, and export before a provider's cut-off.
  • Label synthetic video and attach provenance metadata.
  • Check the vendor deprecations page when adopting any AI API.

Technologies and frameworks

Commonly associated: diffusion transformer, spacetime patches, text-to-video, synchronised audio generation. Names are examples of what exists, not recommendations, and projects change quickly.

Practical guide

  1. Confirm current availability on the vendor's own pages.
  2. If migrating, list which Sora features you used (audio, length, characters) and test candidates on the same prompts.
  3. Add provenance and disclosure to outputs.
  4. Record the model, date and settings used for each asset.

Common failure modes

  • Building a product on a single closed API with no exit plan.
  • Trusting old tutorials and demos as evidence a service exists.
  • Treating vendor claims of "physical accuracy" as measured guarantees.
  • Publishing synthetic video without disclosure.

Troubleshooting

  • Sora API calls fail — Check the deprecations page: the Videos API had a published shutdown date of 24 September 2026.
  • Need your old content — Follow the export instructions in OpenAI's help article; the availability of any final export window was not verified.
  • Need a replacement — Evaluate current video providers or open-weight options on your own prompts; no OpenAI replacement was listed.

Contrasted with

Questions this page answers

  • What is Sora?
  • Is Sora still available?
  • When is the Sora API shutting down?
  • How did Sora generate video?
  • What replaces the Sora API?
  • How do I export my Sora videos?

Typical goals: find out whether Sora is still available; understand what Sora was and how it worked; plan around a discontinued AI API.

Sources and verification

Status: key claims checked on 2026-10-09 against the primary sources listed below; everything else is not independently verified. The claims under "Checked against primary sources" were compared with the linked pages on that date. Pages change, so re-check anything time-sensitive before relying on it.

Checked against primary sources (2026-10-09):

  • Feb 2024 report: transformer on spacetime patches of video and image latent codes; a minute of high-fidelity video; Sora "does not accurately model the physics of many basic interactions, like glass shattering".
  • Sora 2 announcement dated 30 September 2025: claims of physical accuracy, realism, controllability, synchronised dialogue and sound; companion Sora iOS app; banner "As of April 26, 2026, the Sora product is no longer available."
  • Help Center: app/web discontinued 26 April 2026; API discontinued 24 September 2026; export via the sunset page; data permanently deleted after any final export window.
  • Deprecations page: notice dated 2026-03-24; Videos API, sora-2, sora-2-pro and dated snapshots removed 2026-09-24; no replacement listed.

Primary sources consulted:

Not independently verified:

  • Whether the API actually stopped working on 24 September 2026 (the check date, 9 October 2026, is after it; no source confirming the shutdown happened was found).
  • The retirement of Sora 1 for US users (reported as 13 March 2026 on a developer forum only).
  • Azure OpenAI's end date for Sora 2 (a forum thread mentioned 6 June 2026).
  • March 2026 API additions (longer clips, characters, 1080p) reported in a search summary.
  • The reasons for discontinuation (not stated on the help page).

Freshness class: volatile — Products, versions, protocols, benchmarks, leaderboards, regulations and dates. Verify against the primary source before relying on specifics; re-review every 3 months.

Time-sensitive claims to verify before relying on them:

  • Whether the API shutdown on 2026-09-24 took effect as scheduled.
  • Availability of export windows.
  • Azure OpenAI's separate Sora timeline.
  • Any successor product from OpenAI.

Further reading and canonical sources (not all checked):

  • Video generation models as world simulators (OpenAI, Feb 2024) — openai.com/index/video-generation-models-as-world-simulators/
  • Sora 2 is here (OpenAI, 30 Sep 2025) — openai.com/index/sora-2/
  • What to know about the Sora discontinuation (OpenAI Help Center) — help.openai.com/en/articles/20001152-what-to-know-about-the-sora-discontinuation
  • OpenAI API deprecations — developers.openai.com/api/docs/deprecations
  • Sora 2 System Card — openai.com/index/sora-2-system-card/