GPT Image 2.6 Is Here: GIFs, SVG Export, Flare and Sunburst

GPT Image 2.6 is OpenAI's image model update released on November 4, 2026. In ChatGPT it is called ChatGPT Images 2.6; in the API it ships as two models, GPT-Image-2.6 Flare and GPT-Image-2.6 Sunburst. The headline additions are animated GIFs, SVG export and faster generation — OpenAI says images are now created 50% faster than before.

OpenAI also shared a usage number that shows how big image generation has become: people create about 4 billion images per week across ChatGPT, Codex and the API.

The Four Big Changes

1. Animated GIFs

You can now bring motion to an idea: animate a brand mascot for a campaign, make reaction stickers and memes, turn a product shot into a loop, or sketch an animated storyboard before video production. OpenAI's launch post even turns a pen sketch of an owl into an animated character. In ChatGPT you can change playback speed and edit individual frames.

2. SVG export

SVG export makes designs ready for websites, apps and print. It is the first time logos, icons and flat illustrations from GPT Image come out as true vectors instead of pixels you have to trace.

3. Image markup and reference images

Image markup — drawing on an image to show exactly what should change — was already in ChatGPT and now comes to the API. In ChatGPT you can also save reference images of yourself, pets or characters and reuse them without uploading again.

4. Two API models: Flare and Sunburst

Flare is the fast model: with quality set to low it can return an image in as little as six seconds, and it improves layout quality for posters and product imagery. Sunburst is the quality model: at medium or high quality it delivers more detail and better consistency across editing rounds. See our Flare vs Sunburst comparison for when to use each.

New API Controls

Developers get a new complexity parameter that sets how much planning the model does before drawing. OpenAI recommends low complexity for most editing tasks and medium or high for scenes with many elements or constraints. It sits next to quality, which controls visual detail and fidelity. Read the GPT Image 2.6 API guide for details.

Who Is Already Using It

OpenAI named several early-access partners, including OpenArt, Picsart, fal, Sable, Higgsfield, Figma Weave and Town — a startup that used GIF output to create an animated assistant character that appears as a typing indicator.

Availability

GPT Image 2.6 is available globally in ChatGPT and Codex on every subscription tier, on web, desktop and mobile. GPT-Image-2.6 Flare and Sunburst are available in the API. Some features, such as GIFs, rolled out gradually, so not every account had them on day one.

Try GPT Image 2.6

You can explore real outputs and prompts in our GPT Image 2.6 prompt library, or open the GPT Image 2.6 generator to queue your first image, GIF or SVG.