OpenAI · 2026-04-26 · major
OpenAI Shuts Down Sora App April 26, API Follows September 24 — No Direct Replacement Named
OpenAI shut down the Sora app April 26; Sora 2 API sunset is September 24. No drop-in replacement named. Developers with video pipelines must identify and migrate to an alternative (HappyHorse, Veo 3, Kling 2.0) before the September deadline.
OpenAI is shutting down Sora — and unlike most API deprecations, there's no official successor API to migrate to.
What is it?
Sora was OpenAI's text-to-video generation model, released to the public in December 2024. OpenAI announced the two-stage shutdown on March 24, 2026: app closure April 26, API sunset September 24.
How does it work?
The Sora 2 API endpoint and Videos API are listed as deprecated with a September 24, 2026 hard shutdown on OpenAI's deprecations page. After these dates, all user data associated with Sora accounts will be permanently deleted.
Why does it matter?
OpenAI has not named a successor API. The deprecation page recommends gpt-image-1 for image generation but leaves video developers without a migration target. Reasons cited include ~$1M/day compute costs and legal exposure from Sora 2's training data practices. Developers with video pipelines built on Sora's API must identify and integrate an alternative (HappyHorse, Veo 3, Seedance 2.0, Kling 2.0) before September 24, 2026.
Who is it for?
Any application or workflow calling the Sora 2 API or Videos API must migrate before September 24, 2026 — approximately 4 months away as of May 2026.