Image: GitHub / github.blog GitHub Copilot Is Retiring Six Models on September 1
Gemini 3.1 Pro, Claude Opus 4.5, Claude Opus 4.6, Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Sonnet 4.6, and Raptor Mini are all being deprecated across every Copilot surface. Here's what to switch to.
GitHub announced on July 31 that six models will be removed from all GitHub Copilot experiences on September 1, 2026. That deadline is now five days away. If you have workflows, IDE configurations, or enterprise policies pointing at any of these models, you need to update them before they stop responding.
The six models and what to use instead
| Model Being Removed | Suggested Replacement |
|---|---|
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | Gemini 3.6 Flash |
| Claude Opus 4.5 | Claude Opus 4.7, 4.8, or 5 |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Claude Opus 4.7, 4.8, or 5 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Raptor Mini | MAI-Code-1-Flash |
These deprecations apply across all Copilot surfaces: inline completions, chat, agent mode, and code review.
One exception
Claude Sonnet 4.6 will stay available for individual GitHub Copilot subscribers on annual plans. GitHub’s stated reason is to preserve a Sonnet-tier option for that group until they can switch to Sonnet 5 on their own schedule. Annual plan holders won’t see Sonnet 4.6 disappear on September 1.
Everyone else, including Business and Enterprise accounts, loses access.
What enterprise admins need to do
If your organization has model selection policies configured through GitHub’s Copilot settings, check that the replacement models are enabled before September 1. GitHub says the deprecated models will disappear from the model selector in VS Code and on github.com automatically, but the replacement models only appear if they’re enabled in your policy.
The specific models to verify are enabled: Claude Sonnet 5, Claude Opus 5 (and 4.7/4.8 if you want intermediate options), Gemini 3.6 Flash, and MAI-Code-1-Flash.
No action is needed to remove the deprecated models, they’ll disappear on their own.
Why this is happening now
GitHub has been cycling through older models at a faster pace this year as the underlying providers release newer versions. Gemini 3.1 Pro, the two Opus 4.x versions, and the older Sonnet versions were already on the slower end of what Copilot offers. The Raptor Mini deprecation is notable because it’s being replaced with MAI-Code-1-Flash, Microsoft’s own code-focused model, which has been rolling out across Copilot surfaces since June.
The full announcement is on the GitHub Changelog.