Image: GitHub / github.blog GitHub Copilot Is Retiring Four More Models on October 2
Gemini 3.5 Flash, Gemini 3.6 Flash, Kimi K2.7 Code, and Claude Opus 4.7 are all being cut from Copilot on October 2. The Kimi replacement costs more and is off by default for enterprise customers.
GitHub announced a second round of Copilot model retirements on September 3, following the six models it cut on September 1. Four more are leaving on October 2, 2026. The cutoff applies across Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask and agent modes, and code completions.
What’s being removed
| Model Being Removed | Suggested Replacement |
|---|---|
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | Gemini 3.8 Flash |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Gemini 3.8 Flash |
| Kimi K2.7 Code | Kimi K3 |
| Claude Opus 4.7 | Claude Opus 5 |
The Gemini consolidation is straightforward: both 3.5 and 3.6 Flash point to the same replacement, Gemini 3.8 Flash. If you’re using either, the path is the same. Note that Gemini 3.8 Flash’s rollout is still gradual, and some client minimum versions are listed as “TBD” — check whether it’s available in your version before relying on it as a fallback.
The Kimi situation
The Kimi replacement deserves attention. Kimi K3 is the designated successor to K2.7 Code, but the pricing jump is significant. K2.7 Code was priced at $0.95 per million input tokens and $4.00 per million output tokens. K3 comes in at $3.00 per million input and $15.00 per million output — roughly three to four times more expensive depending on your input/output ratio.
There’s also a policy issue for enterprise teams. Kimi K3 is disabled by default in enterprise Copilot policies, even though it’s generally available. That means if you’re an enterprise admin, you need to explicitly enable K3 before October 2 or users who were on K2.7 Code will hit an error when trying to select it. GitHub hasn’t made this automatic.
Claude Opus 4.7
Claude Opus 4.7 is being retired with Opus 5 as the replacement, following the same pattern as the September 1 round that removed Opus 4.5 and 4.6. If you moved to 4.7 after that announcement, you’ll need to move again.
Three-stage migration window
GitHub has now created what amounts to a three-stage migration over six weeks: September 1 retirements, the September 10 MAI-Code-1-Flash cutoff, and now October 2. If you manage Copilot policies for a team, that’s three separate rounds of model availability changes to track.
Enterprise admins should verify that replacement models — Claude Opus 5, Gemini 3.8 Flash, and Kimi K3 (if desired) — are enabled in their organization’s Copilot policy before October 2. Retired models disappear from the selector automatically; replacements only appear if they’re enabled.
Sources:
- GitHub adds an October 2 Copilot model-retirement wave after September cutovers — AI Stack Current
- GitHub Copilot Gets GPT-6 Astra and Gemini 3.8 Flash This Week — VibecodedThis (September 4)
- GitHub Copilot Is Retiring Six Models on September 1 — VibecodedThis (August 26)