OpenAI Ships Images 2.5, and Splits the API Into Flare and Sunburst

OpenAI released ChatGPT Images 2.5 on 8 September 2026. OpenAI's announcement says the model brings "sharper details, more precise editing, and faster generation", and that image generation latency is reduced by up to 50% compared with Images 2.0.

In ChatGPT the release is a single model, available to all ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex users across desktop, mobile and web. It arrives with three named features: Sketch, which lets you draw directly in ChatGPT as a reference for the final image; Templates, for common formats such as flyers and product photos; and comments placed directly on an image for focused editing. Prompts can also be shared so others can run them against their own photos.

The API is where the release splits in two. GPT-Image-2.5 Flare is described as the default choice for most applications, delivering higher-quality images than GPT Image 2 at 50% lower latency. GPT-Image-2.5 Sunburst is described as built for premium visual workflows that benefit from tighter control across edits.

OpenAI's page states that more than 3 billion images are created each week across ChatGPT Images and the GPT-Image models in the API.

Per-token or per-image API prices are not given on the announcement itself, which links out to OpenAI's pricing page instead; they are not reproduced here.