GitHub Copilot: Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Opus 5 and GPT-5.6 Terra Deprecated on November 16
GitHub CopilotGitHub announced that it will deprecate Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Opus 5 and GPT-5.6 Terra across all GitHub Copilot experiences on November 16, 2026. The suggested replacements are Claude Opus 5.5 and GPT-6.1 Sol or GPT-6 Luna. Copilot Business and Enterprise customers get the replacements enabled automatically unless an admin has turned off default model enablement.
Key Takeaways
- Three models retire on November 16, 2026: Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Opus 5 and GPT-5.6 Terra.
- The deprecation covers every Copilot surface, including chat, inline edits, ask and agent modes, and code completions.
- GitHub points users to Claude Opus 5.5 for both Claude models and to GPT-6.1 Sol or GPT-6 Luna for GPT-5.6 Terra.
- Individual annual-plan subscribers keep Claude Opus 4.8, so they are exempt.
- Business and Enterprise admins with default model enablement on get the replacements automatically; others must enable them in model policies.
- Anyone who has pinned a deprecated model in settings, agents or integrations should switch before the cutoff.
Which Models Are Being Deprecated
GitHub will deprecate three models across all GitHub Copilot experiences on November 16, 2026. The change covers Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask and agent modes, and code completions.
| Model | Deprecation date | Suggested alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.8 | 2026-11-16 | Claude Opus 5.5 |
| Claude Opus 5 | 2026-11-16 | Claude Opus 5.5 |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | 2026-11-16 | GPT-6.1 Sol or GPT-6 Luna |
One exception applies. Individual Copilot subscribers on annual plans keep access to Claude Opus 4.8, so the deprecation does not apply to them.
What Users Should Do
GitHub advises users to update their workflows and integrations to a supported model before November 16. Anyone who has pinned one of the three models as a default, or relies on it in a saved workflow or integration, should switch to one of the suggested alternatives ahead of the cutoff. No action is needed to remove the deprecated models afterward.
What Changes for Business and Enterprise
Under default model enablement, the suggested alternatives are turned on automatically for Copilot Enterprise and Business customers. That does not hold if an administrator has turned off the global default or disabled the specific model. In that case, admins can enable the alternatives through the model policies in Copilot settings. Enterprise customers with questions can contact their account team.