Sora shutdown: what happened and what to do next

Published 2026-09-26Last verified 2026-09-26

Yes, Sora is shut down. OpenAI closed the Sora web and app experience on April 26, 2026, and removed the Videos API and every Sora 2 model from its API on September 24, 2026.^[3][1]

OpenAI’s deprecation notice lists no replacement model, so there is no official way to keep running Sora 2 prompts or API calls.^[1]

Key facts

OpenAI told developers on March 24, 2026 that the Videos API and the Sora 2 models would be removed, and removed them on September 24, 2026.^[1]
The removed API models are sora-2, sora-2-pro and their dated snapshots (sora-2-2025-10-06, sora-2-2025-12-08, sora-2-pro-2025-10-06).^[1]
OpenAI’s deprecation notice does not name a replacement for the Videos API.^[1]
The Sora app shutdown (April 26, 2026) and the Sora API shutdown (September 24, 2026) were separate events five months apart.^[3][1]
VideoCreate does not offer Sora. It turns reference videos and prompt ideas into prompts for Seedance, Kling and Wan, and can generate with those models.

Timeline

2025-09-30
Sora 2 and the Sora iOS app launch
OpenAI releases Sora 2 with synchronized audio, alongside a new Sora app.^[4]
2026-03-24
API deprecation announced
Developers using the Videos API and the Sora 2 models are told the API will be removed on September 24, 2026. No replacement is named.^[1]
2026-04-26
Sora web and app shut down
The consumer Sora experience closes. OpenAI points users to an export page at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset.^[3]
2026-09-24
Sora 2 API removed
The Videos API, sora-2, sora-2-pro and their snapshots stop working. OpenAI’s model page now says they “are no longer available”.^[1][2]

What to do now

You made videos in the Sora app

Go to sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and request an export now. OpenAI emails you when it is ready.
Download the videos and keep your prompts: they are the part you can reuse on another model.
Do not count on a later deadline. We could not find a published end date for the export window, and OpenAI says it deletes Sora data once any final export window passes.

You called the Sora API

Calls to the Videos API fail now. Stop queuing new jobs and clear or fail any jobs still waiting on a Sora result.
Remove sora-2, sora-2-pro and the dated snapshot IDs from config, retries and fallbacks.
Save the prompts, reference images and settings you sent. They are your test set for the next provider.
Pick a provider, map your parameters (worksheet below) and rerun the saved prompts before switching traffic.

You relied on Sora 2’s synchronized audio

Check that a replacement generates sound in the same pass. Adding a voice-over later is a different workflow.
Compare the options that still work on our Sora alternatives page before you rebuild anything.

Compare Sora alternatives that still work

Moving API code off Sora

Every video API names these things differently. Use this as a checklist for each field your Sora code set.

model: What it didQuality and cost tier (sora-2 vs sora-2-pro); What to doChoose a model per job type and re-test quality; there is no one-to-one tier match.
seconds: What it didClip length; What to doMap to the lengths the new model supports; many offer fixed steps such as 5 or 10 seconds.
size: What it didResolution and orientation (e.g. 720x1280, 1280x720); What to doMost providers split this into a resolution and an aspect ratio.
input_reference: What it didAn image the video starts from; What to doUse the provider’s image-to-video mode and check which frame it treats as the start.
Polling and webhooks: What it didWaiting for the async job; What to doRewrite the status mapping; task states and callback payloads differ per provider.

Sora field	What it did	What to do
model	Quality and cost tier (sora-2 vs sora-2-pro)	Choose a model per job type and re-test quality; there is no one-to-one tier match.
seconds	Clip length	Map to the lengths the new model supports; many offer fixed steps such as 5 or 10 seconds.
size	Resolution and orientation (e.g. 720x1280, 1280x720)	Most providers split this into a resolution and an aspect ratio.
input_reference	An image the video starts from	Use the provider’s image-to-video mode and check which frame it treats as the start.
Polling and webhooks	Waiting for the async job	Rewrite the status mapping; task states and callback payloads differ per provider.

This is a migration checklist, not a compatibility promise. We have not tested any provider as a drop-in for Sora.

Reuse a Sora prompt

OpenAI’s Sora 2 prompting guide tells you to write like a brief to a cinematographer: what is in the shot, one camera move, the action in beats, and a labelled dialogue or sound block. That structure carries over. Split it into fields, then write the version the next model expects.^[5]

Written for Sora 2

A lighthouse keeper climbs the spiral stairs at dusk, lantern in hand. Camera: slow tracking shot following him up the stairs, one continuous move. Action: he pauses at the window, looks out at the storm, then keeps climbing. Lighting: warm lantern glow against cold blue storm light through the windows. Style: 35mm film, soft grain. Sound: wind howling outside, boots on iron steps, distant thunder.

Split into fields

Subject: Lighthouse keeper with a lantern on spiral iron stairs
Camera: Slow tracking shot, following him upward, one continuous move
Motion: Climbs, pauses at a window to look at the storm, climbs on
Light: Warm lantern glow, cold blue storm light from the windows
Style: 35mm film, soft grain
Sound: Wind, boots on iron steps, distant thunder

Rewritten for Seedance

Shot 1 (0–3s): slow tracking shot following a lighthouse keeper up spiral iron stairs at dusk, lantern in hand, warm lantern glow against cold blue storm light. Shot 2 (3–5s): medium shot, camera holds as he pauses at a small window and looks out at the storm, then turns to keep climbing. Style: 35mm film look, soft grain, warm and cool contrast.

Written for Seedance, not generated. Seedance on VideoCreate renders silent clips, so the sound line is left out; keep it for a model that generates audio.

Next steps

Compare Sora alternatives that still work Turn an existing clip into a prompt See tested Seedance prompts

Questions

When did Sora shut down?

The Sora web and app experience closed on April 26, 2026. The Sora 2 API and the Videos API were removed on September 24, 2026.

Can I still use the Sora 2 API?

No. OpenAI’s model page says the Sora 2 models and the Videos API “were shut down on September 24, 2026 and are no longer available”.

Did OpenAI name a replacement for Sora?

No. The API deprecation notice lists no replacement. Other companies’ video models are alternatives, not official successors.

How do I export my Sora videos?

OpenAI’s help center points to sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, where you request an export and get an email when it is ready. We could not confirm a published deadline, so export as soon as you can.

Can I reuse my Sora prompts?

Yes, the ideas carry over. Split each prompt into subject, camera, motion, light, style and sound, then rewrite it in the format the new model expects. Our Video→Prompt tool does this from a clip.