End of the First Era: OpenAI Forcibly Shuts Down Sora 1

On March 13, 2026, OpenAI officially announced the end of life (sunset) for its first video generation model. Access to Sora 1 in the US is completely terminating, and users are being obligatorily migrated to Sora 2.

From an infrastructure perspective, this is a logical step. Supporting legacy generative models burns valuable GPU quotas in data centers. The Sora 2 architecture works more efficiently with tensor cores, consumes less power during rendering, and generates fewer artifacts. Users are given a window to export their old projects. OpenAI demonstrates a strict approach to its ecosystem: the company will not squander resources on backward compatibility if it hinders the implementation of new, more efficient pipelines.

Source: OpenAI Help Center