OpenAI Will Shut Off GPT-4o and GPT-4.1 in the API on January 14, 2027, and Points Developers to GPT-6 Luna
OpenAI's API deprecations page says developers using certain GPT-4 series models were notified on Oct. 14 that GPT-4o, GPT-4o mini, GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 mini will be removed from the API on January 14, 2027, with gpt-6-luna as the recommended replacement. Fine-tuned versions follow the same schedule. This is an API change; the models already left ChatGPT in February.
OpenAI has set an end date for GPT-4o and GPT-4.1 in its API. OpenAI's deprecations page says that on October 14, 2026, it notified developers using certain GPT-4 series models that they are deprecated and will be removed from the API on January 14, 2027. For every affected model, the recommended replacement is gpt-6-luna.
Which models are affected
OpenAI lists these snapshots, all with a January 14, 2027 shutdown date:
| Model | Snapshots | Recommended replacement |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o | gpt-4o-2024-08-06, gpt-4o-2024-11-20 |
gpt-6-luna |
| GPT-4o mini | gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18 |
gpt-6-luna |
| GPT-4.1 | gpt-4.1-2025-04-14 |
gpt-6-luna |
| GPT-4.1 mini | gpt-4.1-mini-2025-04-14 |
gpt-6-luna |
Fine-tuned versions of these models follow the same shutdown schedule as their base models, according to the page. OpenAI's self-serve fine-tuning notes on the same page say inference on fine-tuned models is disabled only when the underlying base model is deprecated.
OpenAI says that at shutdown a model is no longer accessible. Developers can track dates programmatically through the shutdown_date field returned by the List models and Retrieve a model endpoints. In some cases developers may be able to provision dedicated capacity for continued access after a shutdown date by contacting OpenAI's sales team.
Notice period
The shutdown falls three months after the notice. OpenAI's stated minimum notice is at least six months for generally available models and at least three months for specialized variants, unless safety or compliance concerns require a faster timeline. The October 14 entry does not say which category OpenAI applied to these models.
API, not ChatGPT
This is separate from the ChatGPT retirement OpenAI announced on January 29. That change removed GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini and o4-mini from ChatGPT on February 13, 2026, and OpenAI said then that there were no changes in the API.
The replacement, GPT-6 Luna, is available in the API as gpt-6-luna at $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.50 per million output tokens, according to OpenAI's launch post.
Limits
- The deprecations page is the only primary source. The developer emails OpenAI says it sent were not reviewed.
- Dedicated capacity after shutdown is described by OpenAI as possible "in some cases" through sales, not guaranteed.
Sources
- OpenAI Developers: Deprecations — 2026-10-14: GPT-4 series model deprecations (October 14, 2026)
- OpenAI: Retiring GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini in ChatGPT (January 29, 2026)
- OpenAI: Introducing GPT-6 Sol and Luna (September 22, 2026)
- Times of AI: GPT-4o leaves ChatGPT (January 29, 2026)
- Times of AI: GPT-6 Sol and Luna (September 22, 2026)