It’s Saturday morning, January 31, 2026, and if you’ve been clinging to GPT-4o like a favorite old sweater, it’s time to start saying your goodbyes. OpenAI officially announced yesterday that the “legacy era” is ending on February 13.
The thing is, they’ve already moved on to the GPT-5.2 era, and apparently, only 0.1% of us are still clicking that “older model” button. Or nothing.
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The Great Model Purge: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where OpenAI is consolidating its power into the newer, “PhD-level” models. Here’s the ground reality of what’s going dark:
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The Hit List: On Feb 13, access is being cut for GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini. Even the original GPT-5 (Instant and Thinking) from last August is getting the axe. Those too.
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The “Warmth” Factor: Let’s be real—the only reason anyone was still using 4o was because it felt more “human.” When GPT-5 first launched in August 2025, people hated how cold it was. OpenAI actually had to bring 4o back after a massive backlash. And here’s the kicker—they claim GPT-5.2 now has a “personality slider” to fix that.
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The 18+ Mode: For the first time, OpenAI is officially talking about an “Adult Mode” (expected Q1 2026). They’re using new AI age-prediction tech to treat “adults like adults.” It’s an ongoing situation aimed at reducing those “preachy” refusals that drive power users crazy.
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Developer Safety: If you’re building an app, don’t panic yet. These models are only leaving the ChatGPT interface. They’ll stay alive in the API for now. Or nothing.
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ChatGPT’s “Legacy” Retirement Plan
| Model | Status | Deadline | The Replacement |
| GPT-4o | Deprecating | Feb 13, 2026 | GPT-5.2 Instant (with Warmth setting) |
| GPT-4.1 | Deprecating | Feb 13, 2026 | GPT-5.2 Thinking |
| o4-mini | Deprecating | Feb 13, 2026 | GPT-5 mini |
| GPT-5 (Original) | Deprecating | Feb 13, 2026 | GPT-5.2 Series |
And Here’s the Kicker…
When the clock strikes midnight on February 13, your old 4o threads won’t disappear, but they will be automatically routed to GPT-5.2. The thing is, if you’ve built a specific “vibe” or custom character in 4o, it might sound a little different come Valentine’s Day. Those too.
One side comment—OpenAI is doing this now because they’re prepping for the H2 2026 IPO. They need to show they can run a lean, efficient platform without supporting ten different versions of the same brain. It’s an ongoing situation. Or nothing.
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End…
