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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesOpenAI discontinued Sora’s web and app experiences on April 26, 2026, and its API on September 24, 2026. The Disney character license announced for Sora cannot proceed as originally described, but the public statements available do not establish whether every other part of the proposed Disney–OpenAI relationship—including a planned investment—was canceled or completed.
When did OpenAI shut down Sora?
OpenAI’s Help Center lists two separate end dates: the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API on September 24, 2026. Both dates have passed as of October 8, 2026. See OpenAI’s Sora discontinuation guidance.
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| Sora service | Discontinuation date |
|---|---|
| Web and app experiences | April 26, 2026 (OpenAI Help Center) |
| API | September 24, 2026 (OpenAI Help Center) |
What should former Sora users do with their videos and data?
OpenAI directs users to sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and its Export control. OpenAI says it will email users when an export is ready and recommends exporting as soon as possible. Its guidance says Sora-associated data will be permanently deleted after any final export window, if one is offered, has passed. The support page does not give a firm date for that window or deletion.
- Open sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and use the Export control.
- Watch for OpenAI’s email confirming the export is ready.
- For a refund question, follow OpenAI’s ChatGPT subscription refund guidance. OpenAI also says purchased ChatGPT/Sora credits can still be used for Codex.
What was included in the Disney–OpenAI announcement?
OpenAI announced the proposed arrangement on December 11, 2025. The Sora-centered element was a three-year license for users to generate short, prompt-based social videos featuring more than 200 animated, masked, and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, along with related costumes, props, vehicles, and settings. The announcement excluded talent likenesses and voices. It also described plans for a selection of Sora-generated videos to appear on Disney+.
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The announcement covered more than the Sora license. Disney was also to use OpenAI APIs for products and experiences, including Disney+, and deploy ChatGPT for employees. OpenAI described a planned $1 billion equity investment by Disney, plus additional warrants. These were announced terms, not proof that the investment was paid or every component took effect.
OpenAI said the arrangement remained subject to definitive agreements, corporate and board approvals, and customary closing conditions. Accordingly, the December announcement described an intended package whose components should not be treated as a completed transaction solely on the basis of that announcement. Read OpenAI’s December 11 announcement.
Does Sora’s shutdown mean the Disney deal is dead?
The Sora-dependent character license cannot proceed as originally described now that OpenAI has ended Sora. But “the Disney deal is dead” is broader than the public record supports. The December announcement also included planned API, ChatGPT, and investment components, and the available public statements do not specify the formal disposition of each one.
In March 2026, Disney said it respected OpenAI’s decision to exit video generation, appreciated the collaboration, and would continue engaging with AI platforms that respect intellectual property and creators. That confirms Disney’s public response to the video-business exit; it does not say whether the investment or other non-Sora arrangements closed, were canceled, or changed. The Associated Press reported the statement and the shutdown announcement here.
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What led to the shutdown?
OpenAI’s public notice establishes the discontinuation dates but does not give a definitive cause. The Associated Press reported concerns about nonconsensual images and realistic deepfakes, as well as objections from family estates and an actors’ union after videos depicting public figures circulated. That reporting provides context, not proof that any one concern caused OpenAI’s decision.
Before the shutdown, OpenAI described Sora’s safety approach as including visible and invisible provenance signals such as C2PA metadata, consent controls for user-created characters, teen protections, prompt and output filtering, speech-transcript scanning, safeguards against imitating living artists or existing works in music, and tools to report, block, or delete content. These were OpenAI’s descriptions of its product design, not independent audit findings. Its September 30, 2025 safety article now notes that Sora became unavailable on April 26, 2026.
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