> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.laozhang.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 2026 Announcement Archive

> Complete 2026 LaoZhang API history for model launches, pricing, route status, and service updates.

## 📅 July 2026

### 🎨 gpt-image-2-vip Size and Quality Parameters Restored

**July 9, 2026**

<Card>
  **gpt-image-2-vip parameter capability restored**

  * Latest channel verification confirms that default-group `gpt-image-2-vip` has restored `size` and `quality` support

  * `size` can now be used for common 1K / 2K / 4K outputs; `1024x1024`, `2048x2048`, and `3840x2160` were verified to return the requested dimensions

  * `quality` currently supports `low`, `medium`, and `high`; higher quality usually increases wait time and output token usage

  * Do not mix token types: default-group `gpt-image-2-vip` uses a **per-call token**; `Sora2Official` / `GPTImage2 Enterprise` use **usage-billed tokens**, and the request body still uses `model="gpt-image-2"`

  * The response remains Images API-compatible and returns `data[0].b64_json` by default

  * The `gpt-image-2-vip` model name and **\$0.03/call** per-request billing remain unchanged

  * The June 23, 2026 notice that `size` was unavailable again is superseded by this announcement

  * 📝 **Developer documentation**:
    * [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2)

  <Info>
    When you need per-call billing plus 1K / 2K / 4K size control, create a default-group per-call token and use `model="gpt-image-2-vip"`. When you need usage-based billing by official input / output tokens, pure official-key routing, or stricter official parameter compatibility, create a `Sora2Official` or `GPTImage2 Enterprise` usage-billed token and use `model="gpt-image-2"`.
  </Info>
</Card>

### 🍌 Nano Banana 2 Lite is live with \$0.025/call per-request billing

**July 1, 2026**

<Card>
  **Nano Banana 2 Lite is now available on LaoZhang API**

  * 🆕 **New model**: `gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image` (Nano Banana 2 Lite / Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image)

  * ⚡ **Positioning**: Google's lightweight image model released on June 30, built for about 4-second generation, faster throughput than Nano Banana 2, and low-cost 1K image workflows

  * 📐 **Capability scope**: Supports 1K output and 14 common aspect ratios, suitable for drafts, batch assets, quick previews, and low-cost iteration

  * 💵 **Billing**: LaoZhang API currently offers **per-request billing only** at **\$0.025/call**; actual charges are shown in console call logs

  * 📣 **Launch price**: The initial price is temporary. Any later change will be announced separately

  * 📝 **Integration reference**:
    * [Nano Banana Pro Image Generation](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-pro-image)
    * [Nano Banana Pro Image Editing](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-pro-image-edit)

  <Info>
    `Nano Banana 2 Lite` and `Nano Banana 2` are two different models. Lite uses `gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image` and follows the same request patterns as Nano Banana Pro, so integration only requires replacing the model name with `gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image`. Lite is optimized for fast 1K lightweight generation. For 2K / 4K output, high-resolution final assets, or more complex image work, continue using `gemini-3.1-flash-image` (Nano Banana 2) or `gemini-3-pro-image` (Nano Banana Pro).
  </Info>
</Card>

### 💻 Claude Sonnet 5 is live with official-aligned pricing

**July 1, 2026**

<Card>
  **Claude Sonnet 5 is now available on LaoZhang API**

  * 🆕 **New model**: `claude-sonnet-5`

  * 🧠 **Positioning**: Anthropic's next-generation Sonnet model released on June 30, described as its most agentic Sonnet yet, suitable for coding agents, tool use, long-running tasks, and complex automation

  * 📊 **Official benchmarks**: SWE-bench Verified **85.2%** and Terminal-Bench 2.1 **80.4%**, approaching flagship Opus 4.8 capability

  * 💵 **Pricing**: LaoZhang API pricing is aligned with Anthropic official pricing. Introductory pricing is **\$2 / \$10 per 1M input / output tokens** through **August 31, 2026**, then **\$3 / \$15 per 1M input / output tokens**

  * 🛡️ **Route note**: Currently served through pure AWS Claude official-forward resources with high cache-hit availability, suitable for Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, OpenClaw, and other developer tools

  * 📝 **Integration reference**:
    * [Claude API Documentation](/en/api-reference/claude)
    * [Claude Code Setup Guide](/en/scenarios/programming/claude-code)

  <Info>
    The introductory price follows Anthropic's official time window: \$2/\$10 per million tokens through August 31, 2026, then \$3/\$15 per million tokens. Actual billing is shown in the console model price and call logs.
  </Info>
</Card>

## 📅 June 2026

### ⚠️ gpt-image-2-vip size is unavailable again; output is temporarily limited to 1K (Historical Notice)

**June 23, 2026**

<Card>
  **Temporary gpt-image-2-vip size parameter update (historical state)**

  <Warning>
    This notice is historical and is superseded by the July 9, 2026 restoration notice. `gpt-image-2-vip` currently supports `size` and `quality` again.
  </Warning>

  * Based on customer reports, live testing, and code-level review this morning, default-group `gpt-image-2-vip` lost the restored `size` behavior again after another upstream rule change

  * At that time, `gpt-image-2-vip` generated 1K images normally, but submitted `size` values were silently ignored, so 2K / 4K could not be selected through this route

  * The `gpt-image-2-vip` model name and **\$0.03/call** per-request billing remain unchanged

  * At that time, 2K / 4K or precise size control required switching to official-forward `gpt-image-2` under the `Sora2Official` or `GPTImage2 Enterprise` group

  * Official-forward `gpt-image-2` supports 4K / 2K and precise `size` control; it is billed by official input / output tokens, not by default-group per-call pricing

  * The June 18, 2026 restoration notice is superseded by this announcement

  * 📝 **Developer documentation**:
    * [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2)

  <Info>
    For the latest state, see the July 9, 2026 announcement and the [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2) documentation.
  </Info>
</Card>

### 🎨 gpt-image-2-vip Size and Quality Parameters Restored (Historical Notice)

**June 18, 2026**

<Card>
  **Historical gpt-image-2-vip parameter capability update**

  <Warning>
    This announcement is historical. `gpt-image-2-vip` lost `size` support again on June 23, 2026, and later restored `size` and `quality` support on July 9, 2026.
  </Warning>

  * This entry describes the short-lived restoration state on June 18, 2026; use the July 9, 2026 announcement for the latest restored state

  * At that time, default-group `gpt-image-2-vip` temporarily restored `size` support

  * Common explicit 1K, 2K, and 4K pixel sizes were supported, including `1024x1024`, `1536x1024`, `2048x2048`, `2048x1152`, `3840x2160`, and `2160x3840`

  * The `gpt-image-2-vip` model name and **\$0.03/call** per-request billing remain unchanged

  * For current 2K / 4K or precise `size` control, use default-group `gpt-image-2-vip` or official-forward `gpt-image-2`

  * 📝 **Developer documentation**:
    * [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2)

  <Info>
    Default-group `gpt-image-2-vip` currently supports `size` / `quality` again. Use `gpt-image-2` under the `Sora2Official` / `GPTImage2 Enterprise` groups when you need pure official-key routing or stricter official parameter compatibility.
  </Info>
</Card>

### ⚠️ sora-2 and sora-2-pro Official-Forward Models Will Be Retired on July 1

**June 17, 2026**

<Card>
  **Sora 2 official-forward route retirement notice**

  * Due to upstream OpenAI compute allocation changes, the `sora-2` and `sora-2-pro` official-forward routes have recently experienced severe timeout issues and no longer meet production stability expectations

  * LaoZhang API will stop maintaining and retire the `sora-2` / `sora-2-pro` official-forward models on **July 1, 2026**

  * Although the official retirement timeline may point to September 2026, these routes are already frequently unstable, so we do not recommend new integrations or production workloads

  * Existing users should migrate as early as possible; currently recommended alternatives are `wan-2.7` and `SeeDance2` / Seedance 2.0

  * 📝 **Migration reference**:
    * [Seedance 2.0 Video Generation API](/en/api-capabilities/seedance2-video-generation)

  <Warning>
    After July 1, `sora-2` and `sora-2-pro` official-forward routes will no longer be maintained as stable entry points. Move production jobs ahead of time to avoid timeout or task failure impact.
  </Warning>
</Card>

### ⚠️ gpt-image-2-vip Size Parameter No Longer Supported (Historical Notice)

**June 16, 2026**

<Card>
  **gpt-image-2-vip parameter support update**

  <Info>
    This is a historical notice. `gpt-image-2-vip` briefly restored `size` on June 18, 2026, lost it again on June 23, and restored `size` plus `quality` support on July 9, 2026.
  </Info>

  * This entry describes the temporary parameter adjustment on June 16, 2026

  * The `gpt-image-2-vip` model name and **\$0.03/call** per-request billing remain unchanged

  * State at that time: default-group `gpt-image-2-vip` lost `size` support again; submitted `size` was silently ignored, and 2K / 4K could not be selected

  * Default-group `gpt-image-2` still does not support `size` / `quality`

  * Use `gpt-image-2` under the `Sora2Official` or `GPTImage2 Enterprise` group when you need full official Images API parameter compatibility

  * 📝 **Developer documentation**:
    * [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2)

  <Warning>
    This section is historical. For current behavior, use the June 23, 2026 announcement and the [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2) documentation.
  </Warning>
</Card>

## 📅 May 2026

### 🎬 Veo 3.1 Official API Forwarding Is Live With Low Unified 4K Pricing

**May 21, 2026**

<Card>
  **Veo 3.1 official-forward route update**

  * 🚀 **New models**:
    * `veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview`
    * `veo-3.1-generate-preview`

  * 💵 **Pay-per-request billing**:
    * `veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview`: `$0.3/call`
    * `veo-3.1-generate-preview`: `$1.2/call`
    * Set Billing mode to `Pay-per-request` when creating the token
    * Supported combinations use one unified price with no resolution surcharge; use `8` seconds for production integrations, and `1080p` / `4K` require `8` seconds

  * 📉 **4K pricing advantage**:
    * Based on Google's 8-second 4K official price, Fast goes from about `$2.40` to `$0.3/call`
    * Standard goes from about `$4.80` to `$1.2/call`
    * 4K requests use unified pricing; verify final resolution from the downloaded MP4 metadata

  * 📝 **Developer documentation**:
    * [Veo 3.1 Official API Forwarding](/en/api-capabilities/veo/official-forward)

  <Info>
    The new route uses the same OpenAI Videos API style as Sora2 official forwarding: `POST /v1/videos` to create a task, `GET /v1/videos/{id}` to poll status, and `GET /v1/videos/{id}/content` to download MP4 bytes. The legacy-route incident notice still applies to old model names such as `veo-3.1`, `veo-3.1-fast`, and `veo-3.1-fl`; use the official-forward model names above for new integrations.
  </Info>
</Card>

### ⚠️ Veo-3.1 Legacy Route Temporarily Unavailable

**May 14, 2026**

<Card>
  **Veo-3.1 route incident notice**

  * The `veo-3.1` series legacy route began experiencing failures on May 14, 2026
  * The legacy route is temporarily unavailable; pause new calls and production integrations for now
  * Existing users should follow later announcements; recovery timing will be announced on this page and in the console

  <Warning>
    During this incident, do not use `veo-3.1`, `veo-3.1-fast`, `veo-3.1-fl`, or other Veo-3.1 legacy-route variants for production workloads.
  </Warning>
</Card>

### 🛡️ GPTImage2 Enterprise Pure Official-Key Group Is Live

**May 13, 2026**

<Card>
  **GPT Image 2 official-compatible group update**

  * New `GPTImage2 Enterprise` group: pure official-key routing with enterprise concurrency support
  * Billing is official pricing +20% to cover tax and operating cost, not profit markup
  * `Sora2Official` remains available as a mixed AZ + official-key transit group
  * Both official-compatible groups use `model="gpt-image-2"` with Images Generations and Images Edits

  <Info>
    For quick testing or default-group routes, you can keep using default-group `gpt-image-2` / `gpt-image-2-vip`. For official parameter compatibility and higher stability, choose `GPTImage2 Enterprise`.
  </Info>
</Card>

### 🎨 gpt-image-2-vip Size Parameter Historical Notice

**May 1, 2026**

<Card>
  **gpt-image-2-vip size capability update**

  <Warning>
    This announcement preserves the historical state from May 1, 2026. `gpt-image-2-vip` stopped supporting `size` on June 16, briefly restored it on June 18, lost it again on June 23, and restored `size` plus `quality` support on July 9.
  </Warning>

  * ✅ **Parameter update**:
    * ~~`gpt-image-2-vip` now supports 1K, 2K, and 4K `size` tiers~~
    * ~~30 explicit pixel sizes are supported across square, portrait, landscape, widescreen, and ultrawide ratios~~
    * ~~Pass an explicit pixel value such as `2048x2048`, `3840x2160`, or `2160x3840`~~
    * Latest status: `gpt-image-2-vip` supports `size` and `quality` again

  * 🧩 **Integration notes**:
    * ~~`gpt-image-2-vip` supports `size`~~
    * `gpt-image-2-vip` currently supports common 1K / 2K / 4K sizes again
    * Use `gpt-image-2` under the `Sora2Official` mixed AZ + official-key group, or use the `GPTImage2 Enterprise` pure official-key group when you need pure official-key routing or stricter official parameter compatibility

  * 📝 **Developer documentation**:
    * [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2)

  <Info>
    This historical announcement records the `gpt-image-2-vip` size-parameter capability update at that time. It does not change the April 22 announcement for the initial GPT-Image-2 default-group route launch.
  </Info>
</Card>

## 📅 April 2026

### 🎨 GPT-Image-2 Default-Group Routes Updated; sora\_image Official Route Offline

**April 22, 2026**

<Card>
  **Image generation route update**

  * 🚀 **New routes**:
    * `gpt-image-2` default standard route is now available for text-to-image and image-to-image workflows
    * `gpt-image-2-vip` is available; as of July 9, 2026, it supports `size` and `quality` again

  * ⚠️ **Route change**:
    * The `sora_image` official route is now offline
    * New image generation integrations should use `gpt-image-2` or `gpt-image-2-vip`
    * Existing `sora_image` calls should migrate model and endpoint configuration as soon as possible

  * 💵 **Pricing**:
    * `gpt-image-2` is billed per request at `$0.03/call`
    * `gpt-image-2-vip` is also billed per request at `$0.03/call`
    * You can test the model online at [yingtu.ai](https://yingtu.ai) before integrating the API

  * 📝 **Developer documentation**:
    * [GPT Image 2 API](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2)

  <Info>
    Default-group routes use Images Generations and Images Edits. Use `gpt-image-2` or `gpt-image-2-vip` for basic text-to-image. For 2K / 4K, precise `size`, or full official parameter compatibility, use `gpt-image-2` under the `Sora2Official` mixed AZ + official-key group, and choose `GPTImage2 Enterprise` when you want the pure official-key route.
  </Info>
</Card>

### 🧠 Claude Opus 4.7 / Thinking Now Available

**April 17, 2026**

<Card>
  **Claude Opus 4.7 is now available on LaoZhang API**

  * 🚀 **New Models**: `claude-opus-4-7` / `claude-opus-4-7-thinking`

  * 🌟 **Launch Details**:
    * Standard and Thinking variants are now available
    * Works directly through the OpenAI-compatible API by switching the model name
    * Suitable for complex reasoning, coding agents, and long-context tasks

  * 📝 **Documentation Sync**:
    * Announcement page has been updated
    * Related recommendation pages will be updated to the latest model version gradually

  <Info>
    To try the latest Claude high-end model, switch the `model` field in your existing code or dashboard configuration to either of the model names above.
  </Info>
</Card>

### 💰 Nano Banana Pricing Update Notice

**April 13, 2026**

<Card>
  **New pricing is now live for Nano Banana Pro and Nano Banana2**

  * 🎯 **Affected models**:
    * `gemini-3-pro-image-preview` (Nano Banana Pro)
    * `gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview` (Nano Banana2)

  * 💵 **Price changes**:
    * Nano Banana Pro: `$0.05/request → $0.09/request`
    * Nano Banana2: `$0.045/request → $0.055/request`

  * 📝 **What was updated**:
    * Documentation and pricing pages have been synced
    * Comparison pages, FAQs, and recommendations now reflect the new pricing
    * Actual charges are shown in the console call logs

  <Info>
    This update is effective immediately. For bulk purchasing or stable large-scale usage, contact Telegram [@laozhang\_cn](https://t.me/laozhang_cn).
  </Info>
</Card>

## 📅 January 2026

### 📚 Documentation Update for 2026

**January 7, 2026**

<Card>
  **Documentation Optimization - 2026 New Year Update**

  * 📅 **Year Updates**: All model recommendation pages updated to 2026
  * 🔄 **Model Reference Updates**: Default models in code examples updated to latest recommendations
  * ⚠️ **Retirement Notice**: Claude 3 Opus officially retired on January 5, 2026
  * 📝 **Config Updates**: Claude Code configuration method updated to settings.json

  <Info>
    New year, new beginnings! LaoZhang API continues to provide you with the best AI services!
  </Info>
</Card>

***

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