When Codex Spark is announced retiring
what to put in model
On 2026-09-11 a Codex SKU said to be “retiring next week” in a product post is not the same as a shutdown date on the deprecations page. Open the official table first, then point Codex at gpt-5.6-sol or gpt-6-astra — both have real QCode usage. gpt-5.3-codex-spark is 0 on that table, so this page does not claim the id is on sale.
Updated 2026-09-11
Four facts
Product-side “retiring next week”
On 2026-09-11 outlets quoted OpenAI’s Codex lead: Next week we’ll be retiring GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark. That is a product notice, not a shutdown cell on the deprecations table.
No Spark row the same day
The 2026-09-11 fetch of the official deprecations page lists 2026-09-28 gpt-3.5-turbo-instruct and friends. It does not list gpt-5.3-codex-spark. Post and table are different files.
Daily coding ids are still in sale
gpt-5.6-sol and gpt-6-astra are > 0 in usage. If Spark vanishes from the Codex UI, those text APIs are not Spark.
No Spark row on QCode
gpt-5.3-codex-spark usage is 0. Troubleshooting, not “already available on QCode”.
How to handle this class of retirement
When a named coding-agent SKU is announced retiring, the order stays: check the official deprecations table for a shutdown date and a recommended replacement; grep your Codex / CI configs for the id; then switch to a text workhorse that still returns 200. Do not wait for the UI error. QCode can run Sol / Astra on one key. It cannot keep selling Spark.
What 2026-09-11 repeated, and what the table had
On 2026-09-11 press quoted the Codex lead: retiring GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark next week because usage declined and better models exist. The same day’s deprecations page had no such row; it did list 2026-09-28 gpt-3.5-turbo-instruct → gpt-5.6-terra. Writing “Spark is already on the deprecations table” would contradict that fetch.
Timeline
2026-02-12 an OpenAI product post introduced GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark as a low-latency Codex research preview. That is a launch narrative, not today’s shutdown date.
2026-09-11 product-side retiring-next-week notice. The deprecations table that day did not list the id.
2026-09-11 CRS: no gpt-5.3-codex-spark. gpt-5.6-sol and gpt-6-astra are present. Replacement candidates follow usage, not the adjective “better models” in a social post.
Confirmed versus not on the table
What you can verify
On 2026-09-11 the deprecations page had no gpt-5.3-codex-spark row; it did have 2026-09-28 gpt-3.5-turbo-instruct → gpt-5.6-terra. Press quoted “retiring next week” for Spark. QCode usage for that id is 0.
Rumors and unpublished cells
Exact shutdown day, whether Codex UI and API die together, and the official replacement id are not on the table yet. Reading “better models” as Astra or Sol is a guess. Unconfirmed: whether Spark leaves only ChatGPT Pro’s Codex, or partner API access too. 2026-09-11
Two paths
Wait for a dated deprecations row
Fits if you can absorb a sudden 404. Reload deprecations daily. Not for production CI.
Change model now
Fits production. Point Codex CLI at gpt-5.6-sol for a pathfinder, then gpt-6-astra for heavier turns. Official Sol is $4 / $20 (promo through at least 2026-11-21).
Three steps when you are stuck
First: open developers.openai.com / api/docs/deprecations and search spark. No row means you do not have a shutdown date yet. Second: grep the repo for gpt-5.3-codex-spark and Codex Spark. Third: set Codex CLI model to gpt-5.6-sol and send one tiny request.
What to do on QCode
No Spark claim. Copy the dashboard key. Codex CLI: OpenAI-compatible base URL https://api.qcode.cc , model=gpt-5.6-sol (official $4 / $20, promo through at least 2026-11-21). Claude Code: ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = https://api.qcode.cc and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN the same key. Next step: non-streaming tiny request, HTTP 200, matching model id.
FAQ
Is Spark already off?
On 2026-09-11 the deprecations table had no shutdown date. Product-side said retiring next week. Trust the table; treat the post as a warning.
Can QCode still call Spark?
Usage is 0. We do not claim it. “Already available” would be false.
What is the official replacement?
The deprecations table has no Spark replacement column yet. This page uses gpt-5.6-sol / gpt-6-astra because they have usage, not because press said “better models”.
Is this the same as the 3.5-turbo-instruct sunset?
No. Instruct has 2026-09-28 and a terra replacement on the table. Spark does not.
Should I buy ChatGPT Pro to keep Spark?
No. New Pro $200 purchases are paused, and QCode does not sell subscriptions. Change model.
How do I change Codex CLI?
Stop depending on the Spark display name. Base URL https://api.qcode.cc , model gpt-5.6-sol or gpt-6-astra.
Sources
No Spark row; 2026-09-28 instruct→terra: developers.openai.com/api/docs/deprecations (2026-09-11). “Retiring next week” is 2026-09-11 press quoting the Codex lead — not the deprecations table. Sol $4 / $20: official pricing page, through at least 2026-11-21.
Do not wait for Spark’s 404 — change model
One key for gpt-5.6-sol and gpt-6-astra. No Spark, no subscriptions. From ¥60/month.
Related
OpenAI legacy ids shutting this fall
Dated rows already on the deprecations table — not the same list as Spark.
Sol versus Sonnet 5
Daily workhorses after Spark.
OpenAI API outage checklist
A retirement error is not a transient 5xx.
Triage, not a deprecations entry. Product posts are not the table. No Spark-in-sale claim. Deprecations and /models win.