OpenAI said to be grayscale-testing GPT-6.2 Astra in Codex

On November 3, 2026, IT Home reported, citing the tech outlet TestingCatalog, that OpenAI's next-generation model GPT-6.2 Astra may have entered limited testing, after some Codex users spotted a standalone model identifier, gpt-6.2-astra, in their usage statistics. According to TestingCatalog's earlier report on November 2, multiple Codex users found the new identifier on their usage analytics pages. Screenshots shared by different users show GPT-6.2 Astra already accounting for part of the model call volume on some accounts, with IT Home noting that one account's share reached 19.8%, based on records that mainly appeared in usage statistics from October 31. TestingCatalog suggested these records could mean OpenAI is running a limited rollout or an A/B test, in which requests from some users are routed to the new model in the background while the existing interface name is kept unchanged. As of the report, OpenAI's official API model catalog, changelog, and public announcements had not confirmed the model, and OpenAI had not confirmed a release timeline, leaving the situation at the stage of an alleged limited test. For background, IT Home noted that OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra on September 3, 2026, and that GPT-6 Astra scored 57.9% on Terminal-Bench 4.0.