"6.5" and a countdown in a site's source code

A rumor that OpenAI would release its next model, "GPT-6.5," on Nov. 1 spread on X on Oct. 20 (the same day Japan time). @kimmonismus, an account that posts about AI topics, said the text "6.5" was hidden in the source code of "opensi," seen as a new OpenAI website, along with a countdown to 10 a.m. Nov. 1 (San Francisco time). The account added that the date coincided with the last day of the 28 days of daily improvements that Thibault Sottiaux, who leads Codex at OpenAI, had been running since Oct. 5, suggesting it could be the finale.

@kimmonismus · October 20, 2026

Sottiaux had posted on X the previous day, Oct. 19, that he was very excited about a new, unnamed domain, which fueled the rumor.

Denied as a "fake site," registered as a parody in September

@Haleeeemahh, an account that tracks new-model information, denied the rumor the same day, saying the screenshots it was based on came from a fake site.

@Haleeeemahh · October 20, 2026

According to U.S.-based TeamoRouter, an AI model routing service, the domain was registered on Sept. 22, and records from the next day, Sept. 23, showed it offered for sale as an "independent parody." When the company examined the site on Oct. 21, it contained only a single video, and the text "6.5" was not found in the source code. Whether OpenAI is involved with the site has not been confirmed.

No new model by the Nov. 1 deadline

Even after the countdown ended at 10 a.m. Nov. 1 (San Francisco time), the site showed only the same video, and no new content appeared. OpenAI has announced nothing, and GPT-6.5 does not appear in the company's list of models. In early September as well, a different analyst had cited a "GPT-6.5" development name, then retracted it within a day.

Since September, OpenAI has released, in succession, its top-tier "GPT-6 Astra" (Sept. 3), "GPT-6.1 Sol" for everyday work (Sept. 29), and the low-cost "GPT-6.1 Terra" (Oct. 26). On Nov. 1, there were reports that "GPT-6.2 Astra," the next version of its top model, had appeared in some users' Codex usage logs.

Timeline of the rumor of GPT-6.5 launching Nov. 1. Based on TeamoRouter's verification. Dates are U.S. time
  1. opensi domain registered; next day's records show an "independent parody"Official
  2. Sottiaux posts that he is "excited" about a new domainOfficial
  3. Screenshots of "6.5" and a countdown spreadRumor
  4. @Haleeeemahh denies it, saying it came from a fake siteRumor
  5. Countdown ends with no announcementOfficial