Anthropic just released Claude Opus 4.6, and it's setting a new standard for what AI can do in production environments.
This isn't just an incremental update. Opus 4.6 represents Anthropic's most significant leap in agentic capabilities to date---and* it's already live in Kilo for all users*. You can even use your Kilo Pass credits to take advantage of the new Opus at a discount.
The industry is continuing to accelerate. This new release comes mere months since the last big one from Anthropic.
Here's a timeline of how their releases have accelerated:
February 2025: Release of Claude 3.7 Sonnet, a hybrid reasoning model focusing on improved coding and planning
May 2025: Official launch of the Claude 4 generation, specifically Claude Opus 4 (flagship) and Claude Sonnet 4
August 2025: Release of Claude Opus 4.1, another step forward for large tasks
September 2025: Release of Claude Sonnet 4.5, marketed for advanced agentic workflows and computer use -- quickly becomes a go-to model for everyday coding in Kilo
October 2025: Release of Claude Haiku 4.5, offering high-speed, cost-efficient, near-frontier performance
November 2025: Release of Claude Opus 4.5, featuring enhanced capabilities in coding, "computer use" (direct interface control), and long-running tasks -- quickly rises to the top for overall capabilities
February 5th, 2026: Opus 4.6 is released and immediately available in Kilo Code
The Model Everyone Compares Against
There's a reason every new model launch includes a comparison to Opus. It's so powerful that it has essentially become its own benchmark.
Whether it's from an open-weight lab like DeepSeek or a big 5 player like OpenAI, the question is always the same: "How does it compare to Opus?"
With a 1M context window (currently in beta release), and scoring 65.4% on Terminal Bench 2 for agentic coding and 72.7% on OSWorld for computer use, Opus 4.6 raises that bar yet again.
In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing our reports on how the model performs across different modes and tasks in Kilo, but some things are already clear.
From Extended to Adaptive Thinking
One of the most significant architectural changes in 4.6 is the shift from "extended thinking" to "adaptive thinking." Rather than applying a fixed reasoning budget to every task, Opus 4.6 now dynamically allocates cognitive effort based on problem complexity.
Simple queries get fast, efficient responses. Complex, multi-step problems trigger deeper reasoning chains. The model decides how much thinking is warranted---and invests accordingly. This makes it ideally suited to core Kilo use cases across the CLI, VS Code IDE and Cloud Agents.
This isn't just a performance optimization. It's a fundamental shift in how reasoning models approach problems, making Opus 4.6 more efficient on routine tasks while delivering even stronger performance on the hardest challenges.
Built for the Entire SDLC
Opus 4.6 isn't just good at coding---it's the world's best model for professional software development work. Anthropic designed it to excel across the full software development lifecycle:
Deeper codebase understanding. The new Opus grasps architectural patterns, dependencies, and implicit conventions that other models miss. This means fewer hallucinations, better suggestions, and code that actually fits your project. Perfect fit for everything you want to do in the new Kilo CLI.
Breaking through on hard problems. The challenges that stall other models---complex refactorings, performance optimizations, intricate bug hunts---are where Opus 4.6 shines. It doesn't give up. It thinks harder. It goes the distance for you.
Identifying complex bugs. Not just syntax errors or obvious logic flaws. Opus 4.6 catches race conditions, edge cases, and subtle integration issues that require genuine understanding of system behavior. Perfect fit for Kilo's Code Reviewer.
Whether you're architecting a new feature, debugging production issues, or reviewing pull requests, Opus 4.6 operates at a level that genuinely augments senior engineering work.
The Most Agentic Opus Yet
Anthropic built Opus 4.6 specifically for agentic workflows. The improvements here are substantial:
Proactive subagent spawning. Opus 4.6 doesn't just execute tasks linearly---it recognizes when problems can be decomposed and autonomously spins up specialized subagents to tackle parallel workstreams. This mirrors how effective teams actually work.
Parallel tool calls. Instead of making sequential API calls or file operations, Opus 4.6 identifies opportunities for parallelization and executes them concurrently. Real-world result: dramatically faster end-to-end task completion.
Invests more time thinking. Before taking action, Opus 4.6 spends more cycles planning, validating assumptions, and considering edge cases. This upfront investment reduces costly errors and iteration cycles downstream.
These capabilities combine to create something genuinely new: an AI model that doesn't just respond to instructions but actively manages complex, multi-step workflows with the kind of strategic thinking you'd expect from an experienced professional.
Why This Matters for Kilo Coders
At Kilo, we've always prioritized giving developers access to the absolute best models without friction. Opus 4.6 continues that tradition.
You get the industry's leading model, integrated into your existing workflows, with the speed and reliability Kilo is known for. No waitlists, no compromises, no wondering if you're getting the "real" version versus some other thing.
Getting Started
Opus 4.6 is available now across all Kilo plans. Select it from the model picker in any workspace, for any feature.
For teams building serious agentic systems, Opus 4.6 represents a step-function improvement in what's possible. Tasks that previously required careful prompt engineering or multi-model orchestration can now be handed to a single Opus 4.6 instance with confidence.
We're excited to see what you build.
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