OpenAI pauses $200 ChatGPT Pro subscriptions due to GPT-6 Astra demand

OpenAI has temporarily paused new subscriptions for its $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro tier due to unprecedented demand for its newly launched GPT-6 Astra model. Product leader Thibault Sottiaux announced the pause on September 10, 2026, citing severe strain on infrastructure. While other tiers remain open, the pause follows a messy rollout that drew an apology from CEO Sam Altman. GPT-6 Astra, hailed as a step toward artificial general intelligence, is OpenAI's first model to reach a 'Critical' cybersecurity capability rating.

ChatGPT Pro subscription pause

• ▪OpenAI temporarily paused new subscriptions for its $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro tier on September 10, 2026, to manage system strain
• ▪OpenAI product leader Thibault Sottiaux announced on September 10, 2026, that other tiers, including the API, Go, and Plus plans, remain available

GPT-6 Astra unprecedented demand

• ▪OpenAI launched its newest and most powerful artificial intelligence model, GPT-6 Astra, on September 3, 2026
• ▪OpenAI product leader Thibault Sottiaux stated on X that demand for GPT-6 Astra was unprecedented and unlike any growth he had previously seen

Infrastructure capacity constraints

• ▪OpenAI paused new ChatGPT Pro subscriptions because that specific tier puts the most strain on the company's systems and infrastructure
• ▪OpenAI is working to add more infrastructure capacity as fast as possible to sustain the demand for GPT-6 Astra
• ▪OpenAI raised usage limits for Codex users in August 2026, suggesting that system capacity strain is a recent phenomenon

AGI era positioning

• ▪GPT-6 Astra is designed for complex reasoning, coding, computer use, research, and document creation, with a context window of up to 1.05 million tokens
• ▪OpenAI president Greg Brockman stated that the release of GPT-6 Astra marks a step into the era of artificial general intelligence (AGI)

Staggered rollout access issues

• ▪OpenAI initially made GPT-6 Astra available to a limited set of organizations before planning broader access across multiple tiers and cloud platforms
• ▪OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized in September 2026 for a messy rollout of GPT-6 Astra after some paying users experienced access issues

Critical cybersecurity capability level

• ▪Under OpenAI's Preparedness Framework, a 'Critical' rating indicates the model can find previously unknown vulnerabilities and develop exploits across well-protected systems
• ▪OpenAI's safety overview states that GPT-6 Astra is the first model to reach the 'Critical' level of cybersecurity capability under its Preparedness Framework

Debatable claims

• ▪OpenAI should restrict public access to AI models with 'Critical' cybersecurity capabilities
• ▪GPT-6 Astra represents the arrival of artificial general intelligence