GitHub Copilot Fusion Goes Generally Available, Chooses Models by Effort Level

On 28 October 2026, GitHub made Copilot Fusion generally available as a model picker option where users select an effort level instead of a specific model. Copilot decides which models handle each task, using single, cascade, or critique workflows drawn from the models enabled in a user's plan and organisation policies. GitHub's changelog cites an Artificial Analysis benchmark in which Fusion Max scored 60, within two points of Claude Code with Opus 5.5 Max, at about half the average API cost per task. The article notes this is one source's measurement, that GitHub did not publish a dollar figure or the task set, and that API-rate comparisons do not reflect how subscriptions bill. Fusion carries no separate fee, with usage billed per model from GitHub AI Credits and a 30% model-cost discount for paid plans through 30 November 2026.