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OpenCode 2.0 is a major overhaul of the coding-agent platform, introducing a background service shared by its interfaces, a rebuilt API and new automation features. The developers say the release also brings 80-plus internal plugins and changes that require attention when upgrading, including incompatibility with 1.0 plugins.
OpenCode has released version 2.0, a major overhaul that changes how its coding-agent tools run, connect to applications and coordinate work. The developers say the update adds a shared local service, a redesigned API, scriptable access to tools and background agents, while introducing breaking changes for some existing users.
OpenCode’s command-line interface, web interface and desktop app now connect to a single background process on the user’s machine, according to the release notes. Previously, the software had a client/server design, but the developers say it was used mostly by more advanced users. The local service can also be exposed to other hosts, and users can connect through the pairing command.
The release replaces the previous API with a new one and introduces @opencode/client, a package for JavaScript and Effect-based clients. OpenCode says the client can discover the local service, supporting scripts and scheduled tasks. The software can also call its API to perform operations such as moving a session into a Git worktree when beginning new work.
Another addition, @opencode/codemode, lets an agent use a minimal JavaScript interpreter to compose calls to MCP servers or OpenAPI endpoints into scripts. The developers say this can combine multiple tool calls in one round trip, rather than calling tools one at a time. MCP servers are opted into Code Mode by default in version 2.0.
The update also allows the primary agent to run background subagents and shell commands while continuing other work. Users can move a long-running foreground task into the background. OpenCode says its plugin system has more than 80 internal plugins, and that TUI plugins have moved from experimental to stable. The software is also available as a library through the new @opencode/sdk package.
The shared local process gives OpenCode’s different interfaces and programmatic clients a common service to use. For developers, that could make it easier to move between the terminal, desktop or web interface and to connect scripts or other applications without treating each as a separate session. The release notes describe that as a foundation for future native apps, which they say are in development.
Code Mode and background tasks change how agents can use tools and divide work: an agent can combine tool results in a script or delegate a task while continuing to respond. Those are product capabilities described by OpenCode’s developers; the release notes do not provide independent performance measurements or comparative benchmarks. The update’s practical value will depend on how these features work across users’ projects and integrations.
The upgrade also carries a real compatibility cost. The developers warn that version 1.0 plugins will not work with 2.0 and that the server API has changed completely. Teams that depend on custom plugins or API integrations may need to revise them before upgrading.
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From Client-Server Design to 2.0
OpenCode had a client/server architecture from its early versions, but its developers say the service was not automatically used by the main interfaces. Version 2.0 makes that local service the shared connection point for the TUI, web interface and desktop app. The release notes frame the changes as a response to experience from millions of daily users, though they do not describe the research method or provide usage data supporting individual design decisions.
The developers also say the previous API had grown over time as the team and wider industry learned more about coding agents. They rebuilt it and packaged client access separately. Alongside the API, the new SDK lets users build a customized version of OpenCode that speaks the standard server protocol, including for specialized environments such as Durable Objects.
Users upgrading the CLI are instructed to first install the latest 1.x release and then run opencode upgrade –major. Desktop users are directed to download the latest app. The notes identify additional configuration changes, including moving tui.json settings to JSON, and say other changes are backward compatible.
““In 2.0 this server now automatically runs as a single background process on your machine.””
— OpenCode release notes
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Compatibility and Performance Questions
The release notes do not give a publication date in the supplied material, detailed migration guidance for individual plugins, or a compatibility list for third-party integrations. They say users can point OpenCode at migration documentation, but do not specify how reliably it handles every configuration or plugin change.
Performance improvements and bug fixes are mentioned generally, without benchmark results, a list of specific fixes or figures comparing version 2.0 with 1.x. The developers also describe the Effect-based SDK API as still in development, so its design may change. It is not clear from the release notes when the native apps mentioned for the pairing flow will be available.
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Upgrade and Migration Steps
Users considering the CLI upgrade should first move to the latest 1.x release, then run the documented major-upgrade command. Before doing so, they should check whether their workflows rely on 1.0 plugins or the old server API, which the release notes identify as incompatible or completely changed. Desktop users should install the latest version of the app.
OpenCode’s notes recommend using its migration documentation to help move configuration. Further information from the developers about plugin conversion, API migration, SDK stability and the planned native apps would clarify how existing setups can adopt the new system. The supplied release material does not give a timeline for those follow-ups.
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Key Questions
What is OpenCode 2.0?
OpenCode 2.0 is a major overhaul of the coding-agent platform, with a shared local service, a rebuilt API, new client and SDK packages, Code Mode, background tasks and plugin-system changes.
What changes in how the OpenCode apps connect?
The terminal interface, web interface and desktop app now connect to one background process on the user’s machine, according to the release notes. The service can also be exposed to other hosts and paired with other applications.
Will OpenCode 1.0 plugins work in version 2.0?
No. OpenCode’s release notes explicitly say 1.0 plugins will not work in 2.0. Users with custom plugins should review the migration guidance before upgrading.
How do I upgrade the CLI?
The developers say to install the latest 1.x release first, then run opencode upgrade –major. The release notes also flag a completely different server API and a configuration change affecting tui.json.
What does Code Mode do?
Code Mode lets the agent write and run JavaScript scripts that call tools exposed through MCP servers or OpenAPI endpoints. OpenCode says this can combine tool calls into a single round trip; the release notes do not provide independent benchmarks for the claimed efficiency.
Source: hn
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