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OpenCode 2.0 is a major overhaul of the coding agent, centered on a shared local service and a redesigned API. It also adds scriptable tool use, background agents and shell tasks, and expanded plugin and SDK support. The release has breaking changes: 1.0 plugins will not work, and the server API has been replaced.
OpenCode 2.0 is a major overhaul of the coding-agent platform, introducing a shared local service, a rebuilt server API and new ways for agents to run tools and tasks in the background. The release also changes compatibility for developers: the project says 1.0 plugins will not work with version 2.0, and the server API has been replaced.
OpenCode says its service, which previously served mostly power users, now runs by default as one background process on a user’s machine. The terminal interface, web interface and desktop app connect to that same process. The release notes say programmatic clients can discover the local service automatically; developers can also use opencode api commands or expose the service to other hosts through pairing.
The company says it rebuilt the API from scratch after reviewing use cases from its user base. A new package, @opencode/client, provides JavaScript and Effect-based clients for creating sessions and sending prompts. OpenCode can also use its own API for actions such as moving a session into a Git worktree when beginning new work.
Version 2.0 adds Code Mode, a JavaScript interpreter in the @opencode/codemode package. The release notes say it converts MCP servers and OpenAPI endpoints into callable functions, letting an agent compose multiple tool actions in one script rather than making separate tool calls. MCP servers use Code Mode by default. The update also adds background subagents and asynchronous shell commands, so the main agent can continue working while those tasks run.
The release shifts OpenCode from a tool used mainly through individual interfaces toward a shared service that other clients and scripts can reach. That may make automation and integrations easier for teams building scheduled workflows or custom applications, while allowing terminal, web and desktop users to connect to the same running process.
Code Mode and background execution target two practical limits in agent workflows: coordinating several tools and waiting for long-running work. OpenCode says scripts can combine tool calls into a single round trip, while background tasks let the primary agent keep responding. These are product capabilities described by the project; the release notes do not include independent performance measurements or comparative results.
The plugin and SDK changes also matter to developers who want to extend or embed the system. OpenCode says it now has more than 80 internal plugins and that TUI plugins have moved from experimental to stable. The SDK exposes the same code used by the CLI, according to the project, enabling developers to create customized versions that speak the standard server protocol.
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From Client-Server to Default Service
OpenCode says it adopted a client/server model from the beginning, but the local server was not previously a default part of ordinary use. Version 2.0 makes the background service central: different interfaces and programmatic clients can connect to one process rather than operating as separate entry points.
The release notes describe the earlier API as having grown in an ad hoc way as the team and users learned how coding agents should work. The 2.0 API is a clean replacement, not simply a compatible extension. The project advises users to upgrade the CLI from the latest 1.x release with opencode upgrade –major; desktop users are directed to download the latest app. It also says OpenCode can help migrate configuration when given the migration documentation.
The update includes a plugin-system push as well as agent features. OpenCode says it implemented nearly every feature as an internal plugin to keep the Plugin API in active use, and made hot reloading a priority so a plugin created during a session can be used immediately. The release notes say the Effect-based SDK API remains in development while the API continues to change.
“The old API grew haphazardly as we and the world collectively learned what agents are and should be. It was bad.”
— OpenCode, in its 2.0 release notes
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Compatibility and Rollout Details
The release notes do not provide a dated launch schedule, version-by-version rollout details or a full list of compatibility changes. They identify two major breaks—1.0 plugins are incompatible and the server API is different—but do not enumerate every migration issue. The notes say other changes are backward compatible, without detailing each one.
OpenCode does not publish benchmarks for the claimed performance improvements or quantify the time saved by Code Mode’s combined tool calls. It also does not specify security controls or operational requirements for exposing the service to other hosts. The company says native applications using the pairing flow are in the works, but gives no release date.
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Upgrade Checks and Native Apps
Users planning to move from 1.x should first update to the latest 1.x CLI release, then run opencode upgrade –major, according to the project. Desktop users can install the latest app. Plugin authors and developers relying on the previous server API will need to review the 2.0 documentation and account for the announced incompatibilities; OpenCode recommends providing its migration documentation to the tool to help with configuration changes.
The project says native apps that use the service-pairing flow are in development. It has not announced a release date. The Effect-based SDK API is also still changing, so developers adopting it should expect further development, the release notes say.
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Key Questions
What is OpenCode 2.0?
It is a major overhaul of OpenCode, a coding-agent platform. The release adds a default shared local service, a redesigned API, Code Mode, background tasks, plugin changes and an SDK.
What are the main breaking changes?
OpenCode says plugins written for version 1.0 will not work in version 2.0 and that the server API has changed completely. The release notes do not list every migration change.
How does Code Mode work?
The @opencode/codemode package uses a minimal JavaScript interpreter to turn MCP servers and OpenAPI endpoints into functions an agent can call in scripts. OpenCode says this allows agents to combine tool actions rather than calling tools one at a time.
How do users upgrade?
For the CLI, OpenCode instructs users to update to the latest 1.x release first, then run opencode upgrade –major. Desktop users can download the latest app.
Are native apps available through the new service?
Not yet, based on the release notes. OpenCode says native apps that use the pairing flow are in development, but it has not given a release date.
Source: hn
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