OpenAI temporarily removes Sora invite in US, Canada, Japan, S Korea

OpenAI on Oct. 29, 2025 temporarily removed the invite requirement for its Sora app in the United States, Canada, Japan and South Korea, allowing users in those countries to download and sign in without a code as the company expands access to its AI video generator. The move follows Sora 2’s September rollout and comes as OpenAI adds new creative tools including reusable character cameos, video stitching and community leaderboards.

Sora and its successor Sora 2 use text prompts and uploaded images to generate short videos with synchronized audio, photorealistic or stylized visuals, and enhanced physical realism. OpenAI said Sora 2 has been downloaded more than one million times in less than five days, a rapid uptake that the company has managed through a staged, invite-based launch and by temporarily lifting access restrictions to cope with demand. OpenAI cautioned that the invitation pause is limited and could be reinstated depending on system load.

The latest update centers on character cameos, which let users create reusable AI characters from uploaded video clips or existing Sora creations. Each character can be given a display name and handle and assigned privacy settings...