{"slug": "hydrafusion-in-vs-code-and-the-github-copilot-app", "title": "HydraFusion in VS Code and the GitHub Copilot app", "summary": "GitHub expanded its HydraFusion research preview to Visual Studio Code 1.140 or later and the GitHub Copilot app, after previously limiting it to Copilot CLI. HydraFusion orchestrates multiple models rather than acting as a single model, choosing among three workflows — Single, Cascade, and Critique — based on capability signals for reasoning, code generation, debugging, and tool use. The preview is available to Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise users, with administrators required to enable preview features for Business and Enterprise accounts.", "body_md": "# HydraFusion in VS Code and the GitHub Copilot app\n\nThe HydraFusion research preview is now available in Visual Studio Code and the GitHub Copilot app, expanding beyond Copilot CLI.\n\nHydraFusion appears in the model picker, but rather than being a single model, it orchestrates multiple models. HydraFusion treats workflow selection as an optimization problem. It uses capability signals for reasoning, code generation, debugging, and tool use to select the most efficient execution pattern to meet the quality bar. HydraFusion uses one of three workflows:\n\n- **Single:** One selected model directly solves the task.\n- **Cascade:** An efficient model drafts a solution and a quality gate decides whether to accept it or escalate to a stronger model.\n- **Critique:** One model drafts a result, an independent read-only critic from a different model family reviews it—following the same review pattern as[Rubber Duck](https://docs.github.com/copilot/concepts/agents/copilot-cli/rubber-duck) —and the drafting model revises once.\n\n### [Get started](#get-started)\n\nIn VS Code (version 1.140 or later, or VS Code Insiders):\n\n1. Select **HydraFusion** from the Copilot Chat model picker.\n2. If it does not appear, enable `chat.copilot.hydraFusion.enabled` . If you get Copilot through an organization or enterprise, an administrator may need to allow preview features in organization or enterprise settings.\n\nIn the GitHub Copilot app:\n\n1. Update to the latest version.\n2. Open **Settings** , search for “HydraFusion”, and turn it on.\n3. Select **HydraFusion** from the model picker.\n\n### [What’s improved](#whats-improved)\n\nBringing HydraFusion to more surfaces was the top request from early feedback. This release also improves the overall experience:\n\n- **Greater transparency:** See more clearly what HydraFusion is doing at each step of a workflow.\n- **Real-time progress:** HydraFusion now sends more frequent progress updates while it works.\n- **Clearer status during long tasks:** Progress updates make it easier to tell that HydraFusion is still working, even when a task takes longer.\n\n### [How HydraFusion differs from Auto](#how-hydrafusion-differs-from-auto)\n\nAuto selects a model for each request. HydraFusion explores how Copilot can both select a workflow and coordinate multiple models within a turn.\n\nHydraFusion is available to Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise users. For Copilot Business and Enterprise, an administrator must enable preview features. HydraFusion remains a research preview and is subject to change.\n\nLearn more in the [HydraFusion documentation](https://docs.github.com/early-access/copilot/hydrafusion), read about the research and benchmark results in [Project HydraFusion: Frontier quality via multi-model orchestration](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/github-copilot/project-hydrafusion-frontier-quality-via-multi-model-orchestration/), or share feedback in the [GitHub Community](https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/206492).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hydrafusion-in-vs-code-and-the-github-copilot-app", "canonical_source": "https://github.blog/changelog/2026-09-30-hydrafusion-in-vs-code-and-the-github-copilot-app", "published_at": "2026-09-30 14:31:19+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-30 18:18:01.122528+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-agents", "developer-tools", "ai-products", "large-language-models"], "entities": ["GitHub", "HydraFusion", "Visual Studio Code", "GitHub Copilot", "Copilot CLI", "Copilot Pro", "Copilot Business", "Copilot Enterprise"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hydrafusion-in-vs-code-and-the-github-copilot-app", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hydrafusion-in-vs-code-and-the-github-copilot-app.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hydrafusion-in-vs-code-and-the-github-copilot-app.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hydrafusion-in-vs-code-and-the-github-copilot-app.jsonld"}}