GitHub Copilot in VS Code, September 2026 releases
By Steven Van ·
VS Code 1.136 to 1.140 add scheduled automations, agent merge and HydraFusion model orchestration, with several features still in preview or experimental.
September's VS Code releases (v1.136 through v1.140) focus on the GitHub Copilot agent workflow, from implementation through pull request merge, according to the release notes. Most of the new pieces are in the Agents window, and several are labelled preview or experimental.
- HydraFusion (research preview): eligible users with preview features enabled can pick it in the model picker. It chooses the models and workflow for each task, and can solve a task with one model, escalate to a stronger one, or have another model critique and revise the result.
- Automations (preview): run tasks hourly, daily or weekly, or on demand, starting from a template or your own prompt.
- Agent merge (preview): in an active session, the agent handles review feedback, failed checks, merge conflicts and workflow reruns.
- Pull requests from agent sessions: the pull request form opens from a Copilot, Claude or Codex session, with editable title and description and draft and merge options.
- Session management: related chats appear in a hierarchical sessions list. Mark as Done suggestions appear after a session's pull requests merge, and an application badge (preview) flags results, input requests and pull request checks.
- Dev Containers: Agents window sessions can use a folder's Dev Container, including on SSH, Tunnel and WSL hosts. Containers stop after five minutes of inactivity, and fresh ones reuse cached VS Code Server and CLI downloads.
- Copilot harness: built on the Copilot SDK, it runs in a separate agent host process, so the same session can be opened from several VS Code windows. It may already be the default for some users.
- Multi-folder sessions (experimental, off by default): each chat in a session can use its own folder or worktree.
- Remote delegation (experimental, off by default): agents can start sessions on connected remote agent hosts.
The 1.140 notes also list shared worktree folders, which reuse ignored folders such as dependencies across worktrees, and enterprise controls for AI version requirements and defaults.
Demo clip from the release notes showing an Agents window update
Demo clip from the release notes showing an Agents window update
Demo clip from the release notes showing an Agents window update
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