Google quietly restricted access to the Gemini 2.5 models
The Gemini API changelog entry for 18 September limits access to the 2.5 models to accounts that have actively used them recently, applies capacity limits, and points new projects at 3.8 Flash instead. The previous generation was not deleted; it was put behind a gate.
This is what model churn looks like from the inside, and most of it is invisible to whoever buys the wrapper. A lot of subscription apps advertise "powered by the latest model" while shipping whatever endpoint was cheapest when they built the integration. If a tool on your card list has not named its model and its date in a while, ask. Our evaluation guide has the five-minute version of that question.