Aleph 2.0 — Runway Aleph¶

Development line: project:runway-aleph-2 · thread runway-aleph
Last event: 2026-05-23 · 1 dated since 2026-05-23 · Researched: 2026-09-06 · confidence: medium

What it is¶

Aleph 2.0 is Runway’s in-context editor for existing footage, built for teams that need to change a product, background, lighting, or style without rebuilding the shot.

• Keyframe propagation across relevant frames and multi-shot sequences.
• Video generation from video plus text or optional image guidance.
• Export in MP4, ProRes, PNG sequence, or 10-bit SDR; HDR needs a separate conversion step.

Inputs run 2–30 seconds, up to 1080p and 30 fps; the Dev API rate is 28 credits per second with a 56-credit minimum. We use it for source-faithful retouching; test complex moving additions before promising delivery.

Development line¶

• 2026-05-23 — Runway introduced Aleph 2.0. On 2026-05-23, a dated first-party Runway product link identified Aleph 2.0 as a development milestone in the Aleph line. That link names the product, but establishes no specific capabilities, availability terms, pricing, or technical changes.

What changed¶

• 2026-05-21 — Aleph 2.0 launched with Edit Studio for paid desktop-web plans, adding 30-second 1080p, localized frame-led edits, and multi-shot propagation.
• 2026-05-23 — Aleph 2.0’s supplied product page records the current product scope, but is undated and does not establish a distinct release or change on this date.
• 2026-06-02 — Aleph 2.0 reached Runway Dev as aleph2 for video-to-video editing with text and timestamped keyframes.
• 2026-06-22 — Aleph 2.0 became available as a timestamped keyframe node in Figma Weave.
• 2026-07-14 — Aleph 2.0 became callable through Runway MCP’s Edit Video tool.
• 2026-07-30 — Runway Dev sunset gen4_aleph; API callers must migrate to aleph2.
• 2026-08-10 — Edit Studio gained ProRes 4444 with PCM audio and PNG-sequence export for full-clip Aleph 2.0 edits.
• 2026-08-20 — Aleph 2.0 gained 10-bit Rec.709 SDR delivery; it still does not render native HDR.

How to use this¶

1. Open Edit Studio in Runway’s desktop web app and start from an existing video clip. — https://runway.com/news/introducing-aleph-2-and-edit-studio
2. Upload a 2–30 second, up-to-1080p, maximum-30-fps clip. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/51683104370451-Creating-with-Edit-Studio
3. Choose a keyframe where the target is clearly visible: a wide frame for an environment change and a close frame for a detail change. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/51683104370451-Creating-with-Edit-Studio
4. Write an action plus the desired transformation; add a reference image only when it helps guide the subject, product, or style. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/52150503729171-Aleph-2-0-Prompting-Guide
5. Preview and refine the keyframe edit, select the chosen version, then generate the video. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/51683104370451-Creating-with-Edit-Studio
6. Choose MP4, ProRes, or PNG sequence before a full-clip generation; a ranged edit always returns MP4. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/54396547993491-Exporting-Videos-in-ProRes-and-PNG-Sequence-Formats

Best practices¶

• Start with a short, targeted prompt: an action verb plus the requested transformation; add detail only when needed. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/52150503729171-Aleph-2-0-Prompting-Guide
• Preview the edited keyframe before paying for video generation, and iterate the image edit until the change is right. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/51683104370451-Creating-with-Edit-Studio
• Use Extra motion only when the new movement is absent from both the original clip and the edited keyframe. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/52150503729171-Aleph-2-0-Prompting-Guide
• For aspect-ratio expansion, use a single-shot clip without cuts and confirm that the preview preserves the original composition. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/52264567609363-Expanding-a-video-s-aspect-ratio-with-Edit-Studio
• Select the delivery format before generation: it cannot be changed afterward, and ProRes or PNG sequence requires a full-clip edit. — https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/54396547993491-Exporting-Videos-in-ProRes-and-PNG-Sequence-Formats
• Treat one independent seven-scenario test as directional: it found Aleph strongest for conservative packshot, text, and retouch work, while complex newly moving subjects needed cleanup. — https://journal.everypixel.com/runway-aleph-2-vs-gemini-omni

Superseded by this¶

• 2026-06-02 — Prefer aleph2 over the deprecated aleph2_alpha API alias.
• 2026-07-30 — gen4_aleph is no longer a usable Runway Dev model identifier; calls fail and must move to aleph2.
• 2026-08-20 — Do not plan for native HDR from Aleph 2.0: its current API output is 10-bit SDR, with HDR requiring /v1/video_to_hdr afterward.

Still unknown¶

• The supplied product page is undated, so its exact contents on 2026-05-23 cannot be reconstructed; the dated launch is 2026-05-21.
• Lineage remains unverified because multiple subject keys share the same history; do not claim a predecessor relationship until it is reviewed.
• No first-party Simplified-Chinese Aleph 2.0 documentation was found; Chinese-language results were third-party tutorials and were not used for the core claims.
• Runway’s generic Edit Studio guide still says Expand is coming soon, while its dedicated Expand Ratio guide documents it as active; the activation date is unknown.

Sources¶

Agent brief¶

• Subject: project:runway-aleph-2, thread runway-aleph, 1 dated events 2026-05-23 → 2026-05-23.
• Practical note: See the sourced usage and practice sections above, including their limits.
• Confidence: medium. Dated supersedes above are the authority for what is obsolete.