Verified facts
- The API call remains `deepseek-flash`; DeepSeek says calling methods and prices are unchanged.
- The vendor reports improved benchmark results alongside reduced runtime and output length.
- Results depend on the harness: Terminal-Bench 4.0 uses Claude Code and DeepSWE uses Mini-SWE-V2. DeepSeek recommends Harness 0.2.1-rc.1 or later.
What changes
An alias update can affect everyday use as much as a new model name.
Practical implication
Check answers and quality on familiar tasks.
Availability
Belgium/EEA: the source specifies no explicit regional exclusion; availability depends on the account, plan and service region.
Limits and uncertainty
Performance is reported by DeepSeek without independent reproduction. A stable alias can change behavior even when pricing and syntax remain identical.