Microsoft's New Agent Framework Reaches Release Candidate, Phase Out Begins for AutoGen

Microsoft's New Agent Framework Reaches Release Candidate, Phase Out Begins for AutoGen

Microsoft has officially transitioned its AI agent development platform with the Microsoft Agent Framework reaching Release Candidate status on February 19, 2026. The framework now serves as the successor to both AutoGen and Semantic Kernel, marking a significant consolidation in Microsoft's agentic AI strategy.

The Release Candidate (version 1.0.0-rc1) includes critical features for enterprise-grade agent development. The framework supports graph-based workflows enabling multi-agent orchestration through sequential, concurrent, handoff, and group chat patterns. Additional capabilities include streaming responses, checkpointing for state persistence, and human-in-the-loop interactions for scenarios requiring manual approval.

Multi-provider support is a core strength, with compatibility spanning Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, and AWS Bedrock. This flexibility allows developers to integrate various language models without framework restructuring.

AutoGen Enters Maintenance Mode

AutoGen, once Microsoft's flagship multi-agent framework, is now entering maintenance-only status. The project will no longer receive major feature updates, with development focus shifting entirely to Microsoft Agent Framework. Migration guides are available for teams transitioning existing AutoGen projects.

The AutoGen to Agent Framework migration involves replacing the `AssistantAgent` class with the new `Agent` class, using updated decorators for tool definitions, and adopting the `await agent.run()` execution model for multi-turn conversations.

What This Means for Developers

For teams currently using AutoGen or Semantic Kernel for agent development, the transition offers several advantages. The Microsoft Agent Framework combines AutoGen's multi-agent patterns with Semantic Kernel's enterprise features including session state management, OpenTelemetry tracing, and type-safe implementations.

Developers evaluating the framework for new production workloads can access the RC version via NuGet and PyPI. Microsoft recommends testing during this RC phase before general availability, expected in Q1 2026.