Spicy-mayo, the Arena image model: what it is, what it became, and where to use it
Independent studio. "spicy-mayo" is an Arena codename and "Nano Banana" is a Google trademark; we are not affiliated with Google, Google DeepMind or Arena, and we access released Google models through fal.ai.
Quick answer
Spicy-mayo is the codename of an anonymous image-generation model that first appeared in Arena's blind image battles on 9 September 2026. Community reports linked it to an unannounced Google model nicknamed "Nano Banana 2.5"; Google has not used either name officially. Spicy Mayo (spicymayo.co) is an independent studio named after the codename and is not affiliated with Google or Arena.
Status as of : Google released Nano Banana 2.1 (model id gemini-nano-banana-2.1) on 6 October 2026. Whether the Arena model codenamed spicy-mayo shipped as Nano Banana 2.1 is reported by trackers and not confirmed by Google or Arena. No model named "Nano Banana 2.5" has been released.
| First seen | 9 September 2026, Arena image battles (@synthwavedd, @LuminaBench) reported |
|---|---|
| Believed identity | Nicknamed "Nano Banana 2.5" by testers; reported after 6 Oct 2026 to have shipped as Nano Banana 2.1 reported |
| Where you can use spicy-mayo today | Arena blind battles only (random pairing; cannot be selected). reported |
| Where you can use Nano Banana 2.1 today | Gemini app, Google AI Studio, Gemini API, Google Flow. In Spicy Mayo: Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana Pro, selectable now. official |
Sources: Nano Banana 2.1 model card (Google DeepMind) (6 October 2026) · Gemini API changelog (6 October 2026) · Arena leaderboard changelog (6 October 2026) · @synthwavedd on X (9 September 2026) · TestingCatalog: new Google Flow build points to Nano Banana 2.1 (27 September 2026)
What is the spicy-mayo model on Arena (LMArena)?
Arena (arena.ai, formerly lmarena.ai) runs blind "battles": you type a prompt, two anonymous models answer, you vote, and only then are the names revealed. Labs use this to test unreleased models under throwaway codenames. On 9 September 2026 testers began posting battle screenshots of a new image model labelled "spicy-mayo" reported. Its output style, speed and timing led several of them to assert it was Google DeepMind's next Nano Banana, and the nickname "Nano Banana 2.5" stuck reported. Neither Google nor Arena has ever published the string "spicy-mayo": it exists only in testers' screenshots and the articles written about them official, absence; checked 7 October 2026.
Two things are therefore true at once. The codename is real and well documented by third parties. Everything said about what it is (Google, "2.5", a rename to 2.1) is inference or unconfirmed reporting, and this page labels each claim accordingly.
Status timeline, with evidence labels
Checked official, absence: No Google page (Gemini API docs, changelog, pricing, DeepMind model cards, Vertex docs, Gemini app release notes, blog.google) and no Arena page (leaderboards, changelog, blog) contains the words "spicy-mayo" or "Nano Banana 2.5".
- official
Arena ranks gemini-nano-banana-2.1 #5 (text-to-image) and #6 (image edit)
Snapshots dated 6 Oct 2026: score 1328 on 5,312 votes for text-to-image, 1428 on 12,985 votes for image edit, behind GPT-Image 2.5 Sunburst and Flare. Listed as "Preliminary".
- official
Google releases Nano Banana 2.1 and deprecates Nano Banana 2
gemini-nano-banana-2.1 is generally available in the Gemini API and Vertex; gemini-3.1-flash-image (Nano Banana 2) is deprecated and shuts down on 29 October 2026. Arena added gemini-nano-banana-2.1 to both image leaderboards the same day; fal published google/nano-banana-2.1 at 16:02 UTC.
- reported
Trackers say spicy-mayo became Nano Banana 2.1 after a rename
HuggingNews, citing a 5 Oct post by @lyraxana, writes that the model tested as spicy-mayo was planned as "Nano Banana 2.5" and shipped as 2.1. OrcaRouter cites a different codename, "beluga". Neither Google nor Arena has said what spicy-mayo was.
- reported
Nano Banana 2.1 briefly selectable in Google Flow
The model appeared in Flow's picker and was pulled again before the official release the next day.
- reported
Google Flow build replaces its "Nano Banana 2.5" trace label with "Nano Banana 2.1"
TestingCatalog found the earlier "2.5"-series trace string (which carried a "Flash" suffix) replaced in the same web build, the first public sign that the production name would be 2.1.
- reported
"Nano Banana 2.5" trace strings spotted in a Google Flow build
TestingCatalog reported trace strings in Flow's web code labelled "Nano Banana 2.5" with a "Flash" suffix; no model card, price or documentation accompanied them.
- reported
Single post claims partner Vertex access as "nano-banana-2.5"
@lyraxana posted, without a cited source, that partners could call a Vertex model named nano-banana-2.5 with thinking levels minimal/medium/high and sizes 512/1K/2K/4K, "released in the upcoming week". The release did not happen that week.
- reported
Tracker sites and the first "fails the Rubik's cube" report
spicy-mayo.com and kie.ai published explainers; @LuminaBench reported the model failing a Rubik's cube logic prompt.
- reported
spicy-mayo first reported in Arena image battles
@synthwavedd (16:13 UTC) and @LuminaBench (16:33 UTC) posted battle screenshots of an anonymous model labelled spicy-mayo and guessed it was Google's "Nano Banana 2.5"; @TimJayas posted side-by-sides against Nano Banana 2 and GPT-Image 2.5 the same evening.
- reported
Codename strings seen in Google product metadata
@bedros_p reported two new model strings, "sonic-bolt" and "spicy-mayo", in parts of Google's apps, five days before the Arena sightings.
We update this timeline whenever Google, Arena or fal changes something, and record each change in the page changelog at the bottom. If you have a primary source we are missing, send it through the contact page. A machine-readable copy of this status lives at /spicy-mayo/status.json.
What testers reported
No benchmark or Elo score exists for the anonymous phase official, absence. These are the dated first-hand reports, quoted briefly and linked so you can judge them yourself.
- @synthwavedd
significant jump but not meaningfully better than GPT-Image 2.5
reported - @TimJayas
more accurate Minecraft UI, has better texture quality and was also faster
(vs Nano Banana 2) reported - @TimJayas
gpt-image 2.5 gave the most accurate UI and nano banana 2.5 looks more visually appealing
reported - @LuminaBench
fails the Rubik's cube test
reported - @pankajkumar_dev
its decent, but not at the level of GPT-Image 2.5
reported
Read together: a clear step over Nano Banana 2 in texture, interface fidelity and speed, strong on poster and product text, weaker on logic puzzles, and not clearly ahead of GPT-Image 2.5 on world knowledge reported. After the 6 October release, Arena placed Nano Banana 2.1 fifth in text-to-image and sixth in image edit, behind both GPT-Image 2.5 variants official, snapshot dated 6 October 2026, consistent with what the testers said.
"Nano Banana 2.5" or Nano Banana 2.1? What Google actually shipped
Google never released anything called Nano Banana 2.5. What it released, on 6 October 2026, is Nano Banana 2.1: model id gemini-nano-banana-2.1, generally available in the Gemini API and on Vertex, with a DeepMind model card published the same day official. Google describes it as an update to Nano Banana 2 that "outperforms our previous models across the board, with notable leaps in visual design, mask-based editing, and subject consistency" official, @Google on X. It outputs 1K, 2K or 4K images, accepts up to 14 reference images, and offers minimal, medium and high thinking levels official. The same day Google deprecated Nano Banana 2 (gemini-3.1-flash-image), which shuts down on 29 October 2026 official.
Was that the spicy-mayo model? The evidence for "yes": the Flow build label with the "2.5" string turned into "Nano Banana 2.1" between 24 and 27 September reported, TestingCatalog; the partner-access post of 18 September described the thinking levels 2.1 shipped with and three of its four claimed sizes (the 512 option never appeared) reported, single source; Arena listed gemini-nano-banana-2.1 with thousands of votes on day one, which is how it has carried over anonymous-phase votes before speculative, inference; and two trackers say so outright reported, HuggingNews citing @lyraxana. The evidence against certainty: no Google or Arena document mentions spicy-mayo, one tracker floats a different codename ("beluga"), and a Reddit thread reports a newer Arena codename ("resplendent_flash") speculative. Our wording, until a first-party source says otherwise: reported, not confirmed.
Google's model card is also candid about limits: small text can render blurry at 1K, and character consistency between input and output is imperfect official. Google's list price is $0.0336 per 1K image, $0.0504 per 2K and $0.0756 per 4K official, Gemini API pricing; through fal, which is how Spicy Mayo accesses it, the price is $0.08, $0.12 and $0.16 official, fal.
Full status of the "Nano Banana 2.5" name → · Nano Banana 2.1 in Spicy Mayo →
How to encounter spicy-mayo on Arena today
The only place the anonymous model was ever reachable is Arena's blind image battle. Whether it still appears after the 6 October release is unknown; no post-launch sighting has been documented speculative.
- Open arena.ai and choose the image battle (text-to-image or image edit).
- Enter a prompt; two anonymous models answer side by side.
- Vote for the better result (or a tie); the model names are revealed only after you vote.
- Repeat; pairings are random, so a specific codename may not appear in any given session.
- If a battle reveals a codename you do not recognise, screenshot it with the date; that is the only kind of evidence this page cites.
You cannot request spicy-mayo by name, there is no API, and no studio, including this one, can run the anonymous Arena model. Anyone selling "spicy-mayo access" is selling a released model under a borrowed name.
Where you can use it, and what Spicy Mayo offers
If what you want is the released model: Nano Banana 2.1 is selectable in Spicy Mayo for text-to-image and photo editing at 1K, 2K or 4K (30, 45 or 60 credits), with up to four reference photos in one edit and eight aspect ratios including 21:9. Nano Banana Pro (2K/4K, 50/100 credits) remains the pick for 4K typography work, and GPT Image 2, Flux Kontext and Seedream 4.5 are a prompt away in the same workspace. Every result shows the model that made it.
Spicy-mayo vs Nano Banana 2.1 vs Nano Banana Pro vs GPT Image 2.5
| Fact | spicy-mayo (Arena) | Nano Banana 2.1 | Nano Banana Pro | GPT Image 2.5 (OpenAI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Anonymous test model, first seen 9 Sep 2026 reported | GA 6 Oct 2026 official | GA 28 May 2026 (preview Nov 2025) official | GA, default snapshot 8 Sep 2026 official |
| Official id | none | gemini-nano-banana-2.1 official | gemini-3-pro-image official | gpt-image-2.5-flare / -sunburst official |
| Max output | Not disclosed | 4K official | 4K official | Not compared here |
| Reference images | Not disclosed | up to 14 (Google); up to 4 in Spicy Mayo official | 1 in Spicy Mayo official | up to 16 (fal edit) official |
| Thinking levels | Not disclosed | minimal / medium / high official | — | quality low–max official |
| Arena rank (6 October 2026 snapshot) | none published | #5 text-to-image, #6 image edit official | #16 text-to-image (2k), #12 image edit official | #1 and #2 on both boards official |
| Price per 1K-class image | — | $0.0336 Google · $0.08 fal official | $0.134 Google · $0.15 fal (2K) official | $0.05268 fal (high, 1024²) official |
| In Spicy Mayo | No | Yes, 30/45/60 credits | Yes, 50/100 credits | GPT Image 2 today (63 credits); 2.5 planned |
Settings in the "In Spicy Mayo" row describe this studio's implementation, not every upstream option. A rank is a vote snapshot, not a verdict on your brief: compare the available models on your own prompts.
Why this studio is called Spicy Mayo
About the name. "spicy-mayo" is the codename of an anonymous image model first reported in Arena's blind image battles on 9 September 2026. Testers believed it was Google's next Nano Banana and nicknamed it "Nano Banana 2.5"; Google never announced a model by that name. On 6 October 2026 Google released Nano Banana 2.1, and several trackers report that this is what the spicy-mayo test model became — a link Google and Arena have not confirmed. Spicy Mayo (spicymayo.co) is an independent studio named after the codename. We are not affiliated with Google, Google DeepMind or Arena. Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana Pro are both selectable in the studio. Last reviewed: .
We registered spicymayo.co on 11 September 2026, two days after the codename appeared. The name is a nod to the moment, not a claim on the model. What we build is the layer around released models: a browser studio, a credit balance that shows the cost before you generate, saved creations and downloads. Read more on the About page.
Questions
Is Spicy Mayo the same as Nano Banana 2.5?
No. "Nano Banana 2.5" is the community nickname for the spicy-mayo model; Google never released a model under that name. Spicy Mayo is an independent studio named after the codename. On 6 October 2026 Google released Nano Banana 2.1, which trackers report is what the spicy-mayo model became; Google has not confirmed this. What "Nano Banana 2.5" means
Who made the spicy-mayo model?
Testers assumed Google DeepMind because of the output style and the Nano Banana naming pattern, and the later Nano Banana 2.1 release fits that assumption, but no Google or Arena document names spicy-mayo. Treat the attribution as reported, not confirmed.
Is spicy-mayo Nano Banana 2.1?
Reported, not confirmed. The Flow label change on 27 September, the partner-access description of 18 September and two trackers all point that way; Google's model card does not mention the codename, and one tracker cites a different codename. See the evidence
When will spicy-mayo / Nano Banana 2.5 be released?
If the reports are right, it already was, as Nano Banana 2.1 on 6 October 2026. There is no separate "Nano Banana 2.5" release to wait for, and we will not list a release date that no official source has given.
Is there a spicy-mayo API?
No. The only public Google image model ids are gemini-nano-banana-2.1, gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image, gemini-3-pro-image and the deprecated gemini-3.1-flash-image and gemini-2.5-flash-image. fal.ai has no public endpoint named spicy-mayo.
Is it free?
Arena battles are free, but you cannot choose the model. Nano Banana 2.1 is paid in Google's API ($0.0336 per 1K image) and included in Google's consumer apps subject to their limits. Spicy Mayo is a paid studio; generation requires a plan and credits. See plans
Can I use the spicy-mayo model in Spicy Mayo?
No, and no studio can. You can use Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana Pro today. Nano Banana 2.1 in Spicy Mayo
Is spicymayo.co affiliated with Google or Arena?
No. We are an independent studio and we access released Google models through fal.ai. Nano Banana and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC.
How is this page kept accurate?
Every claim carries an evidence label (official, reported, speculative) and a linked source with a date. We re-check Google's documentation, Arena's leaderboards and fal's model list at least weekly and log changes below; the "status as of" date is the last check.
Sources
Every page cited here was fetched on the date shown. First-party pages from Google, Arena, fal and OpenAI carry the official label; named third parties carry reported.
fal
Testers (X)
Changelog of this page
- Spicy-mayo model tracker launched. We published a dated, sourced tracker of the "spicy-mayo" Arena codename, the "Nano Banana 2.5" nickname and what Google actually shipped (Nano Banana 2.1, 6 October 2026). Every claim carries an evidence label. We also replaced the "Nano Banana 2.5 is not available" answers across the site with the full story. Details
- Nano Banana 2.1 is now selectable in the studio. Create and edit images with Nano Banana 2.1 at 1K, 2K or 4K for 30, 45 or 60 credits, with up to four reference photos per edit and eight aspect ratios including 21:9. Thinking level is fixed at high and web search is off so the quote never changes. Details
- official Google releases Nano Banana 2.1; Nano Banana 2 shuts down 29 October. Google released gemini-nano-banana-2.1 as generally available, deprecated gemini-3.1-flash-image with a shutdown date of 29 October 2026, and Arena added the new model to its text-to-image and image-edit leaderboards. We never offered Nano Banana 2 and are offering 2.1 since 7 October 2026. Details
These entries also feed What's new in Spicy Mayo and its RSS feed.
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