Midjourney Launches Draft Mode for V8.1 with 24-Image Exploration Grid
Midjourney
On June 16, 2026, Midjourney released Draft mode for its V8.1 model. Each generation produces 24 images at 512x512px resolution using 0.4 GPU-minutes per prompt — half the cost of a standard SD job. Users can click 'Vary' on any draft to upscale it to full quality. The update also introduced a --preview flag for testing early model versions.
Why it matters
Draft mode dramatically lowers the cost of prompt iteration on Midjourney's most capable model, making high-volume creative exploration practical for professional users and studios.
Importance: 2/5
Useful feature update reducing iteration cost on Midjourney V8.1.