ST-2026-204 · Runtimes & developer platforms
Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Runtime instances reach General Availability
AWS made Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Runtime instances generally available on 6 August 2026 as a persistent EC2-backed compute option that complements the existing microVM runtime, with AgentCore managing provisioning, patching, scaling, and lifecycle.
Previous state
AgentCore Runtime offered the existing serverless microVM-based execution option without the announced generally available persistent EC2-backed runtime-instances option.
Current state
Runtime instances provide persistent managed EC2-backed AgentCore compute for sustained, resource-intensive, or specialized-hardware agents, including supported long-running sessions of up to 14 days.
Affected users
Who needs to care
Amazon Bedrock AgentCore teams that need persistent, larger-capacity, GPU-capable, or long-running managed agent compute.
Required response
What to do
Evaluate runtime instances when agent workloads need persistent EC2-backed capacity or sessions beyond the microVM runtime profile, and validate supported instance types, regions, and cost model before adoption.
Evidence boundary
What the source does not prove
The source proves General Availability of runtime instances, managed lifecycle behavior, sessions up to 14 days, and availability in documented regions including Europe (Ireland). It does not retire the existing microVM runtime or guarantee support for every EC2 instance family.
Lifecycle history
Dated event sequence
- AgentCore Runtime instances become generally available
AWS announced persistent EC2-backed runtime instances as a complementary AgentCore Runtime compute option.
Evidence ledger
First-party sources
- 01Amazon Web Services — AgentCore runtime instances are now generally available
Official AWS What's New · 2026-08-06
Open official source ↗