Version 2026.3 ships with Air alongside the IDE: connect agents, assign tasks, monitor sessions, and review changes. I’ve already tried out Air, and I really like the underlying logic: the agent performs the task, while the IDE helps you monitor its work and check the result. And thanks to ACP for making it possible to choose an agent independently of the editor. The protocol is a legend in its own right.
The Zed team introduced the Agent Client Protocol on August 27, 2025, with Gemini CLI as its first reference integration. Through ACP, you connect an agent with its own harness: the logic for model requests and action execution remains in the agent tool. The IDE sends tasks, displays progress and changes, and lets you respond to permission requests. It can also provide files, a terminal, and additional tools; the set of capabilities depends on the integration.
In other words, you keep your familiar agent, while the editor becomes an interface for its work. You choose the entire tool with its own operating logic, not just a model from a dropdown.
JetBrains explains the transition to Air by saying that working with agents in parallel requires a different interface. You delegate tasks to them, while reviewing the changes yourself and remaining responsible for the result. That’s the kind of work the company is restructuring the IDE for.The guy at the console illustrates this transition well: the robot works, while the human controls the process. This is roughly where we ended up with agents, except that instead of a laser, we have a terminal.
To examine the splash screen without rushing, I extracted the original from the distribution. I also pulled out the images for the other IDEs and compared them.
A lab for several languages
WebStorm, PhpStorm, and RubyMine feature the same scene. The color of the stone, the lighting, a lock of hair, and the IDE name change.
WebStorm 2026.3
