DeepSeek V4 Pro is DeepSeek's April 2026 open flagship for serious assistant work—long documents, careful instructions, and multi-step help. Our tests show excellent comprehension and instruction following, with helpfulness that stays on-brief through long chats. Empathy is a clear weak spot. Creative writing is competent for business drafts but our tests still prefer Claude—and especially the discontinued GPT-4.5—for voice; thinking-mode efficiency favors clear, on-brief prose over literary nuance. A top open pick when correctness and long context matter more than warmth.