<p>This study investigates the hot deformation behavior and microstructural evolution of Inconel 617 alloy, a key material for advanced gas turbine components. Through high-temperature compression tests (900–1150&#xa0;°C, 0.001–1&#xa0;s⁻¹), flow stress curves were obtained. A hot processing map, constructed using the Dynamic Materials Model (DMM), identified instability regions and safe processing domains. Integrated analysis revealed the optimal hot working window to be 1050–1150&#xa0;°C/0.001–0.049 s⁻¹, enabling a uniform, fine-grained fully recrystallized microstructure. The dominant softening mechanism transitions with deformation parameters: from discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) with minor twinning-induced recrystallization (TIRX) at high temperatures and low strain rates, to a mixed mode dominated by continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) and dynamic recovery (DRV) at lower temperatures. This transformation process is accompanied by the evolution of dislocation structures, the formation of subgrain boundaries, a reduction in the extent of dynamic recrystallization, and a significant increase in the proportion of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs).</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>