Games · 2026-11-02

Anthropic blocks Claude from cloning existing video games

Anthropic has updated the instructions for its AI coding tool Claude Code so it no longer recreates specific existing games, but people can still make their own games.

✨ What happened

Anthropic, the company behind the AI assistant Claude, has updated the internal instructions for Claude Code. Claude Code is a tool people use to write programs and games. The new rule stops it from being used to recreate an existing video game.

Tom's Hardware reported the change first. The reason is that retro gaming has recently been flooded with games that AI tools decompile, recompile or port, often without permission from the rights holders.

📌 What is allowed and what is not

A user on X posted a screenshot which, according to them, shows two new sentences in the Claude Code instructions. In substance, they say that users can build original games, games in a genre, and games based on their own designs and assets. They say Claude should not build a recreation of a specific existing game, even if it is named or called original.

Addy Osmani of Anthropic did not confirm that exact wording. He did say the company added two sentences to the prompt for the Opus 5.5 model. His explanation: using Claude to infringe intellectual property violates the usage policy.

So a game in a genre, such as a platformer or a puzzle game, and a game based on your own idea remain available. Only a full recreation of someone else's specific product is blocked.

Anthropic says it will keep adjusting the balance. If Claude refuses help with your own project, the company asks you to send it to Osmani.

Sources: 🔗 The Verge — AI🔗 Ars Technica — AI