The new version of Claude Code has been updated to prevent the use of Claude for creating clones of existing titles. This decision is due to the increasing presence of AI in retro gaming, where there is a large amount of decompilation, recompilation, and game porting. While Anthropic will allow players to use Claude Code to create original games, they do not want them to use the technology to create clones of existing titles.

Addy Osmani, responsible for the AI of Claude Code, stated that adding two phrases to the Claude Code interface was meant to prevent the use of Claude for infringing on copyrights. 'Have you noticed these changes?' asked Addy. 'I don't believe it!' replied Jay Peters, a reporter from The Verge, who had followed the evolution of AI tools in gaming. 'This is an important step towards security,' said Addy. 'But we do not want people to use Claude to copy existing titles.' Anthropic's decision has been reinforced by recent activity on the X forum, where a user posted an image of a screenshot of Claude Code with two new words added inside: 'Build original games, games in a genre, and games from the user's own designs and assets. Do not build a recreation of a specific existing game, even if it is named or called original.' Anthropic has updated the Claude Code to version 5.5, but has not confirmed whether the additional words were written by the company or by a user. 'We are looking for the right balance between protecting developers and allowing them to continue creating original games,' said Addy. The change of clamps has been announced just a few days after another user posted a video showing three AI-created games using Claude Code.

This reaction has highlighted the need to protect AI game developers from the decompilation and recompilation standards that are spreading in retro gaming. The clamps have been adopted by many other game development AI producers, such as Tom’s Hardware, which stated that adding these phrases should have been expected all along. 'It is an important step to prevent copyright infringement,' commented Tom. 'But we cannot allow ourselves to lose time controlling every single game created by AI.' This article shows how decisions to protect copyrights can drastically influence the structure of an AI application, but also how AI companies are trying to find a solution to avoid infringing on copyrights in a context where AI has become an essential part of the retro gaming market.