Can I still use Claude Code to make my own games?

Yes. According to Addy Osmani, original games, genre games, and games built from your own designs and assets are meant to keep working.

Why did Anthropic make this change?

Osmani said the company added the sentences to steer Claude away from recreating someone else's specific game because using Claude to infringe IP is against its usage policy.

Is this change limited to Claude Code?

The update was made to Claude Code's prompt on Opus 5.5. Anthropic has been asked whether it has or will update other Claude system prompts as well.

Large Language ModelsAI Safety & AlignmentThe Verge AI3m agoNov 3, 2026, 04:00 JST

Anthropic curbs Claude Code game clones with Opus 5.5 prompt update

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3 Key Points

What happened
Anthropic added two sentences to Claude Code's system prompt on Opus 5.5 to steer it away from recreating someone else's specific game, Addy Osmani said.
Why it matters
Original games, genre games, and games built from users' own designs and assets are meant to keep working, so the restriction targets direct clones rather than game-making itself, per Osmani.

WHO IT HITSDevelopers and hobbyists using Claude Code to build retro-game decompilations, recompilations, and ports will find direct recreations of existing titles refused, while original and genre-based game projects are intended to keep working; IP holders gain a stated policy rationale for the limit.

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Context & Analysis

The change arrives as retro gaming is being overrun with AI-made decompilations, recompilations, and ports — a wave that turns Claude Code from a general coding assistant into a tool for reproducing copyrighted titles. Anthropic's response is narrower than a blanket ban on game creation: the two added sentences explicitly permit original games, games in a genre, and games built from the user's own designs and assets, while blocking recreations of a specific existing game even if it is named or called original.

The policy rationale is stated by Addy Osmani: using Claude to infringe IP is against Anthropic's usage policy. That framing places the restriction inside existing terms rather than as a new rule aimed at game developers specifically. Osmani also invited users to send him cases where Claude turns down something that is theirs, suggesting the company expects some friction as it iterates.

What remains open is scope. The update applies to Claude Code's prompt on Opus 5.5, and Anthropic has been asked whether other Claude system prompts will follow. The original screenshot circulating on X allegedly showed two new sentences; Osmani did not confirm that specific language, only that the prompt had been updated.

FAQ

Can I still use Claude Code to make my own games?: Yes. According to Addy Osmani, original games, genre games, and games built from your own designs and assets are meant to keep working.
Why did Anthropic make this change?: Osmani said the company added the sentences to steer Claude away from recreating someone else's specific game because using Claude to infringe IP is against its usage policy.
Is this change limited to Claude Code?: The update was made to Claude Code's prompt on Opus 5.5. Anthropic has been asked whether it has or will update other Claude system prompts as well.

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