23 Daily — On November 2, 2026, AI company Anthropic updated the system prompt of its AI tool Claude Code to prevent users from directly replicating existing video games, encouraging original game creation, according to theverge.com. This update responds to a surge of AI-generated decompilations and ports in the retro gaming space.

Claude Code’s system prompt updated to block game cloning

According to reports from Tom’s Hardware and a screenshot posted by a user on social platform X, Claude Code added two sentences in its Opus 5.5 version system prompt: “Do build original games, games in a genre, and games from the user's own designs and assets. Don’t build a recreation of a specific existing game, even if it is named or called original.” Anthropic’s Addy Osmani confirmed this change aims to steer Claude Code away from helping infringe others' intellectual property.

Protecting intellectual property rights and original game development

Addy Osmani noted that the full phrasing wasn’t publicly confirmed but that the update exists, emphasizing that using Claude Code to infringe IP violates their usage policy. The company still allows use of Claude Code to develop original games or games made with users’ own assets but strictly forbids cloning existing games. Anthropic continues iterating on system prompts to balance innovation with protecting original creations.

Editor's take: Balancing AI-driven innovation with IP protection presents challenges and opportunities

Anthropic’s move highlights the growing importance of intellectual property protection as AI becomes more common in game development. By technically guiding AI not to assist in cloning games, this creates both constraints and incentives for entrepreneurs to innovate. Startup teams are encouraged to create games with unique assets and designs that comply with these policies. They can monitor AI-generated content originality to reduce IP risks. Entrepreneurs may experiment with Claude Code for fully original game development and verify against cloning restrictions, assessing the tool’s effectiveness in fostering original works.