Anthropic updates Claude Code system prompt to prevent video game clones

Anthropic has updated the system prompt for its Claude Code developer tool to prevent the artificial intelligence agent from being used to re-create existing video games. The Verge AI, Tom's Hardware, and Engadget all reported on the update, which explicitly instructs the system not to reproduce game intellectual property. The Verge AI and Engadget both noted that Anthropic cited its usage policy against infringing intellectual property as the reason for the change. [1][2][6]

The update follows growing concern over artificial intelligence tools producing unauthorized decompilations, recompilations, and ports of retro video games. The Verge AI reported that a user on X published a screenshot showing two new sentences added to the system prompt, which instruct Claude Code to build original games rather than direct clones. [1]

An Anthropic employee confirmed the new restrictions to Tom's Hardware, stating that the company is refining the system to balance user capability with intellectual property protections. Tom's Hardware also reported that developers have filed complaints online after Claude Code began blocking general reverse engineering tasks alongside game cloning efforts. [2]

Claude Code is a terminal-based coding agent developed by American software company Anthropic. The tool relies on Anthropic's Claude series of large language models, which are used to assist with software engineering and agentic coding workflows. [8]