Claude Opus 5.5 Users Report Reverse-Engineering Requests Cut Short
Users say requests are now halted mid-response by a safety check, though some argue the classifier was always unreliable.
Users of Claude Opus 5.5 report that the Anthropic model now stops reverse-engineering requests partway through, returning a safety check message instead of the requested work. The reports surfaced on October 21, the same day Anthropic pushed a string of Claude-related product updates.
A report on r/Claude that day said Opus 5.5's reverse-engineering capabilities had been nerfed, according to kotaku.com. Users described responses that begin normally and then break off when the safety classifier intervenes.
Not everyone agrees a change was made. Some users disputed the claim, saying the safety classifier has always been unreliable and that interrupted answers are nothing new.
Those linking the apparent restriction to specific use cases pointed to Claude being used to mod always-on microphones on Samsung TVs and to AI-coded game ports.
An update with no notes
Claude Opus 5.5 was released on September 22. Many observers attributed a recent wave of AI-assisted game decompilations and recompilations to the model. Anthropic has reportedly altered Claude's behavior without documenting it in patch notes in the past.
Quick answers
Did Anthropic confirm the change to Claude Opus 5.5?
No confirmation is reported. The restriction is based on user reports on r/Claude, and some users dispute that anything changed.
When was Claude Opus 5.5 released?
Claude Opus 5.5 was released on September 22.
What happens to reverse-engineering requests now?
Users say requests stop partway through and a safety check message appears.