Anthropic Adds Claude Code Rule Against Recreating Existing Games
XDA confirmed the instruction inside Claude Code v2.1.314, delivered via a configuration field Anthropic has used for remote system instructions.
Anthropic appears to have added an instruction to Claude Code telling its models not to recreate specific existing video games, even if they are renamed. XDA reported that it verified the instruction inside version 2.1.314 of the Claude Code binary.
According to xda-developers.com, the text also directs the models toward original games, games within a genre, and games built from the user's own designs and assets. The rule is delivered through a configuration field called tengu_heron_brook, which Anthropic has previously used to push adjustable remote system instructions.
XDA said it found a separate mechanism, involving original_games_guidance and the opus_5_5_prompt_bundle, that indicates Opus 5.5 can receive the instruction independently. In the outlet's test, Opus 5.5 stated that its session instructions prohibited recreating specific existing games, including renamed versions.
The published instruction does not explicitly ban decompilation or static recompilation. In an earlier case, Opus 5 first refused to recreate Pokémon Diamond and called decompiling or porting its ROM off-limits, before reconsidering and offering to help with legitimate decompilation projects.
Anthropic has used the tengu_heron_brook field before to deliver remote system instructions; one earlier configuration carried an unrelated instruction about reasoning effort. AI assistance has also been used in the Zelda: Wind Waker HD static recompilation project and in the Nxnative compatibility layer, which runs Nintendo Switch games on a Mac.
Quick answers
What does the new Claude Code instruction prohibit?
It tells the models not to recreate specific existing video games, even if they are renamed, and points them toward original games or games built from the user's own designs and assets.
Does it ban ROM decompilation?
No. According to XDA, the instruction does not explicitly prohibit decompilation or static recompilation.
Which Claude Code version contains the instruction?
XDA verified it in version 2.1.314 of the Claude Code binary.