Anthropic has issued an update for its Claude AI model that prevents the generation of direct video game clones. This move addresses concerns raised by players and developers following the emergence of numerous low-effort AI-generated game copies on platforms such as Steam, particularly after the Steam Next Fest.
The issue, often referred to as "AI slop," became prominent when PC users found their feeds inundated with clones of existing games and even titles that had recently released demos. This influx prompted some developers to reconsider their release strategies, with at least one, Alliance Arts, canceling Steam demo plans in favor of private playtests due to fears of their work being replicated. Valve itself acknowledged the problem, stating it was "thinking about how to solve this problem."
X/Twitter user Chasm was among the first to report evidence of Anthropic's action. According to their findings, Claude recently received a new rule, flagged as "tengu_heron_brook," which is embedded in the AI's settings and cannot be turned off. The updated rule states: "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 renamed or called original."
Anthropic confirmed the change, with technical staff member Addy Osmani explaining that two sentences were added to Claude Code's prompt on Opus 5.5. The intention is to steer the AI away from recreating specific existing games, aligning with Anthropic's usage policy against IP infringement. Osmani noted that the company aims to continue iterating to find the right balance and encouraged users to report instances where Claude might incorrectly decline legitimate requests.
While the specific event that triggered Anthropic's update remains unclear, the change offers a degree of reassurance to game developers and players. It is expected to make it more difficult for individuals to profit from directly copying the work of others using AI tools. The gaming industry continues to grapple with the implications of artificial intelligence, with figures like Epic Games' Tim Sweeney and Masahiro Sakurai offering differing perspectives on AI content disclosure and its potential impact on game quality and profitability.