AI has been making its way into video game development for a while now, but the recent developments have started raising some serious concerns. Popular games are being reverse-engineered with AI assistance, recreated for web browsers, and made playable on platforms they were never released for. Between all that, indie developers have started pulling down their demos over fears of getting copied. Anthropic has now stepped in with new restrictions for Claude Code.
The change was first spotted on X and subsequently confirmed by Anthropic’s Addy Osmani. The new instructions prevent Claude from recreating specific existing games, even if they are renamed or presented as original projects. Users can still make original games, work on games within a genre, and use their own designs and assets.
Popular games are getting recreated with AI
Over the past few weeks, several popular video games have made their way to web browsers, reportedly with the help of AI tools. The list includes Halo: Combat Evolved, GTA: Vice City, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and The Simpsons: Hit & Run, among others.
Some of these projects involve reverse engineering existing games, which would otherwise require considerable programming knowledge and time. AI is reportedly making the process much faster, allowing people to recreate existing games and run them on systems where they aren’t officially available. One of the best examples of this is the PlayStation-exclusive Bloodborne, which now has a community-developed native port project called bbport.
Indie developers are afraid of losing their games to copycats
The problem has also started affecting smaller game studios, and some are taking precautions before their games even reach the market. Digital Sun, the studio behind Moonlighter, recently postponed a public Steam playtest for its upcoming game ReVamp. The studio fears that someone could reverse-engineer the unfinished game and release a clone before its official launch. Alliance Arts also canceled its planned Steam Next Fest demo for Drunken Goddess Reflux over similar concerns, opting for closed play sessions instead.
For smaller studios, public demos are an important way to attract players, gather feedback, and build interest before launch. Having to cancel them over fears of AI copycats is another problem for developers who are already struggling to get their games noticed. Anthropic has now tightened its restrictions around recreating existing games, but whether the change will make much of a difference remains to be seen.