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CLAUDE NEW September 12, 2026

Claude Code Is Now Generally Available — Full Anthropic Announcement Breakdown

WHAT CHANGED

Claude Code moved from public beta to general availability status. All features are now production-ready with enterprise SLA. Available on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Integrates with Claude Opus 5, Sonnet 5, Fable 5, and Haiku 4.5 model tiers.

WHY IT MATTERS

GA status signals Anthropic has committed to Claude Code as a durable product surface. Enterprise buyers now have SLA guarantees for procurement. Individual developers get stability commitments — no more breaking changes without deprecation cycles. This is the moment where Claude Code stops being 'the experimental CLI' and starts being 'the default agentic coding tool'.

HOW TO USE IT

Install: `npm install -g @anthropic/claude-code` (macOS/Linux) or via the Windows MSI installer. Existing beta users are auto-migrated. Check version: `claude --version` should show 1.0+ for GA release.

CLAUDE / BASH 
# Install Claude Code GA release
npm install -g @anthropic/claude-code

# Verify GA version (should show 1.0.x)
claude --version

# Start an agentic session with Opus 5 (adaptive thinking default)
claude --model opus-5 "Refactor this 40-file service..."
claude-codegaanthropicdeveloper-toolscli
ORIGINAL SOURCE
https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-code-generally-available
VIEW ORIGINAL SOURCE →

Top 5 Things That Changed at Claude Code GA

  1. Production SLA — Enterprise plans now include uptime guarantees and dedicated support routes.

  2. Windows support (stable) — Was beta-only during preview. Now fully supported alongside macOS and Linux.

  3. Skills marketplace integration — claude plugin marketplace add command is now the canonical install path for community skills.

  4. Model tier flexibility — Choose between Opus 5, Sonnet 5, Fable 5, or Haiku 4.5 per session via --model flag.

  5. Adaptive thinking default on Opus 5 — Complex reasoning kicks in automatically when the model detects a multi-step task.

Why GA Status Matters for Builders

Beta status meant Anthropic could change APIs, remove features, or shift pricing without formal deprecation. GA means the surface is committed. Enterprise procurement teams can now put Claude Code in RFPs; individual devs can rely on it for production workflows.

Anthropic also published the first Claude Code SLA document alongside the GA announcement — 99.9% uptime commitment for Enterprise, 99.5% for Team plans.

FAQ

When did Claude Code become generally available?

Claude Code moved from public beta to general availability in September 2026. The announcement was accompanied by Windows GA support, an SLA document, and the formal launch of the skills marketplace.

How do I install Claude Code?

Install via npm: npm install -g @anthropic/claude-code on macOS and Linux, or via the Windows MSI installer for Windows. Existing beta users are auto-migrated with the next CLI update.

Is Claude Code free?

Claude Code itself is free to install. Usage is billed against your Anthropic API account or your subscription plan credits (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise). Introductory pricing for Claude Sonnet 5 ($2/$10 per million tokens) runs through Aug 31.

What’s the difference between beta and GA Claude Code?

GA adds enterprise SLA, stable Windows support, formal deprecation policies for API changes, and the skills marketplace. Beta users see all the same features but had no uptime commitments or deprecation guarantees.

Which Claude model should I use with Claude Code?

For complex multi-hour agentic tasks: Opus 5 (adaptive thinking default). For general coding: Sonnet 5 (best cost/performance during introductory pricing window). For frontier problems: Fable 5. For fast simple tasks: Haiku 4.5.

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