The AI creates a fully playable Pokemon clone

An AI user created a playable Pokemon clone with a very simple prompt and no manual actions, raising concerns about potential AI copyright issues. Pokemon is one of the biggest IPs in the video game industry and has inspired many clones in the past, mostly consisting of indie games that copy its core gameplay or visual style. However, this appears to be one of the first cases of a clone created entirely by AI in a matter of hours, with almost no human intervention or coding.

Many developers and gamers believe that AI can improve games when used as a tool to support creativity rather than a shortcut to cut costs. Some also believe that AI will soon generate full video games from simple challenges and that this technology represents the future of the industry. While most people see fully AI-built games as an ambitious goal, current models can already create small, simple games from user instructions. Generated AI Pokemon a replica recently shared on social media is a clear example.

The AI has trouble beating Pokemon Red

The AI does something remarkable when playing through Pokemon Red, but it has a much harder time than a real player would.

Claude 4.6 will build a Pokémon clone in 90 minutes

A Twitter user named Chris (@chatgpt21) shared a snippet of his AI-created clone Pokemonrepresenting two minutes of gameplay. The clip contains a Pokemon-style of “starting character” selection and battle between Charmander and Rattata. Although the graphics of this clone are quite simplistic and pixelated, the fact that it appears to be fully functional with NPCs, dialogues, points of interest and even some sound effects has caught the attention of many people.

The player is free to walk around, talk to other characters, and even shop at AI shops. The game features a Pokemon Healing Center that replenishes pets' HP, as well as a Poke Mart that sells them Pokemon items like Poke Balls and healing potions. Almost all NPCs have dialogue that offers advice to the player or guides them through the area, even if no wild Pokémon are seen in the video.

According to Chris, Claude Opus 4.6 was the only instrument used for this generation. “I told Claude Opus 4.6 to do a Pokemon clone,” they claim in a Twitter post, adding that the model “took 1 hour and 30 minutes” to create the final product. Based on their responses to other Twitter users, it appears that the model has taken a Gameboy-era visual style for itself and decided to name it Pokemon Fire Red, possibly inspired by the real Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen.

The Pokemon AI clone appears to contain copyrighted material

One controversial aspect of AI Pokemon clone is the use of copyrighted material, including character names and basic game mechanics. The game is explicitly called Pokemon Fire Red, with no parody or alternate naming, and begins with a starter selection featuring Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. The combat footage also shows the player throwing the Poke Ball, which is a central technology Pokemon games that Nintendo has historically struggled to protect.

This was not the user's only attempt at cloning games

A look at Chris's Twitter profile shows Pokemon replica isn't their only game created by artificial intelligence. They also shared voxel style clips Minecraft clone and previously created other Pokemon copies, though none look as smooth or playable as the Fire Red version.

Cloning video games using AI can have legal implications

Creating a copy of a video game using AI tools may constitute copyright infringement depending on the substantial similarity of protected elements, as seen in Pokemon clone lawsuits. Even with no plans to sell or profit from the AI-generated game, copyright holders like Nintendo could still take legal action. In addition to the legal risks, community opposition is also likely. Many fandoms have become increasingly hostile to the “problem” generated by AI, and even major publishers such as Take-Two have expressed concerns about using AI due to negative player reactions. Consequently, it remains unclear how Pokemon fans will react to Pokemon Fire Red created by AI.