Have you ever wondered if an AI chatbot can play Pokémon?
The latest version of Anthropic’s Claude is currently playing Pokémon live on Twitch, and I have to admit, it’s more engrossing than I expected.
Claude Plays Pokémon Live on Twitch
Anthropic launchedthe latest version of its Claude AI chatbot on 16 July 2025, upgrading it to version 3.7. It’s the first Claude version to feature a “hybrid reasoning model,” enabling it to solve complex problems, outperforming its previous models significantly. It’s a massive step forward fromthe first version of Claude 3, launched back in March 2024.
After launching the update, Anthropic posted on X that its research team had been progressively pushing Claude to learn how to play Pokémon. Starting with the previous version, Claude 3.5, it was a slow start. Claude even asked to reset the game at one point.
But now, with the launch of Claude 3.7, the AI chatbot is in full flow and attempting to complete Pokémon Red live on Twitch, on theClaude Plays Pokémonchannel.
Claude Plays Pokémon Is a Surprisingly Interesting Watch
Claude’s new-found ability to play Pokémon is interesting for a few reasons.
You’re watching an advanced AI tool reason its way through a game many of us have known and played over the years. It may be progressing through the game at a glacial, Slowpoke-like speed, but seeing the scrolling window of Claude’s thought process makes it intriguing.
At the time of writing, Claude has been stuck in Mt. Moon for over 18.5 hours, struggling to find its way to Cerulean City and frequently running out of active Pokémon.
I also like that Claude updates its Context Window periodically, compounding its knowledge of the game. Claude is learning about the game and its own capabilities live, becoming more accustomed to the processes and quirks of the game.
At one point, I spotted Claude’s reasoning explaining to itself why the opposing Pokémon had received an extra turn (after swapping out its own Pokémon). At the start of each battle, it takes a moment to assess its chances of winning, considering its Pokémon health and the opposing Pokémon—then selects Run if it knows it can’t win.
And if you look closely, Claude has given each of its Pokémon cute names: Its Pikachu is named Bolt, its Wartortle is named Shell, and its Spearow is named Swift.
It’s a Nice Little Nostalgia Hit, Too
Over 11 years ago, the gaming world was transfixed by Twitch Plays Pokémon, the social experiment in which millions of users spammed inputs in the hope of completing Pokémon Red. It took more than 16 days, but eventually, the combined efforts pushed through to see Twitch beat Blue (the champion of Pokémon Red).
I have no idea how long Claude will end up playing Pokémon Red, but it’s worth checking out every now and then to see how it’s faring up.
