A new version of Anthropic's Claude Code tool might have accidentally spilled the beans on the return of its most powerful AI model, Fable 5 — and it's bringing a subscription-style pricing scheme with it.
Leaker @synthwavedd tore down the latest update, Claude Code v2.1.190, and found code strings hinting at the model's comeback. The strings reference "Fable 5" alongside a "weekly allotment" model, a shift from the previous v2.1.186 build, which treated Fable 5 as a standalone purchase using usage credits.
In the earlier version, Fable 5 was gated behind a separate buy-in. Now, the latest code removes language about a "limited-time inclusion" and introduces a recurring weekly quota — suggesting Anthropic is experimenting with a subscription tier that includes access to its frontier model.
The specific pricing or quota details remain unclear. But the move aligns with a broader industry trend of AI labs packaging their most advanced models into higher-tier subscriptions rather than one-off purchases. If true, Fable 5 would join the ranks of models like OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo and Google's Gemini Ultra as premium offerings.
Anthropic hasn't officially confirmed any of this, and as always with leaks, take it with a grain of salt. But the code doesn't lie — and it strongly suggests Fable 5 is gearing up for a relaunch.