[BUG] ridiculous consumption rate in Max plan since March

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Description

I'm on the Max 20x $200/month plan and the usage consumption has become unusable.

In normal daily work with Claude Code, the 5-hour sliding window (and overall usage) is being consumed extremely fast. I'm only able to work a few hours before hitting the limit again, even though it's a premium plan.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Use Claude Code CLI on a Max 20x $200 plan.
2. Work on a normal TypeScript/React/Next.js project (marketing website redesigns, component iterations, multi-file edits, etc.).
3. Use Opus 4.6 with typical coding workflow (reading multiple files, making changes, iterative improvements).
4. Continue working normally for a few hours.

Result: The 5-hour limit is reached very quickly (often in 1-2 hours), forcing me to stop working much earlier than expected.

What should happen

On a $200 Max 20x plan, I should be able to comfortably work many hours per day (several full working sessions) without constantly hitting the limit, especially during normal weekdays.

The consumption rate should allow for serious development work, as it did before mid-March 2026.

Actual behavior

• The limit is being consumed much faster than before.
• I'm only getting a few hours of productive work before hitting the cap.
• This is happening consistently since the March 2026 issues.
• It's only Tuesday and usage is already extremely high, with the weekly reset still days away.

Additional context

• This problem started after the March outages and has gotten progressively worse.
• Many other Max 20x users are reporting the exact same rapid consumption.
• Before mid-March I could work long sessions without frequently hitting limits.

Environment

• Claude Code version: v2.1.94
• OS: macOS
• Model: Opus 4.6
• Project type: TypeScript / React / Next.js (marketing sites)

This makes the $200 Max plan feel broken for real development work. Please investigate the usage metering in Claude Code.

Thank you.

What Should Happen?

On a $200 Max 20x plan, I should be able to comfortably work many hours per day (several full working sessions) without constantly hitting the limit, especially during normal weekdays.

The consumption rate should allow for serious development work, as it did before mid-March 2026.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Use Claude Code CLI on a Max 20x $200 plan.
2. Work on a normal TypeScript/React/Next.js project (marketing website redesigns, component iterations, multi-file edits, etc.).
3. Use Opus 4.6 with typical coding workflow (reading multiple files, making changes, iterative improvements).
4. Continue working normally for a few hours.

Result: The 5-hour limit is reached very quickly (often in 1-2 hours), forcing me to stop working much earlier than expected.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.94

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_