[Bug] Opus 5 and Fable 5 depletes usage limits at the same rate. Usage limits decreased to 1/3 of previous limits on 20x max plan without code changes
<img width="705" height="652" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/301cdb8a-4318-4bd0-bba8-da98b6ded7ed" />
<img width="1011" height="281" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bd62ff3d-147f-4dd5-b1d9-6ab8906f1d09" />
What's Wrong?
Effective usage on the 20x Max plan dropped to roughly one third this week, with no change on my side — same model, same thinking and effort settings, same type of work.
Comparing the two rate-limit windows reported by /usage:
| | 5-hour window consumed | Corresponding weekly window consumed |
|---|---|---|
| Previously | ~10% | 1% |
| Now | ~3% | 1% |
In other words, the weekly allowance is now exhausted after roughly 3x less work than before. Screenshots above.
What Should Happen?
Weekly-window consumption per unit of work should remain stable, or any reduction should be announced in advance. The advertised 20x Max entitlement and the 50% additional-usage extension both imply limits going up, not down.
Error Messages/Logs
[]No errors are surfaced — the reduction is only visible by comparing /usage output across weeks.
Steps to Reproduce
- On a 20x Max plan, set the model to Opus with high thinking effort.
- Run a normal working session.
- Run
/usageand record the 5-hour window and weekly window percentages. - Repeat on a comparable session in a later week and compare the ratio between the two windows.
Observed: the ratio moved from ~10:1 to ~3:1 (5-hour : weekly).
Claude Model
Opus, high thinking effort.
Is this a regression?
Yes. The change occurred without a client update — version 2.1.220 was in use both before and after, which suggests a server-side limit change rather than a code change.
Claude Code Version
2.1.220
Platform
Claude subscription (Max 20x)
Operating System
macOS (darwin)
Terminal
VS Code
Additional Information
Feedback ID: 273b8592-31b2-44aa-a054-44590cc9753f
Could someone confirm whether this reduction is intentional, and if so, where it was communicated? Others in this thread are reporting the same pattern.
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4 Comments
I am seeing usage reduced from 4x lots of Fable to week down to 2.66x, like the 50% extra usage has been removed too early.
I first noticed this around the time the 50% additional-usage extension was announced, though the reduction I am seeing is more severe than that alone would account for.
This is not the first occurrence, and I have reported similar changes previously. Reducing usage limits without prior notice — particularly while increased limits are being advertised — is hard to reconcile. Clarity on the current limits, and on any planned changes, would be appreciated.
Independent confirmation of the 3:1 ratio you're now seeing — same plan, same client version, different OS.
Environment: Max 20x, Claude Code v2.1.220, Windows, Opus with high effort.
My weekly window reset Friday evening (24 Jul). I was away Fri–Sat with zero usage, so both meters were genuinely at zero when I started work on Sunday 26 Jul. After ~1 hour of active work the meters read:
Session (5hr) 6% / Weekly (7d) 2% — i.e. 3:1, matching your "now" figure exactly.
I have no "before" baseline of my own to compare against, so I can't independently corroborate the 10:1 → 3:1 change itself — only that the current ratio on my account matches what you're reporting after the change.
Two caveats, to keep this honest:
cache_readby token count (31.1M cache_read vs 465 fresh input over that window, deduplicated bymessage.id). If the weekly pool meters cache reads above the documented 0.1×, that alone would compress the effective weekly allowance for cache-heavy workloads — see #81234, where I posted the full token breakdown. That's a different candidate explanation from the "+50% promotional usage ended early" theory in this thread, and I can't tell from the client side which one applies.Today's testing showed both Opus 5 and Fable 5 depletes usage limits at the same rate.
Fable 5's rate is expected. Opus 5 however should deplete at a slower rate.