Claude Code v2.1.68: Opus 4.6 defaults to medium effort, reintroduces ultrathink keyword

Claude Code v2.1.68 release notes

Anthropics has released Claude Code v2.1.68 with changes to effort settings and model availability. This update primarily affects how the Opus 4.6 model handles different types of coding tasks.

Key changes in this release

• Opus 4.6 default effort changed: For Max and Team subscribers, Opus 4.6 now defaults to medium effort instead of the previous setting. According to the release notes, "Medium effort works well for most tasks — it's the sweet spot between speed and thoroughness."
• Effort control: Users can change the effort setting anytime using the /model command.
• UltraThink keyword reintroduced: The "ultrathink" keyword has been re-added to enable high effort for the next turn. This allows users to temporarily boost the model's processing for complex tasks without permanently changing settings.
• Model deprecation: Opus 4 and Opus 4.1 have been removed from Claude Code on the first-party API. Users who had these models pinned are automatically moved to Opus 4.6.

The release was published on March 4th by ashwin-ant and includes commit 0b3f7cb. These changes are specific to Claude Code, Anthropics' coding-focused implementation of their Claude models.