Claude Code 2.1.302 turns on fork subagents by default across claude -p, Agent SDK, desktop and VS Code; standalone Claude Design closes Dec 14
Claude Code v2.1.302 (Oct 16) makes fork subagents the default in claude -p, the Agent SDK, desktop and VS Code, starts permission-mode-less headless sessions on third-party providers in default mode, and adds CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_MODEL. It also flags that standalone Claude Design (claude.ai/design) closes on Dec 14, 2026; design systems must be migrated to Claude Artifacts, while chats and comments are not carried over.
Key Takeaways
- Fork subagents now default-on in claude -p, Agent SDK, desktop and VS Code; disable with CLAUDE_CODE_FORK_SUBAGENT=0
- Headless sessions with no permission mode on third-party providers start in default mode (telemetry off or fresh install); --permission-mode auto keeps auto
- New CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_MODEL picks the client-side auto mode classifier model; prompt/agent hooks capped at 12 concurrent per event
- Read tool refuses image sources over 128 MB; MCP servers on protocol 2026-07-28 that omit resultType/ttlMs/cacheScope no longer break
- Standalone claude.ai/design closes Dec 14, 2026; chats, comments and public links are not migrated and originals are deleted afterward