feat: claude-opus-5 joins the model catalog as the reasoning default

claude/aqe-reference.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ called first**, e.g. `fleet_init({ topology:"hierarchical", maxAgents:15, memory
   shows an "LLM Billing" section saying who pays. `aqe init` never writes these — but
   **`ak x provider pick` now manages `AQE_LLM_PROVIDER` for you** (into
   `.claude/settings.local.json` `env`, reversibly), and can write an ordered **fallback chain**
-  into `.agentic-qe/llm-config.json` from `kit.json` (`--aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-4-8; openai:gpt-5.6'`) —
+  into `.agentic-qe/llm-config.json` from `kit.json` (`--aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-5; openai:gpt-5.6'`) —
   keys stay in the env, never the file. aqe is NOT limited to claude-code: codex the *CLI* isn't a
   provider type, but its OpenAI models are reachable via `AQE_LLM_PROVIDER=openai`.
 

claude/providers-reference.md

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ For **deterministic** ordering (rather than relying on env auto-enable), `ak` wr
 
 ```bash
 ak x provider pick --aqe-provider claude-code \
-  --aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-4-8; openai:gpt-5.6; gemini:gemini-3.5-flash'
+  --aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-5; openai:gpt-5.6; gemini:gemini-3.5-flash'
 ```
 
 Each `provider:model,model` entry becomes an ordered `fallbackChain` entry (first = highest

docs/PROVIDERS.md

@@ -118,14 +118,14 @@ When you want explicit ordering rather than env auto-enable, `ak` manages agenti
 ```bash
 ak x provider pick \
   --aqe-provider claude-code \
-  --aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-4-8; openai:gpt-5.6; gemini:gemini-3.5-flash'
+  --aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-5; openai:gpt-5.6; gemini:gemini-3.5-flash'
 ```
 
 Each `provider:model,model` becomes an ordered chain entry (first = highest priority). `ak`
 writes a complete, schema-correct chain, tags it `_managedBy: agentic-kit`, and **never**
 writes your API keys.
 
-> Model IDs above are examples current as of July 2026 (Claude Opus 4.8, OpenAI GPT-5.6 —
+> Model IDs above are examples current as of July 2026 (Claude Opus 5, OpenAI GPT-5.6 —
 > or `gpt-5.3-codex` for agentic coding — Google Gemini 3.5 Flash). Use whatever IDs your
 > provider currently offers; `ak` writes the strings you give it verbatim.
 
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ provider — add them to the chain and put `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` in your env:
 ```bash
 ak x provider pick \
   --aqe-provider claude-code \
-  --aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-4-8; openrouter:z-ai/glm-5.2'
+  --aqe-fallback 'claude-code:claude-opus-5; openrouter:z-ai/glm-5.2'
 ```
 
 Curated picks (verified July 2026): `z-ai/glm-5.2` (flagship — 1M context, strong
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ Defaults (all overridable; your edits are marked `custom` and never re-seeded):
 | Activity | Host | Default model |
 |---|---|---|
 | specification, review, release | claude | `claude-sonnet-5` |
-| architecture, design, debugging, security-analysis | claude | `claude-opus-4-8` |
+| architecture, design, debugging, security-analysis | claude | `claude-opus-5` |
 | implementation, testing, security-scan | codex | `gpt-5.4` |
 | documentation, packaging | codex | `gpt-5.3-codex` |
 
@@ -181,15 +181,25 @@ Defaults (all overridable; your edits are marked `custom` and never re-seeded):
 
 | Host | Model | When to use |
 |---|---|---|
-| claude | `claude-opus-4-8` | deep reasoning — architecture, design, hard debugging |
+| claude | `claude-opus-5` | new top Opus — ~2× Opus 4.8 at the same price; premium reasoning default |
 | claude | `claude-sonnet-5` | near-Opus at lower cost — review, spec, release |
-| claude | `claude-fable-5` | top capability (above Opus), premium — hardest problems |
+| claude | `claude-fable-5` | top capability (Mythos-class, above Opus 5) — hardest problems |
 | claude | `claude-haiku-4-5-20251001` | cheap/fast — high-volume mechanical |
+| claude | `claude-opus-4-8` | prior Opus generation — same price as opus-5, kept for pinned configs |
 | codex | `gpt-5.4` | coding + reasoning + agentic — recommended execution default |
 | codex | `gpt-5.6-sol` | newest line; first-class max reasoning effort |
 | codex | `gpt-5.3-codex` | pure coding-tuned — mechanical implementation & docs |
 | codex | `gpt-5-codex-mini` | smallest/cheapest — escalation floor, high volume |
 
+> **Where Opus 5 sits** ([announcement](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-5), July 2026):
+> same $5/$25 per-Mtok pricing as Opus 4.8 with roughly double the Frontier-Bench
+> performance, so it strictly supersedes 4.8 as the reasoning-tier default — a capability
+> tier above Opus 4.8 at no added cost. It is **not** Mythos-class: `claude-fable-5`
+> remains the flagship tier. Opus 5 lands within ~0.5% of Fable on coding/agentic
+> benchmarks at about half the cost per task, but stays behind the Mythos-class models on
+> frontier domains. Rule of thumb: `claude-opus-5` is the premium default;
+> `claude-fable-5` is the escalation ceiling.
+
 `ak x provider pick --help` prints this list too. Tuning is per-route and reversible: hand-edit
 `kit.json` `providers.dualRouting`, pass `--route`, or `ak x provider off` to clear it entirely.
 

src/commands/x/provider.mjs

@@ -73,13 +73,13 @@ Options (pick, all optional — omit for interactive):
                                  billing: claude-code = Claude sub ($0),
                                  ollama/onnx = local ($0), all others = metered key
   --aqe-fallback '<chain>'     ordered aqe chain, e.g.
-                                 'claude-code:claude-opus-4-8; openai:gpt-5.6'
+                                 'claude-code:claude-opus-5; openai:gpt-5.6'
                                  (metered providers work too, e.g. add
                                  'openrouter:z-ai/glm-5.2' — GLM via OpenRouter,
                                  needs OPENROUTER_API_KEY in the env)
   --provider <csv>             register ruflo API providers (e.g. openai:gpt-5.6)
   --route 'act:host[:model]'   override one activity's routing (repeatable), e.g.
-                                 --route 'implementation:claude:claude-opus-4-8'
+                                 --route 'implementation:claude:claude-opus-5'
                                  activities: specification, architecture, design,
                                  implementation, testing, review, security-scan,
                                  security-analysis, documentation, debugging,
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ async function pick({ flags, cwd }) {
     aqeProvider = aAns ? aAns : null;
     const suggestion = suggestedFallbackFor(enabled);
     const fAns = (await rl.question(
-      `aqe fallback chain, ordered (e.g. "claude-code:claude-opus-4-8; openai:gpt-5.6"${suggestion ? `, blank = use suggested [${suggestion}]` : ', blank = none'}): `,
+      `aqe fallback chain, ordered (e.g. "claude-code:claude-opus-5; openai:gpt-5.6"${suggestion ? `, blank = use suggested [${suggestion}]` : ', blank = none'}): `,
     )).trim().toLowerCase();
     aqeFallback = fAns ? parseFallback(fAns) : (suggestion ? parseFallback(suggestion.toLowerCase()) : []);
     const provAns = (await rl.question('ruflo API-key providers to register (e.g. openai:gpt-5.6, blank to skip): ')).trim();

src/lib/providers.mjs

@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ export const QE_COURT_TIP = 'agentic-qe ≥ 3.13.0 ships qe-court (adversarial r
  *  itself), so pairing claude-code + openai is a direct inference from the
  *  hosts already chosen in the same session. Literal reused from
  *  docs/PROVIDERS.md's own example rather than inventing new model ids. */
-export const AQE_FALLBACK_CODEX_SUGGESTION = 'claude-code:claude-opus-4-8; openai:gpt-5.6';
+export const AQE_FALLBACK_CODEX_SUGGESTION = 'claude-code:claude-opus-5; openai:gpt-5.6';
 export const suggestedFallbackFor = (enabledHosts) => (enabledHosts.includes('codex') ? AQE_FALLBACK_CODEX_SUGGESTION : null);
 
 // ── agentic-qe router config (.agentic-qe/llm-config.json) ──────────────────

src/lib/routing.mjs

@@ -40,13 +40,14 @@ export const SUBSCRIPTION_PROVIDERS = new Set(['claude-code', 'codex', 'ollama',
 // `--help`, and docs/PROVIDERS.md. NOT a hard allow-list: any model your host CLI
 // accepts also works — these are ak's curated picks. Web-verified on the date
 // below; model lines move fast, so re-check and let users override (ADR-0002/0003).
-export const MODEL_CATALOG_VERIFIED = '2026-07-23';
+export const MODEL_CATALOG_VERIFIED = '2026-07-24';
 export const MODEL_CATALOG = {
   claude: [
-    { id: 'claude-opus-4-8', tier: 'reasoning', note: 'deep reasoning — architecture, design, hard debugging' },
+    { id: 'claude-opus-5', tier: 'reasoning', note: 'new top Opus — ~2× Opus 4.8 at the same price, near-Fable on coding/agentic; premium reasoning default' },
     { id: 'claude-sonnet-5', tier: 'balanced', note: 'near-Opus at lower cost — review, spec, release' },
-    { id: 'claude-fable-5', tier: 'flagship', note: 'top capability (above Opus), premium — hardest problems' },
+    { id: 'claude-fable-5', tier: 'flagship', note: 'top capability (Mythos-class, above Opus 5) — hardest problems' },
     { id: 'claude-haiku-4-5-20251001', tier: 'fast', note: 'cheap/fast — high-volume mechanical work' },
+    { id: 'claude-opus-4-8', tier: 'prior', note: 'prior Opus generation — same price as opus-5, kept for pinned configs' },
   ],
   codex: [
     { id: 'gpt-5.4', tier: 'flagship', note: 'coding + reasoning + agentic — recommended execution default' },
@@ -138,15 +139,15 @@ export function swapRoute(route) {
 const R = (host, model, escalate) => ({ host, model, ...(escalate ? { escalate } : {}) });
 export const DEFAULT_ROUTES = {
   specification:       R('claude', 'claude-sonnet-5'),
-  architecture:        R('claude', 'claude-opus-4-8'),
-  design:              R('claude', 'claude-opus-4-8'),
-  implementation:      R('codex',  'gpt-5.4', [{ host: 'claude', model: 'claude-opus-4-8' }]),
-  testing:             R('codex',  'gpt-5.4', [{ host: 'claude', model: 'claude-opus-4-8' }]),
+  architecture:        R('claude', 'claude-opus-5'),
+  design:              R('claude', 'claude-opus-5'),
+  implementation:      R('codex',  'gpt-5.4', [{ host: 'claude', model: 'claude-opus-5' }]),
+  testing:             R('codex',  'gpt-5.4', [{ host: 'claude', model: 'claude-opus-5' }]),
   review:              R('claude', 'claude-sonnet-5'),
   'security-scan':     R('codex',  'gpt-5.4'),
-  'security-analysis': R('claude', 'claude-opus-4-8'),
+  'security-analysis': R('claude', 'claude-opus-5'),
   documentation:       R('codex',  'gpt-5.3-codex'),
-  debugging:           R('claude', 'claude-opus-4-8'),
+  debugging:           R('claude', 'claude-opus-5'),
   packaging:           R('codex',  'gpt-5.3-codex'),
   release:             R('claude', 'claude-sonnet-5'),
 };

tests/kit/routing.test.mjs

@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ test('escalatePolicy bumps ladder activities to their next (cross-vendor) rung',
 
 test('escalatePolicy skips a rung that equals the current route (no same-model retry)', () => {
   // a user override to the ladder rung itself must not "escalate" to the same thing
-  const policy = { implementation: { host: 'claude', model: 'claude-opus-4-8', source: 'user' } };
+  const rung = DEFAULT_ROUTES.implementation.escalate[0];
+  const policy = { implementation: { host: rung.host, model: rung.model, source: 'user' } };
   assert.ok(!('implementation' in escalatePolicy(policy)));
 });