The Claude Code changelog lists version 2.1.322, dated 10 November 2026, with one change: fast mode is now available on Vertex in the global, us and eu regions. If Vertex refuses fast mode, Claude Code falls back to standard speed.
What changed
Teams that run Claude Code through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, usually because procurement, billing or data-residency rules keep AI traffic inside an existing cloud contract, can now use the faster output option that was previously tied to other routes. The region options include an EU one.
The detail worth reading twice
The fallback is automatic. If Vertex declines a fast request, the session carries on at standard speed. The changelog does not say the user is warned, so a developer may be waiting longer without knowing why. It does not state any pricing for fast mode on Vertex either, so treat cost as something to confirm with your cloud account, not assume.
What it means
The news is less about speed than about where AI coding tools can run. Each release that adds a cloud route makes it easier for a regulated or enterprise buyer to approve AI-assisted development inside infrastructure they already govern. That removes a common objection from security reviews.
So what
If you are commissioning software and want AI-assisted delivery, ask which cloud route the tooling uses, which region, and what happens to your code there. Our AI-assisted development service is built around those answers being explicit, and healthcare software development adds the data-handling rules that sector needs. When you are ready, start a project.