Gemini 2.5 Pro enters infinite "\b" repetition loop (65k+ tokens billed) - Same behavior as Flash

We are encountering a severe regression in Gemini 2.5 Pro where the model enters an infinite repetition loop of backspace control characters (\b), generating garbage output until it hits the max_output_tokens limit (approx. 65,536 tokens).

Previously Observed: We dealt with this exact instability for months on Gemini 2.5 Flash.

  1. Current Status: As of today (Jan 14, 2026), this critical failure mode has migrated to Gemini 2.5 Pro production endpoints.

  2. Billing Impact: Extremely High. A single failed request is billing us for ~65k output tokens of useless control characters.

    The screenshot demonstrates the API response where the output is a continuous stream of backspace characters, and the token usage count is maxed out at the limit.

Fix: Please acknowledge that the instability previously contained to Flash has affected the Pro tier. We need an ETA on a patch for the repetition penalty logic regarding control characters.

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