Microsoft warns that the latest Windows 11 update may crash PC games now

By Kunal Khullar Published November 25, 2024

Microsoft has once again temporarily halted the rollout of its latest major Windows 11 update, also known as 24H2. This time it is for systems running select Ubisoft games following widespread user reports of crashes and performance issues. The affected titles include Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Star Wars Outlaws, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Common complaints include black screens, freezing, and unresponsiveness during gameplay or while loading these titles. “I just bought a new gaming laptop with RTX 4080, Intel i9 14900hx. I can’t play the game (Origins) even for 5 minutes because it crashes to a black screen, with audio, and the only way to close it is from task manager. Impossible to play,” one user shared on Reddit. Others reported similar frustrations, citing the persistent error “NTDLL.dll” that renders their games unplayable.

Ubisoft has released a temporary fix for Star Wars Outlaws, but Microsoft warns that players may still experience performance issues. For now, the tech giant advises users to avoid manually installing the 24H2 update and to force-quit unresponsive games using Task Manager until a permanent fix is deployed.

This is one of many compatibility issues tied to the 24H2 update. Last month, problems arose with competitive multiplayer games relying on Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat software, impacting popular titles like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Rocket League. There was also an incompatibility issue with certain Western Digital SSDs.

Microsoft confirmed it is actively working with Ubisoft and other developers to address the glitches, though no timeline for a solution has been provided. The company has promised to re-enable the update for affected systems once the fixes are in place.

The situation highlights the challenges of balancing large-scale OS updates with a diverse ecosystem of software and hardware. As Microsoft works to resolve these issues, users are advised to stay informed through official support channels and update only when stability is assured.