{
  "id": 2123764,
  "title": "Microsoft probes reports of games taking exception to Windows 11's August update",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/microsoft-probes-reports-of-games-taking-exception-to-windows-11s-2123764",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-20T11:03:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register",
    "slug": "the-register",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/08/20/microsoft-probes-reports-of-games-taking-exception-to-windows-11s-august-update/5290214"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microsoft is currently investigating reports of games crashing following the August update for Windows 11. The company acknowledged these reports on its Release Health page. Affected games may encounter issues such as becoming unresponsive, closing unexpectedly, displaying an EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION error, or prompting an unexpected device restart. The majority of reports emerged after the release of KB5121003 for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. However, the support page for KB5121003 still lists no known issues. Microsoft has separately confirmed it is investigating the game crash reports. It is worth noting that not every title is affected by this issue. Among the titles reporting problems are ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals. Microsoft has not accepted responsibility for the crashes, stating that it is presently investigating to determine if the issue is caused by Microsoft. Some users have suggested that the tighter kernel handle validation in Windows 11 may have exposed problems in third-party drivers that the previous version of the OS was tolerant of, leading to crashes when code ventures into areas it shouldn't. While this theory could enhance security, it may also negatively impact software that relied on the previous behavior. Microsoft has not confirmed this theory. The August Patch Tuesday update was significant, addressing 421 Microsoft CVEs, 236 of which affected Windows. Uninstalling this update as a workaround is not recommended, as it could potentially introduce additional issues. The reports of game crashes come amid Microsoft's tightening of treatment for old and incompatible kernel drivers. In March, the company removed trust for kernel drivers that had not been through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP), further tightening the Windows kernel. Additionally, Microsoft has launched its Driver Quality Initiative (DQI) to improve operating system stability. The investigation into the game crashes continues, and Microsoft has requested feedback from affected users.",
  "summary": "Affected titles crash, freeze, or restart PCs while Redmond works out whether it is to blame",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "PC Gamer",
        "title": "The latest Windows 11 update is borking some multiplayer games, but Arc Raiders' developer has a quick workaround",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/the-latest-windows-11-update-is-borking-some-multiplayer-games-but",
        "published": "2026-08-20T11:00:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Register Science",
        "title": "Microsoft probes reports of games taking exception to Windows 11's August update",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/microsoft-probes-reports-of-games-taking-exception-to-windows-11s",
        "published": "2026-08-20T11:03:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}