Microsoft has confirmed that recent Windows updates, specifically KB5121003 and subsequent releases from August 11, 2026, are causing games to crash or fail to launch on systems running Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. The company is investigating reports of issues where games like *ARC Raiders*, *MARVEL T kon: Fighting Souls*, and *The Finals* are affected, with users also experiencing game freezes, "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" errors, and unexpected system restarts.
Initial findings from Microsoft's ongoing investigation suggest a connection to peripherals or internal device components equipped with RGB lighting features. These devices may install drivers or code components with filenames similar to "inpoutx64." Microsoft stated that in systems where these drivers are present, the issue is triggered upon launching certain games. The company is working to understand the precise relationship between these RGB components and the games that exhibit the problem.
Embark Studios, the developer behind *ARC Raiders* and *The Finals*, independently identified "inpoutx64.sys" as the cause of crashes impacting some players since the Windows update. Embark noted that changes to the Windows kernel driver are at the root of the problem.
While Microsoft works on an official resolution, Embark Studios has provided a temporary workaround. This multi-step process involves users deleting a specific service and removing the "inpoutx64" file from the Windows drivers folder.
This is not the first instance of Windows updates affecting gaming performance or stability. In October 2024, Microsoft blocked Windows 24H2 upgrades due to issues causing *Asphalt 8* crashes and blue screens related to Easy Anti-Cheat. In January 2025, a compatibility hold was lifted after a bug in the Auto HDR Windows feature, which was breaking some games on Windows 11 24H2 devices, was fixed. Early last year, several upgrade blocks were also removed that had prevented players of *Asphalt 8: Airborne*, *Assassin's Creed*, *Star Wars Outlaws*, and *Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora* from updating their devices to the latest Windows version.
