Microsoft has confirmed it is investigating reports that recent Windows updates, specifically those released on August 11, 2026, may be causing gaming issues on some Windows 11 systems. Users have reported that certain games may fail to launch, crash unexpectedly, or exhibit other stability problems.
The issues appear to affect Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2, following the installation of update KB5121003 or later. Reported symptoms include games freezing, closing without warning, displaying "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" errors, and triggering unexpected system restarts. Microsoft stated it is actively investigating whether its updates are the cause and will provide further information as it becomes available. The KB5121003 update, part of the August 2026 Patch Tuesday, included Secure Boot updates and improvements to File Explorer and Windows Search. Microsoft has encouraged affected gamers to submit reports through the Feedback Hub app.
Embark Studios, the developer of the game *The Finals*, has identified the problem as related to changes in the `inpoutx64.sys` Windows kernel driver, which was modified by the KB5121003 update. *The Finals* is among the games confirmed by users to be experiencing issues, alongside *ARC Raiders* and *MARVEL T kon: Fighting Souls*.
While Microsoft works on an official fix, Embark Studios has provided a temporary workaround. This involves stopping and deleting a service and then removing the `inpoutx64` file from the `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\` directory. Embark Studios indicated they are also developing a long-term solution to deploy as soon as possible.
This is not the first instance of Windows updates impacting gaming performance. In October 2024, Microsoft temporarily blocked Windows 24H2 upgrades due to issues causing blue screens with Easy Anti-Cheat and crashes in *Asphalt 8*. Last year, a compatibility hold was lifted after the Auto HDR feature in Windows 11 24H2 was found to be breaking some games. More recently, several upgrade blocks were removed that had prevented players of titles such as *Asphalt 8: Airborne*, *Assassin's Creed*, *Star Wars Outlaws*, and *Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora* from updating their devices to the latest Windows version.
