In late 2024, Microsoft released the Windows 11 24H2 update, targeting performance boosts and new features. However, this update unexpectedly caused serious compatibility problems with several popular Ubisoft games. Popular titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Star Wars Outlaws started to experience black screens, crashes, and freezes during startup or gameplay. This caused frustration among many gamers worldwide.
To grasp the scale of the problem, it helps to look at which specific Ubisoft games were affected and why these issues surfaced.
Which Ubisoft Games Were Impacted?
The following Ubisoft games were confirmed to have issues due to the Windows 11 24H2 update:
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (initially reported but later found unaffected)
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Players reported identical symptoms across different PC setups, indicating the update itself was the root cause rather than individual hardware differences.
Technical Causes Behind the Conflicts
While neither Microsoft nor Ubisoft initially provided exhaustive technical details, the community and experts speculated the update’s changes to DirectX 12 and DRM (digital rights management) protocols affected game stability.
Ubisoft games employ proprietary DRM and anti-cheat systems, which likely conflicted with new Windows system processes in 24H2. This mismatch caused games to freeze, crash, or display black screens.
Understanding these technical nuances offers insight into the complexity of modern game compatibility, especially with major OS upgrades.
How Did Microsoft and Ubisoft Respond?
With mounting user complaints, Microsoft acted quickly to mitigate the situation by:
- Pausing the 24H2 update installation on PCs with affected Ubisoft titles through a compatibility hold.
- Advising users not to manually install the update until a reliable fix was deployed.
Ubisoft responded by:
- Issuing temporary hotfixes for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, reducing crashes but not fully restoring optimal performance.
- Collaborating closely with Microsoft to develop permanent patches for all impacted games.
- Providing support and troubleshooting guides for affected players who had already upgraded.
This close cooperation was essential to restoring player trust and ensuring stable gaming experiences.
What Should Players Do Now?
If you have any of the affected Ubisoft games installed, the best approach is:
- Avoid installing the Windows 11 24H2 update manually for now to prevent disruptions.
- If you already installed the update and face issues, check Ubisoft’s official support pages and Microsoft’s update catalog for available hotfixes.
- Disable background overlays such as Discord, GeForce Experience, and Xbox Game Bar, which some users found helpful for stability.
- Keep your graphics drivers up to date; NVIDIA and AMD have been active in releasing game-friendly driver updates alongside Windows patches.
These practical steps can help maintain smoother gameplay experiences while waiting for comprehensive fixes.
Current Status and What’s Next?
As of early 2025, Microsoft lifted the compatibility hold after Ubisoft rolled out permanent patches, effectively resolving the major crashing and freezing issues on 24H2. Titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Origins, and Star Wars Outlaws are now running without the previous disruptions.
Although some performance variations remain for certain games, the collaboration between Microsoft and Ubisoft has largely restored functionality, marking a successful resolution to a challenging compatibility episode.
This case highlights the importance for gamers to delay major OS updates when possible until compatibility is verified—especially when using PC for favorite or competitive games.
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