Microsoft admits Windows 11 24H2 could wreak havoc on some online games – and has blocked the update for affected PCs
Windows 11 24H2 hasn’t been out long and there are already issues in the bug department, with some PC gamers experiencing frustrating issues.
So far, the 24H2 update has had only a limited rollout (to Windows 11 PCs, i.e. Copilot+ PCs were running 24H2 from the start, though not with all the features, we should add, plus some new AI capabilities. incoming now ). Still, that cautious approach hasn’t prevented a number of issues from 24H2 from cropping up, predictably enough, a few of which specifically affect PC gamers.
According to the Windows health status dashboardthere is a problem with Asphalt 8 and a bigger potential problem with some games that run Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC). This includes, for example, some very popular games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends.
As Microsoft explains: “Some devices using Easy Anti-Cheat may become unresponsive and experience a blue screen.”
Please note that not every EAC game is affected, and only titles with an older version of the anti-cheating tool will not play well with Windows 11 24H2. Tom’s hardware reports that versions of EAC dated before April 2024 will experience a ‘Memory Management’ Blue Screen of Death (in other words, a complete lock-up).
Also note that AMD Ryzen processors are not affected, only PCs with Intel CPUs (and not older chips either – only Alder Lake processors or newer from Team Blue).
The Asphalt 8 bug is simpler as it can freeze and become unresponsive from time to time.
As a result, compatibility restrictions have been placed on PCs with Asphalt 8 installed or an outdated version of Easy Anti-Cheat, to prevent them from running into problems.
If you fall into these categories, you won’t get Windows 11 24H2 — nor will you be able to see it in Windows Update — until Microsoft fixes these incompatibility issues.
Analysis: Sugar on the asphalt
There’s not much you can do about Asphalt 8 other than uninstall the game if you’re desperate for Windows 11’s 24H2 update (although you might still have to wait for that, given the phased rollout).
In the case of Easy Anti-Cheat, you can try installing the latest patch for each game that uses this tool, hoping that the tool will be updated within that patch. In that scenario, with a more recent version of Easy Anti-Cheat, you will hopefully no longer experience the glitch.
To be fair to Microsoft in this case, you would hope that every developer would have bundled the latest version of Easy Anti-Cheat with the most recent update of their game, and that games wouldn’t have to run an EAC version from six months ago ( or older). If the developer hasn’t pushed a recent EAC build with game updates, it’s not Microsoft’s fault.
Elsewhere, there are some non-gaming issues Microsoft has noticed with Windows 11 24H2. That includes fingerprint sensors becoming erratic, apps altering wallpapers and causing chaos, and other compatibility issues with PCs running the Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST) driver.
However, there are no real showstoppers to see right away, which is clearly a relief, although it is still too early for the 24H2 update. As noted, only a limited number of Windows 11 users have 24H2 so far.
