When epic historical adventures meet frustrating compatibility quirks, you can be sure the internet will make some noise. That’s exactly what’s unfolded as Ubisoft, known for their blockbuster Assassin's Creed franchise, has rolled out crucial patches for Assassin's Creed Origins and Valhalla. These updates aim to address the compatibility issues introduced by Microsoft’s recent Windows 11 24H2 update. Let's dissect how these updates came about, what they resolve, and explore the broader implications for gamers and Windows users.
Microsoft acknowledged the severity of this problem in November 2024, listing these titles on their Windows Health dashboard. To prevent further chaos, the 24H2 update was blocked for systems with these games installed. Just imagine bracing for the mythical Norse apocalypse in Valhalla, only for your game to crash before the first swing of your Viking axe – not exactly Ragnarök-worthy.
What are your thoughts on these updates? Did the compatibility issues affect your gameplay? Head over to the Forum and share your experience. Let’s talk gaming and tech!
Source: Neowin Updates hit Assassin's Creed Origins and Valhalla to fix Windows 11 24H2 compatibility issue
The Problem: Windows 11 24H2's Game Compatibility Woes
The Windows 11 24H2 update, touted as an incremental enhancement to Microsoft's flagship operating system, inadvertently brought along a glitch in the matrix for gamers. Titles like Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and several Assassin's Creed installments became the unexpected victims. Ubisoft’s acclaimed historical action series, spanning ancient Egypt (Origins), Viking-era England (Valhalla), and classical Greece (Odyssey), faced widespread crashes, unresponsiveness, and failed loads.Microsoft acknowledged the severity of this problem in November 2024, listing these titles on their Windows Health dashboard. To prevent further chaos, the 24H2 update was blocked for systems with these games installed. Just imagine bracing for the mythical Norse apocalypse in Valhalla, only for your game to crash before the first swing of your Viking axe – not exactly Ragnarök-worthy.
Ubisoft Steps In: Patch Details
Ubisoft, in an effort to quell fan frustration, has released updates for Assassin's Creed Origins and Valhalla. Here’s what’s in store with these patches:- Assassin's Creed Origins: Users can now download update 1.62, weighing 230MB. This patch targets and resolves compatibility issues, allowing gamers to explore ancient Egypt’s golden sands without technical interruptions.
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla: A meatier 500MB patch brings this title to version 1.7.0. Like its Egyptian counterpart, this update tackles the unresponsiveness and loading issues caused by the Windows update.
The Windows Health Dashboard and Remaining Concerns
Microsoft’s Windows Health dashboard still warns about potential game-breaking incompatibilities for Valhalla, Origins, and Odyssey. Descriptions include ominous phrases like, “games might become unresponsive while starting, loading, or during active gameplay.” It’s likely this will soon change as users install the new patches. Even so, lingering skepticism remains around how robust these updates really are. Will this fully resolve the problem, or are gamers merely in for temporary relief?A Closer Look at Windows 11 24H2 and Gaming
The botched compatibility here raises an eyebrow when evaluating Windows 11 as a gaming platform. Promoted for its gaming prowess with features like DirectStorage, Auto HDR, and optimizations for CPUs and GPUs, such glaring hiccups undermine user trust. Let’s unpack what caused the trouble and how patches like these come into play.Compatibility & Windows’ Subsystems
Windows updates, including 24H2, often involve under-the-hood changes to kernel operations, DirectX APIs, driver interfaces, and even memory allocation protocols. Games built on older or slightly customized engines, as is the case with Ubisoft’s AnvilNext game engine, can face runtime conflicts when such changes are made. Issues could stem from:- Memory Addressing Mishaps: Modern games rely heavily on dynamic memory allocation. Mismanaged changes in Windows’ kernel or virtual memory mapping can lead to crashes when starting or during gameplay.
- DirectX Irritants: Updates to DirectX libraries can sometimes conflict with the graphics pipeline of games optimized for earlier versions, causing crashes or rendering bugs.
- Driver & Middleware Lags: Incompatibilities between updated Windows APIs and middleware like physics engines (e.g., Havok) or audio systems can pull games into the abyss of endless crashing.
Ubisoft Strikes Back: Updating AnvilNext
The patches for Origins and Valhalla likely entail tweaks to the way AnvilNext interacts with these Windows subsystems. Such updates typically involve resolving calls to graphics/rendering APIs, debugging memory allocation requests, and ensuring middleware components don’t conflict with OS kernel alterations. The smaller patch size is promising, suggesting targeted fixes rather than a heavy-handed retrofit.The Broader Implications
For Gamers
These misadventures between Windows updates and games highlight the fragility of modern PC gaming. With an increasing reliance on day-one updates, live services, and post-launch patches, gamers are at the mercy of developers and platform holders. The palpable frustration among Ubisoft’s community reveals one truth – stable updates should be a priority, not an afterthought.For Microsoft
The situation is also a wake-up call for Microsoft to rethink its communication and testing strategies. While using machine learning to predict compatibility issues is a step forward (hence blocking updates for affected titles), the proactive inclusion of gaming partners before rolling out significant OS changes could streamline the process. A stronger developer-preview ecosystem might preempt such compatibility blunders in the future.For Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s quick response (well, “quick” in a generously relative sense) is commendable, though its inability to ship simultaneous patches across the affected games leaves room for criticism. Leaving Odyssey users in limbo risks alienating a portion of their loyal fan base – hardly ideal for a studio with an ambitious AAA roadmap.How to Update Your Game
If you’re one of the affected players and want to waste no time diving back into your game, here’s how you can grab the updates:- For Steam: Ensure that automatic updates are enabled. Go to your game in the Library, right-click > Properties > Updates, and verify that “Always keep this game updated” is selected. If you don’t see an update, restart the Steam client.
- For Ubisoft Connect: Open the client, navigate to your library, and select the gear icon for Origins or Valhalla. Click “Verify Files” to force-check for updates.
- For Epic Games Store: Launch the client, go to your Library, and click on the three-dot menu for the game. Select “Manage” and toggle the auto-update option.
Final Thoughts: Who Watches the Updates?
This entire kerfuffle serves as a reminder: gamers and developers alike exist in a complex patchwork of operating systems, APIs, and hardware. While today we’re celebrating smoother gaming sessions in Origins and Valhalla, we’re also left asking bigger questions—how can industry giants like Microsoft and Ubisoft work together to guarantee smoother patches and fewer disruptions?What are your thoughts on these updates? Did the compatibility issues affect your gameplay? Head over to the Forum and share your experience. Let’s talk gaming and tech!
Source: Neowin Updates hit Assassin's Creed Origins and Valhalla to fix Windows 11 24H2 compatibility issue
