A recent Windows update, specifically KB5121003, has been identified as the cause of instability in several multiplayer games, rendering them unresponsive. Affected titles include Arc Raiders, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals.
Embark Studios, developers of Arc Raiders and The Finals, initially theorized that a driver file named inpoutx64.sys was responsible for the game crashes. They suggested disabling this file via the Command Prompt as a temporary workaround. Microsoft has since corroborated this theory, confirming that inpoutx64.sys is indeed implicated in the issue, in conjunction with the recent update.
Microsoft's ongoing investigation indicates that the problem is likely related to peripherals or internal device components featuring RGB lighting. These devices can install drivers or code components that use file names similar to inpoutx64. When such drivers are present, launching certain games can trigger the issue. The company is working to understand the exact relationship between these RGB components, their drivers, and the affected games.
For users experiencing these game-breaking issues, Microsoft has provided a method to disable the problematic driver through the Windows Registry. This process involves navigating to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\inpoutx64 and changing the 'Start' registry value to '4'. Users are strongly advised to back up their registry before making any changes, as incorrect modifications can potentially destabilize the system. After altering the registry, a computer restart is necessary.
It is important to note that this registry change may disable certain RGB lighting features or interfere with the software used to control them. Affected players must weigh the trade-off between restoring game functionality and maintaining their system's aesthetic lighting effects. Alternatively, users can choose to roll back to a previous Windows update until a more permanent solution is provided by Microsoft.