Nvidia confirms its latest driver is causing problems in Modern Warfare 2

call of duty: modern warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision)

If you haven't yet updated to the latest Nvidia graphics driver, you might want to hold off: Nvidia has confirmed that there is a bug in the driver that's causing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 crashes.

Word of the issue initially came to our attention by way of Beenox, the lead studio on the PC version of Modern Warfare 2. "We've noticed some stability issues with the latest NVIDIA drivers 526.47 on Call of Duty #MWII," the studio tweeted. "For now we'd suggest you keep the 516.59, or 522.25 drivers.

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Nvidia later confirmed a problem in an email sent to PC Gamer. "Yes, there is a bug filed for this game and we are working on a hotfix," a representative wrote. "This is specifically why our latest Game Ready Driver wasn't promoted or recommended for this title in the first place."

Ironically, several people posting about problems on Reddit say they've updated to the latest drivers in order to address crash problems. One redditor, for instance, describes Steam requiring a lengthy download after a crash before it will allow the game to launch again (even though it's not actually downloading anything), a problem I've run into myself a few times. Updating graphics drivers is a standard early step when it comes to troubleshooting, yet in this case it apparently just makes the problem worse.

Nvidia didn't provide a time frame on when the hotfix will be available, but the current Game Ready Driver is still listed as 526.47—the broken one—so for now the best thing to do is just stick with what you've got, even if it's a little wonky. If you've already updated and want to roll back, instructions for doing so are up at nvidia.com.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.