Nvidia’s latest Game Ready Driver package claims to provide the best possible gaming experience for all major new releases. The package’s release notes also state that the release is Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certified, which is typically a sign that a driver package has successfully passed Microsoft’s software testing suite and is ready for widespread release. Despite the claim and certification, the latest driver package appears to cause several Modern Warfare 2 PC issues. Some issues, such as in-game parties causing matches to crash, have already been acknowledged and are under investigation by Infinity Ward’s development teams. The tweet from Beenox backs several other Reddit posts and reports citing instability and crashing since the game’s launch. Nvidia later confirmed the issue in an email to PC Gamer, stating, “yes, there is a bug filed for this game, and we are working on a hotfix.” Nvidia’s email appears to contradict their standard driver release language, which claims “the best possible gaming experience for all major new releases.” The email said this behavior “…is exactly why our latest Game Ready Driver wasn’t promoted or recommended for this title in the first place.” However, most would argue that the latest addition to the Modern Warfare lineup, without a doubt, qualifies as a major new release.
Nvidia is currently working on a fix to resolve the identified bug. It has no additional information or timeline regarding when it will be ready. However, Team Green is usually pretty quick when it comes to these things and should release an updated package soon. Until a fix is released, users running the newest driver and looking to play Modern Warfare 2 should follow Beenox’s guidance and revert to Game Ready Driver version 516.59 or version 522.25. Nvidia also provides users requiring the fix with detailed rollback and removal instructions on their product info page.
