You play War Thunder on PC with an AMD Radeon RX 5000 series card (RX 5300, 5500, 5600 or 5700) and, since a recent driver update, the match freezes, the screen goes black for a few seconds or the game closes? AMD acknowledges this problem in its release notes: it has been listed as a known issue since Adrenalin 26.9.2, and AMD advises going back to Adrenalin 26.9.1 until a fix is released. This guide explains how to check whether you are affected, then how to roll back to that version cleanly.
Problem
- During a War Thunder match, the image freezes or goes black, then the game closes or returns to the desktop.
- The AMD Bug Report Tool opens by itself after the incident.
- The problem started after installing Adrenalin 26.9.2, 26.10.1 or 26.10.2.
- Your graphics card is a Radeon RX 5000 series card.
What to know before acting
- What AMD says: the release notes for Adrenalin 26.9.2 (September 29, 2026), 26.10.1 (October 20, 2026) and 26.10.2 (October 30, 2026) list the same known issue: "Intermittent driver timeout may be observed while playing War Thunder on Radeon™ RX 5000 series graphics products". A driver timeout means the graphics driver stopped responding and had to restart.
- The official workaround: AMD recommends that affected players use Adrenalin 26.9.1, released on September 3, 2026. This issue does not appear in the notes for that version.
- RX 5000 series only: AMD's note only covers this series. With another card, this guide does not apply (see the special cases below).
- Status as of November 2, 2026: in the latest published version (26.10.2), the problem is still listed among the known issues. Before installing a new version, check its notes to see whether this problem has been fixed.
- Labels: the AMD pages cited are in English. Installer button names may differ slightly in other languages.
Step 1: identify your card and driver version
When to use it: always, first.
Suggested solution
- Right-click the Start button, then open Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters: your card's name appears (for example "AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT").
- Right-click the card, choose Properties, then the Driver tab, and note the Driver Version.
- Compare this number with the table below. Each Adrenalin package contains two drivers: depending on your card, Windows shows one of the two numbers.
| Adrenalin version | Numbers shown by Windows (depending on the card) | War Thunder on RX 5000 |
|---|---|---|
| 26.9.1 (September 3, 2026) | 32.0.31041.3013 or 32.0.21045.9003 | No known issue listed by AMD |
| 26.9.2 (September 29, 2026) | 32.0.32015.2008 or 32.0.21045.11001 | Known issue |
| 26.10.1 (October 20, 2026) | 32.0.32015.7029 or 32.0.21045.16010 | Known issue |
| 26.10.2 (October 30, 2026) | 32.0.32015.12012 or 32.0.21045.20006 | Known issue |
Expected result: you know whether you have an RX 5000 series card and whether your driver is one of the affected versions.
When to stop: if your card is not an RX 5000 series card, or if you already have 26.9.1, AMD's note does not match your case. Go straight to the special cases.
Step 2: confirm that it really is a driver crash
When to use it: your card and driver match the table.
Suggested solution
- Restart War Thunder and play normally.
- Watch what happens at the moment of the incident. According to AMD, the Issue Detection option in AMD Software (enabled by default) automatically opens the AMD Bug Report Tool when it detects a driver crash (TDR), a blue screen or a driver installation error.
- Check whether the problem affects only War Thunder, or other games as well.
Expected result: the AMD Bug Report Tool opens after the crashes in War Thunder, and your other games work normally. This is the case described by AMD.
When to stop: if the crashes affect all your games, or if the PC restarts completely, the cause is probably broader than this known issue. See instead the guide « Le pilote d'affichage a cessé de répondre et a récupéré » (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) : causes et solutions (French guide: "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered").
Step 3: roll back to Adrenalin 26.9.1
When to use it: you have an RX 5000 series card, a 26.9.2 or newer driver, and driver crashes in War Thunder.
Rights required: a Windows administrator account. Allow 20 to 30 minutes and several restarts.
Before you start: AMD Cleanup Utility removes AMD graphics and audio drivers and software, which also erases your AMD Software settings (game profiles, performance settings). Write them down if you care about them. It does not touch AMD chipset drivers.
Suggested solution
- Open the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.9.1 release notes and download the driver offered in the Downloads section ("AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.9.1 Driver"). Keep the file aside, without installing it yet. This version is designed for Windows 11 (version 21H2 or later) and Windows 10 64-bit (version 21H2 or later).
- Let Windows Update finish any updates in progress: according to AMD, the cleanup tool stops if Windows Update is running.
- Download AMD Cleanup Utility from AMD's official page for the tool, then run amdcleanuputility.exe. AMD recommends running it in Windows safe mode (answer Yes to the first prompt).
- Let the cleanup finish. The screen may flicker or go blank for a moment, and the operation can take up to 15 or 20 minutes, according to AMD. Restart when the tool offers to.
- Run the 26.9.1 installation file and follow AMD's installation guide. At the end, the installer lets you enable or disable automatic updates: disable them if you want to prevent the software from immediately offering a version affected by the problem.
- Restart the PC, then check the driver version again, as in step 1.
Expected result: Device Manager shows 32.0.31041.3013 or 32.0.21045.9003, and War Thunder no longer crashes during your matches.
Rollback: AMD Cleanup Utility creates a system restore point before cleaning; AMD advises using it if there is a problem during or after the operation. To return to the latest version later, install it from the AMD drivers page.
When to stop: if War Thunder still crashes with 26.9.1, this known issue does not explain your case. Do not keep rolling back to older versions at random; go to step 5.
Step 4: prevent the driver from being replaced
When to use it: War Thunder works again with 26.9.1.
Suggested solution
- If AMD Software offers you a new version, first open its release notes on AMD's website. Install it only if the War Thunder issue on RX 5000 series no longer appears among the Known Issues or is listed under Fixed Issues.
- Windows Update can also install a different graphics driver. If the driver version changes without any action on your part, see the guide Pilote graphique remplacé par Windows Update : causes et solutions (French guide: "Graphics driver replaced by Windows Update").
Expected result: you keep 26.9.1 until AMD announces a fix.
Rollback: turn AMD Software automatic updates back on once a driver fixes the problem.
Step 5: report the problem to AMD
When to use it: the problem continues with 26.9.1, or you want to help AMD fix it.
Suggested solution
- Use the AMD Bug Report Tool. It opens automatically after a driver crash, or from AMD Software (issue reporting option under System, according to AMD).
- Select War Thunder as the affected game, describe the steps that lead to the crash and specify the driver versions tested (Driver History field).
Expected result: the report is sent to AMD with your PC configuration, collected automatically by the tool.
Special cases
| Situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| Radeon RX 6000 series, War Thunder in DirectX 12 with Instant Replay and "Borderless Region Capture" enabled | A different driver crash issue, specific to this configuration. AMD lists it as fixed in Adrenalin 26.9.2. In this case, do not roll back to 26.9.1: install a newer version. |
| Radeon RX 7000 or 9000 series | AMD's War Thunder note does not cover them. Look for another cause, using the guide on the driver that stops responding. |
| Laptop | AMD states that its reference driver offers only limited support for manufacturer-specific features and recommends, if there is a problem, the driver provided by the PC manufacturer. |
| You do not want to reinstall the driver | AMD offers no other workaround for this problem. The only official workaround is version 26.9.1. |
Final check
- ☐ The card is a Radeon RX 5000 series card.
- ☐ The driver version shown is 32.0.31041.3013 or 32.0.21045.9003 (Adrenalin 26.9.1).
- ☐ War Thunder no longer crashes over several matches.
- ☐ No new driver has been installed without checking its release notes.
Sources
- AMD: Adrenalin 26.10.2 release notes (October 30, 2026, known issue still listed)
- AMD: Adrenalin 26.10.1 release notes (October 20, 2026)
- AMD: Adrenalin 26.9.2 release notes (September 29, 2026: known issue appears on RX 5000, fix for the RX 6000 configuration)
- AMD: Adrenalin 26.9.1 release notes (September 3, 2026: download, compatibility, version numbers)
- AMD: AMD Cleanup Utility
- AMD: installing AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
- AMD: AMD Bug Report Tool
Still having the problem?
Reply in this topic with the exact model of your graphics card, the driver version shown in Device Manager, your Windows version, the graphics mode used in War Thunder if known (for example DirectX 12) and exactly what happens at the moment of the crash. Do not post credentials, email addresses or full reports containing personal information.