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Windows 11's October update included a bunch of security fixes and a small number of new features. The update also included a bug that could hurt gaming performance on some systems.
After updating to the Windows 11 October 2025 Update (KB5066835), some PCs powered by NVIDIA hardware saw reduced performance when gaming. NVIDIA confirmed the issue and released a hotfix update.
GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 581.94 is based on the company's latest Game Ready Driver, which optimizes performance for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Europa Universalis V.
The hotfix provides a way to address an issue quickly. The fixes included in GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 581.94 will also be part of the next official driver from NVIDIA.
"The GeForce Hotfix driver is our way to trying to get some of these fixes out to you more quickly. These drivers are basically the same as the previous released version, with a small number of additional targeted fixes," said NVIDIA.
"The fixes that make it in are based in part on your feedback in the Driver Feedback threads and partly on how realistic it is for us to quickly address them. These fixes (and many more) will be incorporated into the next official driver release, at which time the Hotfix driver will be taken down."
NVIDIA's post about the update does not specify which GPUs were affected or which games saw performance worsen following the Windows 11 October 2025 Update. X user Sebastian Castellanos shared benchmarks for Assassin's Creed Shadows before and after NVIDIA's hotfix. The change is quite stark, showing an average of 149.7 FPS before the update and 202.3 FPS after the fix.
Another X user, Daniel Nowak, also saw significantly better FPS after the hotfix.
Kudos to NVIDIA for cleaning up Microsoft's mess by working around an OS tweak the latter company did with Win 11 update KB5066835 that greatly reduced performance in Assassin's Creed Shadows & Digital Combat Simulator. My testing confirms that this Hotfix Driver fixes the issue. https://t.co/EEqLW3lt5m pic.twitter.com/KNIBqVOXtFNovember 20, 2025
Performance will vary depending on your hardware and the title you're playing, of course. But it is clear that affected systems can see significantly worse performance when left unpatched.
The hotfix drivers are in beta, but they have been through an abbreviated quality assurance process by NVIDIA. If you want to avoid beta drivers or do not need the fix urgently, you can wait until the next official NVIDIA drivers come out.
A link at the bottom of NVIDIA’s support page lets you download the hotfix.
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