FC26 ExitType 95 Crash: NVIDIA DPC Deadlock Triggered by EA Javelin
Summary After extensive kernel-level tracing (xperf/WinDbg), the root cause of the FC26 ExitType 95 (267) crash on my system has been definitively identified. EA Javelin Anti-Cheat's kernel-mode hooks trigger a spinlock deadlock inside the NVIDIA display driver (`nvlddmkm.sys`), causing a 5.7-second DPC hang that freezes the entire system. Javelin's heartbeat monitor then times out, producing the ExitType 95 crash. This is NOT a hardware defect, driver bug in isolation, or system misconfiguration. The NVIDIA driver works perfectly in every other game tested (max DPC < 4ms). The deadlock only manifests when EA Javelin is actively hooking GPU-related kernel paths. Causal Chain FC26 launches → EA Javelin loads kernel hooks ↓ Javelin hooks intercept GPU syscalls (DX12 / kernel thunks) ↓ NVIDIA driver DPC fires on CPU 0 (nvlddmkm+0xe8fe0) ↓ DPC tries to acquire global spinlock nvDumpConfig+0x20a3d0 ↓ Lock is held by another CPU — Javelin's GPU operations on CPU N ↓ DPC spins at DISPATCH_LEVEL (cannot be preempted) ↓ 5.7 seconds later: lock released, DPC completes ↓ Javelin heartbeat timed out during freeze → ExitType 95 crash Why Only EA Games? The NVIDIA driver's internal spinlock (`nvDumpConfig+0x20a3d0`) is a standard GPU synchronization primitive. Under normal gaming workloads, cross-CPU lock contention at DISPATCH_LEVEL resolves in microseconds. However, EA Javelin's kernel hooks introduce additional GPU operations on other CPUs that change the lock acquisition/release timing, creating a window where the DPC on CPU 0 cannot acquire the lock and spins indefinitely. No other game triggers this because no other game loads EA Javelin's kernel driver (`eaanticheat.sys`). Evidence xperf Kernel Trace — DPC Latency | Metric | FC26 (Javelin active) | Other AAA Game (no Javelin) | |--------|----------------------|---------------------------| | nvlddmkm max DPC | **5,705,596 us (5.7s)** | 4,096 us (4ms) | | System behavior | Full freeze → crash | Perfectly smooth | WinDbg Disassembly — The Deadlock nvlddmkm+0xe9082: lock cmpxchg dword ptr [nvlddmkm!nvDumpConfig+0x20a3d0], esi jne nvlddmkm+0xe9082 ; ← SPINS FOREVER at DISPATCH_LEVEL A DPC cannot be preempted — it owns CPU 0 until it completes or voluntarily yields. With the lock held elsewhere and no preemption possible, CPU 0 is deadlocked. xperf Sampled Profile — During the 5.7s Hang While CPU 0 is deadlocked in the DPC, profile samples show: - `eaanticheat.sys` actively running on CPU 3 - Normal game code (`FC26.exe`) running on other cores - No nvlddmkm profile hits on CPU 0 — the spinloop is invisible to the profiler, confirming a tight `cmpxchg` spin rather than productive work Previous Troubleshooting (All Ruled Out) The following were investigated and conclusively excluded: - Page file corruption - GPU TDR (Event 4101) — zero events - WHEA hardware errors — zero events - NVMe storage errors — zero events - fTPM stutter — timing does not correlate - NVIDIA Overlay, HAGS, HD Audio, power management settings - AMD iGPU, PCI phantom devices - HVCI / Memory Integrity, Secure Boot - EA Anticheat reinstallation Request This is a cross-vendor interaction bug between EA Javelin and the NVIDIA driver. I am reporting it to both parties. Specifically, I would ask the EA Anticheat team to: Review the kernel hook paths that intercept GPU-related operations (DX12 submissions, kernel thunks, or WDDM callbacks) to identify which specific interception pattern triggers the NVIDIA DPC lock contention. Consider adding a jitter or backoff mechanism to anticheat GPU operations, so they don't contend with the driver's internal DPC spinlocks. Coordinate with NVIDIA — I am sending a parallel report to NVIDIA with the exact `nvlddmkm.sys` offsets and deadlock location. A joint investigation would be the fastest path to a fix. I am happy to provide full ETL traces, system configuration details, or run additional diagnostic captures on request. System Configuration - CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D | **GPU:** RTX 5070 Ti (610.62) - OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200 - RAM: 32 GB DDR5 - EA Anticheat version: 1.0.14073350.0 - HVCI: Enabled | Secure Boot: Enabled Attachments `01_dpc_comparison.txt` — DPC latency comparison (FC26 vs other game) `02_spinlock_disassembly.txt` — WinDbg disassembly of the deadlock location `03_system_info.txt` — Full system and troubleshooting history `04_raw_dpc_event.txt` — Raw ETW DPC event with timestamps Best regards, AcunminFSevere FPS Drops and Poor Performance in EA SPORTS FC 26 on PC (Steam)
Hello EA Support, I am experiencing a serious performance issue in EA SPORTS FC 26 on PC (Steam). Every time I launch the game and start a match, the frame rate drops from around 144 FPS to 10-30 FPS, making the game almost unplayable. The performance does not return to normal, and the FPS remains low and unstable throughout the match. This issue occurs in all game modes, including Kick Off, Career Mode, Ultimate Team, Clubs, and every other mode I have tested. My PC specifications: CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB RAM: 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz Storage: SSD I have already tried updating the NVIDIA graphics driver, reinstalling the driver, verifying the game files through Steam, changing all in-game graphics settings, clearing the DirectX Shader Cache, disabling all overlays, testing different NVIDIA Control Panel and NVIDIA App settings, and resetting the game settings. None of these steps solved the problem. Other games run perfectly on my PC without any FPS or performance issues. This problem only occurs in EA SPORTS FC 26. Please investigate this issue and let me know if there is a known fix. Thank you.
Game Stutters After Latest Update - PC
Since the updating the game today i have noticed the game stuttering severely at random intervals while in play. The game will stutter and freeze for around a second before continuing as normal but severely throws off any attempt at control during this period impacting gameplay. It seems to effect all game modes (Career, Kick off and online) and happens 1-3 times a game. The game ran without issue for me before this latest update and as nothing else has changed i can only assume it to be the cause. Im on a RTX 4080 and i7 12700k and the game runs at a solid 144fps (capped) when it is not having these random stutters. I have tried changing some settings such as switching to borderless screen, changing the FPS cap but nothing seems to have any effect.Club friendlies - Ping issues
After the last update, EA added more servers to the server list in the settings section in pro clubs. When we play friendlies against other clubs, it does not matter what server we are on, we have been getting HORRIBLE ping. To the point where it’s unplayable sometimes. I would normally get 15-20 on east ping and now EVERY game is 150+ . The ping is also unstable. Last night every 3-4 seconds the game would skip. Ea made a post on Twitter saying they were aware of the situation but we have not received an update in DAYS! Please let us know what we need to do or when we can expect a resolution.
Black Screen after latest update in 28th April 2026 FC 26 - PC
Hi All, I really hope anyone can help me on the Blackscreen issue I have for FC 26 on PC The game is starting as usual and I can also do everything in the menu, but when I am starting a Match it directly turns into a blackscreen and I have to close to tab... What I already tried is: - Re-Installed the anti cheat - Updates all drivers + Direct X + Visuals - Deleted the game Cache - set all EA application to run as Admin - disabled all Overlays - disabled Fullscreen mode - Repaired the game on EA app Unforunately everything without any impact :( I was playing the game just normal until the new update .... Thanks in advance!!![BUG] 1-2 sec hitches after recent patch – exhaustive testing, not our PCs
[BUG REPORT] Random 1–2 Second Stutters/Hitches During Online Matches – No FPS Drop, Audio Unaffected If you've been experiencing random 1–2 second freezes since the last patch with no FPS drop and audio still running normally, you are not alone. I've spent considerable time ruling out every possible hardware and software cause. The conclusion is clear: this is a patch-introduced bug, not a PC issue. System Specifications: - CPU: Intel Core i7-12700KF (8P+4E cores, 20 threads, Alder Lake) - Motherboard: MSI PRO B760M-P (MS-7E02), BIOS A.C0 (06/17/2025) - RAM: 32GB DDR5-6000 (2x16GB A-Data AX5U6000C4816G-SLABBK) @ XMP 3000MHz - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (8GB GDDR7, 128-bit) – drivers up to date - Storage: SSD - OS: Windows 11 - Platform: Steam + EA App - Game version: EA SPORTS FC 26 (latest patch) Description: Since a recent game update, I am experiencing random 1–2 second freezes/hitches during online matches (Division Rivals, FUT Champions, Squad Battles, Live Events). The game completely freezes for approximately 1 second and then resumes normally. Key observations: - FPS does not drop during the hitch — overlay shows stable framerate throughout - GPU and CPU usage remain stable — no spikes or drops visible - Audio continues normally during the freeze — only the video/gameplay freezes - The issue occurs exclusively in EA SPORTS FC 26 — no other games are affected, including titles running on Ultra settings - Hitches tend to occur during high-activity moments: intense possession battles, physical collision events (headers, shots on post), rapid back-and-forth sequences - The issue is not related to network lag — it occurs in Squad Battles (offline AI mode) as well - The problem started after a specific patch update and did not exist before Troubleshooting Performed (all steps tested individually and combined): 1. Switched DirectX API — added -dx11 launch parameter via Steam. Reduced hitch intensity slightly but did not eliminate them. 2. Disabled all overlays — Steam Overlay, Discord Overlay (both legacy and new), NVIDIA App Overlay, EA App in-game overlay. No significant change. 3. Disabled E-Cores via BIOS — Intel i7-12700KF has a hybrid P+E core architecture. Disabled all 4 E-cores in BIOS (Active E-Cores set to 0) to prevent the Windows scheduler from routing critical game threads to efficiency cores. No change in behavior. 4. Enabled XMP/EXPO profile in BIOS — RAM was running at DDR5-4800 (below rated DDR5-6000). Enabled XMP 3.0 profile, confirmed via CPU-Z at ~3000MHz effective frequency. No change in hitch behavior. 5. Removed all third-party antivirus — Fully uninstalled Norton Security (including kernel-level drivers via official Norton Remove and Reinstall Tool) to eliminate potential conflicts with EA AntiCheat kernel module. No change. 6. Full clean reinstall — Uninstalled game via Steam, manually deleted all residual folders in %appdata%, %localappdata%, Documents, and Program Files related to EA Sports FC. Cleaned EA-related registry entries under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Reinstalled from scratch. Additional note: This system runs an RTX 5060 (Blackwell architecture, launched 2025). It is possible the Frostbite engine has not been properly tested against Blackwell drivers, which may be contributing to or amplifying the issue. Conclusion: After exhaustive hardware and software troubleshooting, the issue persists regardless of system configuration. The symptom profile — stable FPS and hardware metrics during hitches, unaffected audio, exclusive occurrence in FC 26, and direct correlation with a recent patch — strongly indicates this is an engine-level issue introduced by a recent game update, likely related to the Frostbite engine's memory garbage collection behavior or the EA AntiCheat periodic scan cycle under specific in-game conditions. This issue has been independently reported by multiple users in this forum following the same patch window, confirming it is not isolated to a specific hardware configuration. Request: Please investigate and address this in an upcoming patch. A rollback analysis of what changed in the recent update related to memory management or anti-cheat scan frequency would likely identify the root cause. If you are experiencing the same issue, please reply with your specs and when the problem started. The more reports EA receives with consistent data, the harder it is to ignore. Thank you.Frequent speed lag episodes after the latest patch 1.6.2
Am I the only one on PC experiencing these annoying speed lag episodes? The game freezes for 1-2 seconds and then goes full speed to recover the "lost action". This problem started exactly after installing patch 1.6.2 and happens on both UT and Clubs 1-3 times per match... the game was practically perfect before and I've never had any problems like this since FIFA 12. Is anyone in my situation? I've already tried various "fixes" but they don't help.
Error 115 EA Javelin Anticheat on FC 26 - Unable to update, tried all solutions
Hi everyone, I'm experiencing a blocking issue when launching FC 26 on Windows due to the AntiCheat. I keep getting the security violation window saying: "The latest version of EA Javelin Anticheat is required to play. Please go to https://help.ea.com/it/help/pc/ea-anticheat/ to find out how to update. (115)". Initially, when I tried to launch the game, the small anticheat loading screen would appear, then no game window would open and the entire PC would freeze for a few minutes, eventually unfreezing without launching anything and without crashing. After performing several procedures (listed below), the PC freeze is gone, but the behavior is now this: I launch the game, a black screen opens for a few seconds, then disappears. A couple of minutes pass with absolutely nothing happening, and finally, Error 115 pops up again. It looks like some kind of timeout where the AntiCheat fails to communicate or update. To avoid repeating procedures I've already done, here is everything I've tested (without success): - Clean uninstall and reinstall of both the game and the AntiCheat (including manual deletion of the folders). - Game repair and EA App Recovery. - Verified that Secure Boot is properly enabled in the BIOS. - Force-closed any other background AntiCheat services (like BattlEye, Vanguard, etc.) via Task Manager. - Manual installation of digital certificates from the EAAntiCheat Installer executable. - Running the EA App and the FC 26 executable strictly as Administrator. - Changed DNS servers (Google/Cloudflare) and flushed the DNS. - Disabled Memory Integrity (Core Isolation) in Windows Security. - Disabled IPv6 protocol in network properties. - Manual deletion of all EA-related caches in AppData and ProgramData. - Complete closure of any third-party overlays. - Clean Boot of Windows, keeping only the EABackgroundService active. Despite all these attempts, the error persists. Has anyone faced and resolved this exact timeout/error 115 dynamic with the latest Javelin update? Is there any specific log file I can extract to understand what is blocking the AntiCheat connection? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.EA FC 26: 20-watt GPU power-state lock bug
Platform: PC Game: EA SPORTS FC 26 Game Launcher: [Steam] Description of the Bug: During online and offline gameplay, the game runs perfectly with normal GPU utilization and stable framerates. However, the exact millisecond a match ends and the game transitions back to the 2D user interface menu, the GPU wattage immediately drops and locks at exactly 20W. Once this occurs, the GPU becomes permanently trapped in an idle low-power state. When attempting to start the next match, the engine fails to trigger the PCIe bus wake-up command, leaving the graphics card throttled at 20W and causing severe, unplayable FPS drops. This issue occurs randomly mid-session—sometimes after 1 hour of flawless gameplay, and sometimes immediately following the first completed match. Attempted Troubleshooting (None of which resolved the issue): Clean-installed display drivers using DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller). Configured NVIDIA Control Panel to "Prefer Maximum Performance" and forced High-Performance GPU settings globally and per-executable. Used NVIDIA Profile Inspector to manually disable the "CUDA - Force P2 State" to prevent driver downclocking. Enabled Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) and set Windows Power Plan to "Ultimate Performance. "Set in-game display configurations to Borderless Windowed, lowered heavy visual assets (Crowd/Grass), and experimented with capped vs. uncapped framerates. Discovered that standard hotkey overrides like the Windows graphics driver reset shortcut (Win + Ctrl + Shift + B) and physical laptop power adapter cycling completely fail to wake the GPU out of the 20W state. Reinstalled the EA Anti-Cheat app and cleared all local AppData cache directories. Conclusion / Expected Behavior: This is a documented Frostbite Engine handling issue relating to dynamic server-to-client processing handshakes and UI transition logic. The game engine is failing to properly communicate with the graphics driver during 3D-to-2D asset switches, dropping the GPU into a permanent hardware power-state deadlock. Please pass this telemetry data to the development team for an optimization patch regarding display handshakes and menu transition power delivery.Champions ruined because of server issues
My network is running smoothly and other apps and games are running just fine. It is frustrating when the only bit of down time I have to play the game is ruined by servers acting up. I gave up on 3 games as the game was lagging ever few seconds, costing me a decent run of wins. Can this be explained and is this a localised issue or a server wide issue?