Update 0.1.2 ships the studio fix
BULKHEAD's Update 0.1.2 notes say the issue caused by Windows 11 update KB5124010, which produced the recent WD-L020 crashes, is fixed. Microsoft lists that package as the 22 September non-security preview update for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. This supersedes the earlier wait-for-a-fix status for that recent incident, but the announcement publishes no client build number and does not claim every historical WD-L020 report shared this cause.
- Affected code named by BULKHEAD: WD-L020
- Windows versions named: Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2
- Update named: optional preview update KB5124010
- Status: fix announced in Update 0.1.2 on 30 September
The rollback path is now historical fallback guidance
Before 0.1.2, Team17 said uninstalling KB5124010 **may** allow WARDOGS to launch again, while making removal optional and at the player's own risk. With the game fix now announced, update WARDOGS through Steam first. The rollback steps remain below as a record of the publisher's earlier guidance, not the first action this page recommends after 0.1.2.
| # | Steps Team17 published |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open Start, then Settings |
| 2 | Select Windows Update |
| 3 | Select Update history |
| 4 | Scroll down and select Uninstall updates |
| 5 | Locate KB5124010 |
| 6 | Select Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions |
| 7 | Restart the PC, then try launching WARDOGS again |
What the patch does not establish
Update 0.1.2 does not name the conflicting component, publish a WARDOGS client version or prove every WD-L020 report since launch shared this trigger. Team17 named WD-L020 among six launcher codes on 12 September, eleven days before KB5124010 was released; those older reports cannot have been caused by that update.
How to decide without guessing
First install the current WARDOGS update through Steam: Update 0.1.2 is the publisher's game-side fix for the recent KB5124010-linked crash. If WD-L020 remains, check whether KB5124010 appears in Windows Update history and whether the failure began after it installed, then use the official support path rather than assuming an older rollback still applies. This site has not reproduced the crash or tested the rollback and does not add registry edits, command-line removal instructions or anti-cheat repair steps.
Common questions
What causes WARDOGS error WD-L020?
For the recent incident, Update 0.1.2 says Windows 11 preview update KB5124010 caused WD-L020 crashes and that the issue is fixed. That does not diagnose WD-L020 reports from before KB5124010 was released.
Does uninstalling KB5124010 fix WD-L020?
That was Team17's pre-0.1.2 fallback: it may help, is optional and is at your own risk. Update WARDOGS through Steam first now that 0.1.2 announces the game-side fix; if the error remains, use official support before changing Windows.
Has BULKHEAD released a game fix?
Yes. Update 0.1.2 on 30 September announces the recent KB5124010-linked WD-L020 crash fixed. It does not publish a client build number or retroactively explain older WD-L020 reports.
Is KB5124010 a security update?
Microsoft lists it as the 22 September 2026 non-security preview update for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Team17 still warns that Windows updates can contain security, stability and compatibility improvements and normally recommends keeping Windows updated.
Are older WD-L020 reports also caused by KB5124010?
That is not established. Team17 named WD-L020 on 12 September, before KB5124010 was released. The new notice is about players who recently started seeing the code and does not retroactively diagnose earlier reports.
Sources & verification
Each source below carries its own read date and its own boundary note. A Steam thread establishes that a string exists and when it was first reported; it does not establish a cause.
| Source | Type | Read |
|---|---|---|
| BULKHEAD · WARDOGS Update 0.1.2, 30 September 2026Published at 06:57:06 UTC. Schedules an 08:00 UTC maintenance window estimated at one hour and publishes the complete 0.1.2 change list: a fix for the recent KB5124010-linked WD-L020 crash, named cash and XP exploit changes and enforcement, a four-way Deploy flow, browser/admin controls, stability, Havoc, buildable, throwable, crosshair and localisation fixes. The maintenance window is an announcement, not a live recovery signal. | Publisher stated | 2026-09-30 |
| WARDOGS Updates / Team17 Support · WD-L020 and Windows 11 KB5124010, 23 September 2026Published by the official WARDOGS Updates account at 12:26:05 UTC and mirrored in a pinned Steam thread by G_Medlin [developer]. This was the preliminary KB5124010 investigation and optional rollback guidance. Update 0.1.2 on 30 September supersedes its active-status wording by announcing the recent KB5124010-linked WD-L020 crash fixed; the older notice remains the source for the rollback warning and for why historical WD-L020 reports are not all retroactively diagnosed. | Publisher stated | 2026-09-23 |
| Microsoft Support · September 22, 2026—KB5124010 (OS Builds 26200.9550 and 26100.9550)Microsoft's listing identifies KB5124010 as the September 2026 non-security preview update for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. It does not mention WARDOGS; the compatibility lead comes from BULKHEAD's preliminary investigation. | Publisher stated | 2026-09-23 |