AMD fans were recently given a little bit of a shock when the company published its AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 25.10.2 release notes. The patch originally caused some confusion by revealing that older RDNA architectures, namely RDNA 1 and RDNA 2, would be entering “maintenance mode”. For reference, this covers the RX 5000 series and RX 6000 series of graphics cards.

AMD previously said that “Future driver updates with targeted game optimisations will focus on RDNA 3 and RDNA 4 GPUs,” but this statement has now been clarified to include the older generations, too. It’s possibly a U-Turn, and if not, it’s poor marketing given the uproar the original patch notes caused.

To clear up the confusion, AMD has now issued a statement to officially confirm “Continued support for every Radeon gamer”. Team Red has clarified that support is being split into two “driver paths” – one for the latest RDNA 4 and RDNA 3 cards (the RX 9000 and RX 7000 series, respectively), and one for the older RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 GPUs.

Importantly, the RX 5000 and RX 6000 series GPUs will still receive game support for new releases. AMD doesn’t specify ‘day-one’ or ‘day-zero’ support in particular, but this is the kind of support we can hope to expect. The usual game optimizations and security fixes aren’t going anywhere, either. AMD says it has split the code paths to speed up the process of adding new features to the newer series of cards, while the two older RDNA generations remain stable.

AMD’s statement in full

We've heard your feedback and want to clear up the confusion around the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 25.10.2 driver release.

This update introduces two optimized driver paths: one for RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 (Radeon RX 5000 and RX 6000 series), and one for RDNA 3 and RDNA 4 (Radeon RX 7000 and RX 9000 series).

Here's What this Means for You:

This is not the end of support for RDNA 1 and RDNA 2. Your Radeon RX 5000 and RX 6000 series GPUs will continue to receive:

• Game support for new releases
• Stability and game optimizations
• Security and bug fixes

The difference is that these products now benefit from a dedicated, stable driver branch, one built on years of tuning and optimization. This approach helps deliver a smoother, more consistent experience for your games while insulating previous generation GPUs from rapid changes designed for newer architectures.

Why We're Doing This:

Our goal is simple: to give every Radeon gamer the best experience possible. By separating the code paths, our engineers can move faster with new features for RDNA 3 and RDNA 4, while keeping RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 stable and optimized for current and future games.

Our Commitment:

We've supported Radeon gamers for generations and that commitment isn't changing. Whether you're gaming on an RX 5000, RX 6000, or the latest RX 9000, you'll continue to get the reliability, performance, and care you expect from AMD.  Because we're all part of the same gaming community and every Radeon gamer matters.

Source: AMD

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.