How do I know if I should roll back an update?

Assess whether the update made things clearly worse, whether the problem is serious, and whether a known-good build is available. The direct sign is the new version crashing more than the build it replaced (per-version comparison showing the new build's crash rate clearly higher, a regression). A sign is a serious problem the update introduced (a crash spike, game-breaker, or broken feature, confirmed by timing and per-version data to have come from the update). And signs include the damage spreading fast (the problem hitting more players as they update) and a known-good previous build available to roll back to. To assess, use per-version data: comparing the new build against the previous one shows whether the update made stability worse (and how much), and confirms the problem came from the update. If the new version is clearly crashing more, the update introduced a serious problem, the damage is spreading fast, and you have a good previous build, you should roll back. Rolling back is the fastest way to stop the bleeding when an update is bad: it reverts players to a build you know works, immediately ending the problem, which is faster and safer than fixing forward (a hotfix takes time during which players keep hitting the bad update, and a rushed forward fix under pressure risks being incomplete). So the decision to roll back is warranted when: the update clearly made things worse (the new build crashing more, a serious problem it introduced, confirmed via per-version data), the problem is serious enough to justify the rollback (a crash spike, game-breaker, widespread issue, not a minor bug), the damage is spreading fast (so fast mitigation matters), and a known-good previous build is available (so you have something to revert to). Per-version crash tracking is key, it shows whether the update made stability worse (the comparison), confirms the problem came from the update (new signatures/higher rate on the new build), and tells you the previous build was good (to roll back to). So you know you should roll back an update from the per-version data showing the new build clearly worse (a serious regression), the spreading damage, and a known-good build available, all of which indicate that reverting to the previous working build is the fastest way to stop the bad update's bleeding.

Should I roll back or hotfix a bad update?

Usually roll back first if you can, because the priority is stopping the bleeding fast, and reverting to a known-good build does that immediately, while a hotfix takes time. The key difference is speed and safety: rolling back reverts players to the previous build you know works, immediately ending the bad update's problem, whereas a hotfix takes time to write, test, and ship, during which players keep hitting the bad update, and a hotfix written under the pressure of an active problem risks being rushed, incomplete, or introducing new problems. So during a bad update that's actively harming players, roll back first to stop the bleeding (it's the fastest, safest mitigation, returning players to a working build), then once players are on the stable build and no longer being harmed, diagnose the cause of the bad update calmly and ship a proper fix (a hotfix or the next update) without the pressure. Prefer rollback when: the update is clearly bad (the new build crashing more, a serious problem it introduced), a known-good previous build is available to revert to, and rolling back is feasible on your platform, this is the common case for a bad update. Prefer (or fall back to) a hotfix when: rollback isn't possible (some platforms or changes make reverting hard, e.g. a database migration that can't be reversed), or the problem is contained enough that a fast, narrowly-scoped forward fix is safe and quick. But the general principle is mitigate first with whatever's fastest (usually a rollback for a bad update), then fix properly. So for a bad update, you should usually roll back first (the fastest mitigation, reverting to the working build to stop the bleeding), then fix the cause properly afterward (a hotfix or the next update, calmly, without the pressure), reserving the hotfix-first approach for when rollback truly isn't an option. The reason to favor rollback is that it's faster (immediate revert to a known-good build) and safer (no rushed forward fix under pressure) than hotfixing during the active problem, so it stops the bad update's bleeding fastest. Per-version tracking confirms when the rollback resolves the problem (the crash rate returns to normal on the reverted build). So roll back first for a bad update (fastest, safest mitigation), then fix the root cause properly, using a hotfix only if rollback isn't feasible, which limits the bad update's damage by stopping the bleeding fast (rollback) while addressing the cause properly afterward (the fix).

How do I roll back an update safely?

Have a tested rollback path ready before you need it, decide your trigger in advance, roll back fast to a known-good build, verify it resolved the problem, and communicate. Have a tested rollback path ready before any release: the time to figure out how to roll back is before a bad update, not during, so prepare and test the path so you can revert fast when needed (a rollback you have to improvise under pressure is slow and risky). Decide your trigger in advance: what bad looks like (e.g. the new version's crash rate clearly worse than the old build by some threshold), so you act on data rather than debating during the incident. When triggered, roll back fast to the previous known-good build to stop the bleeding (reverting players to the working build, immediately ending the bad update's problem), per-version data confirms which build is good to revert to. Verify the rollback resolved the problem: watch the reverted players' data (per-version tracking shows the crash rate returning to normal on the rolled-back build), confirming the bleeding stopped. And communicate with players: acknowledge the problem and that you addressed it (rolled back / are fixing), since how you handle it affects trust. So you roll back an update safely by having a tested rollback path ready (prepared before you need it, so the rollback is fast and reliable, not improvised), deciding your trigger in advance (so you act on data, not debate), rolling back fast to the known-good build (to stop the bleeding), verifying it resolved the problem (per-version tracking confirms the crash rate returned to normal), and communicating (to preserve trust). The key to a safe, fast rollback is preparation: a tested rollback path and a predefined trigger let you execute the rollback decisively and quickly when a bad update happens, rather than scrambling (which is slow and risky) or hesitating (which lets the bad update do more damage). After the rollback stops the bleeding, you fix the cause of the bad update properly (calmly, without the pressure) and re-ship a verified build. So rolling back safely combines preparation (tested path ready, trigger decided, before you need it), decisive fast execution (revert to the known-good build to stop the bleeding), verification (per-version tracking confirms the rollback resolved the problem), and communication (to preserve trust), which lets you reverse a bad update quickly and safely to limit its damage, then fix the cause properly afterward. Per-version crash tracking is essential throughout, it tells you the previous build was good (to roll back to), confirms the rollback resolved the problem (the crash rate returning to normal), and would have alerted you to the bad update in the first place (the new build crashing more), enabling the fast, data-driven rollback that safely limits a bad update's damage.

Signs You Should Roll Back an Update

Quick answer: Watch for the new version crashing more than the previous one, a serious problem the update introduced, damage spreading fast, and a known-good previous build available. Rolling back is the fastest way to stop the bleeding.

When an update goes bad, rolling back is often the fastest way to stop the bleeding. Here are the signs you should roll back an update.

The New Version Crashing More Than the Previous One

The direct sign is the new version crashing more than the build it replaced, the update made stability worse. If per-version comparison shows the new build's crash rate clearly higher than the previous one (a regression), and it's serious, rolling back to the previous good build is the fastest fix.

Bugnet tracks crash rate per version, so the new build crashing more is visible. The new version crashing more than the previous one is the direct sign you should roll back, and per-version crash tracking is what reveals it (the new build's rate clearly above the old one's), giving you the data to decide, if the update made stability clearly worse, rolling back to the previous good build stops the bleeding fast.

A Serious Problem the Update Introduced

A sign is a serious problem the update introduced, a crash spike, a game-breaker, a broken feature, that's hitting players and clearly came from the update. If the update introduced a serious problem (confirmed by the timing and per-version data), and it's bad enough, rolling back removes it fast by reverting to the build without it.

Bugnet tracks crashes per version, so problems the update introduced are identifiable. A serious problem the update introduced is a sign you should roll back, and per-version tracking confirms it came from the update (new signatures or a higher crash rate on the new build), so you know rolling back to the previous build (which didn't have the problem) will remove it, the fastest fix for a serious update-introduced problem.

The Damage Spreading Fast and a Known-Good Build Available

Signs include the damage spreading fast (the problem hitting more players as they update) and a known-good previous build available to roll back to. If a serious problem is spreading fast and you have a good previous build, rolling back is warranted, it stops the spread immediately by reverting players to the working build.

Bugnet's per-version tracking confirms which build is good to roll back to and when the rollback resolves the problem. The damage spreading fast and a known-good build available are signs you should roll back, the spreading damage makes fast mitigation urgent, and a known-good previous build gives you a working build to revert to, per-version tracking confirms which build is good (and later that the rollback resolved the problem), so you can roll back confidently to stop the spreading damage.

Watch for the new version crashing more than the previous one, a serious problem the update introduced, damage spreading fast, and a known-good previous build available. Rolling back is the fastest way to stop the bleeding.