Worked on enhancing the runtime stability of the libretro/RetroArch project by refining pause gating logic within the core loop. Focused on system programming and C development, the work ensured that pausing is only possible when an active core is running, thereby improving state management and reducing unintended transitions to a paused state. No new user-facing features were introduced during this period, as the primary goal was to address a specific bug affecting reliability. The changes improved the correctness of runtime behavior, decreased support issues related to paused states, and contributed to overall code quality in a game development context.