Xbox users are reportedly under risk of permanently losing their game libraries in the case that their Microsoft accounts get hacked.
A troubling case shared by Twitter/X user mortivoree and a followup tweet by Windows Central’s Jez Corden indicates that Xbox users are under risk of permanently losing their game libraries if their Microsoft accounts get hacked. According to mortivoree, they had maintained the same Microsoft account since the Xbox 360 era, investing thousands of dollars over the years in digital games and content. That long-standing account was suddenly compromised when a hacker gained access and replaced the original email address with a different one, effectively locking the rightful owner out. What followed was a support experience that will undoubtedly be alarming for longtime users of the platform.
In the response shown in the above image, Microsoft Customer Support explained that after investigating the account and its billing activity, it found no evidence of unauthorized access. However, the investigation did confirm that the account’s security information had been changed. Due to Microsoft’s internal security protocols and the terms of the Microsoft Services Agreement, the company stated it is unable to modify or restore security settings once they have been updated, even in cases like this.
For instance, if the account was used for Minecraft, Microsoft said the game cannot be recovered and must be repurchased on a newly created account. Any files stored on OneDrive are also deemed permanently inaccessible. The company cited encryption and privacy safeguards as the reason, stating that even Microsoft engineers cannot retrieve the data. The only recommendation offered was to create a new Microsoft account.
Windows Central’s Jez Corden responded to mortivoree on Twitter/X, noting that he has been investigating similar reports for nearly a year. Based on his findings, when an Xbox account is banned, regardless of whether the user is at fault, the fallout can extend beyond gaming. Users can lose access not only to their Xbox libraries, but also to years or even decades of personal data tied to the same Microsoft account, including OneDrive photos, Office documents, and other cloud-stored files.
