Xbox user has account deleted by Microsoft and loses 25 years of purchases amid digital ownership concerns

Amid concerns regarding digital ownership, one Microsoft user has lost access to their Xbox account, removing 25 years of digital purchases.

Earlier this week, X user Joshua Khane posted about his Microsoft account, claiming that he lost it after it was compromised.

According to Khane, Microsoft disabled access to his account, deleting 25 years of digital purchases on Xbox, as well as all files stored on OneDrive.

Some of the items that Khane claims to have lost include thousands of euros of digital games on Xbox, as well as his son’s baby photos.

Along with the post, he also shared a screenshot of the email from Microsoft Customer Support, which confirmed that unauthorised access to Khane’s account was made.

The email said that security information on the account had been changed as part of this breach, and that due to strict security measures it would be unable to restore the account to the original owner.

Following this, the account was permanently suspended, with Microsoft Customer Support calling the action “irreversible”.

It also notes that if Khane used the account for Minecraft, the game would not be able to be recovered and a new purchase on a fresh account would be required.

Khane says that, while he’s learned a lesson with regards to locking down his own account with additional security measures, ultimately he wants Microsoft to improve its processes for customer support should this happen again.

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Digital ownership is under much scrutiny at the moment following a recent PlayStation announcement

The situation is unfortunate but also comes at a time when digital ownership has come under much scrutiny following Sony’s announcement it would be discontinuing physical discs from January 2028.

“As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028,” read a statement from PlayStation.

“Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.”

That doesn’t rule out printing boxed copies which can be sold with a digital code to redeem on, like with the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI, but for those who enjoy gaming on physical discs, it has left a bitter taste in the mouth.

Meanwhile, Xbox has not yet announced its plans for physical games going into the next generation.

Considering the popularity of Xbox Game Pass, which has around 30 million users, a similar approach could be made for the next-gen Xbox console, which is currently codenamed Project Helix.

If the trend set by this generation continues, the next Xbox could launch with at least two different types of units: a standard console with a disc drive, and a cheaper alternative that can only be used to buy and play digital games.