Microsoft has restored a player’s access to his 25-year-old account, which contained photos of his son and thousands of dollars worth of games.
Streamer Joshua Khane shared the news on July 16, confirming that Xbox had reached out to him and restored access to the account, which was previously suspended after being hijacked by a hacker a few days prior.
While he was “extremely happy” and thanked Microsoft for its help recovering his account and all the invaluable information therein, he levied some criticisms toward the brand for its initial response, claiming it had told him the suspension was “irreversible” at first.
“It’s unfortunate that such a big company can bring back your account if you ask them to,” he said. “The way it all went, to me, is a little bit shady, because it’s not that they can’t bring back your account — they won’t bring back your account if you’re a nobody.”
Khane credited the community for making his story go viral and bringing it to Microsoft’s attention, but felt that without their help, he would have been up a creek without a paddle.
He also tied the situation to the growing conversation surrounding digital ownership, comparing it to Sony’s decision to stop printing physical game discs starting January 2028.
🚨 MAJOR UPDATE! 🚨
MICROSOFT HAS REACHED OUT! 😳
UPDATE (BEAR WITH ME PLEASE) 🙏🏽@Microsoft @XBOX @XBOXSupport @MicrosoftHelps #Microsoft #hack pic.twitter.com/5scrdB9bxn— Joshua Khane (@JoshuaKhane) July 16, 2026
Khane had initially posted about his conundrum in a tweet on July 13, saying that Microsoft was unable to restore his account after a hacker had compromised it. The account, which included his OneDrive and Xbox profile, contained 25 years’ worth of data, including his son’s baby pictures.
The official Xbox account responded to the post on July 15, urging the streamer to check his inbox as they worked to restore his data.
“We’re sorry this happened, it’s not the experience we want anyone to have when their account is compromised. We have been working to restore access to your purchases and reached out with the next steps,” Xbox said.
Luckily, order has been restored, but Khane is using the situation to spread awareness for others who might find themselves in similar situations and shining a light on the growing unease players are feeling as the games industry heads toward an all-digital future.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
