Update, February 25, 2021 (9:00 pm CT): A short time ago, Microsoft reported that the ongoing Xbox Live outage should be resolved, and users should be able to sign in again.
Update, February 25, 2021 (8:10 pm CT): Nearly six hours later, Microsoft still hasn't fully resolved the sign-in issues with Xbox Live. Some users are reporting the problem fixed.
Update, February 25, 2021 (3:55 pm CT): The initial account sign in issues have spread to affect most online portions of Xbox Live, including online multiplayer, cloud gaming, and game purchases.
What you need to know
- Xbox Live is currently experiencing some intermittent outages.
- The issue is affecting users trying to sign in to their Xbox Account or profile.
- The Xbox Live team is currently investigating the issue and looking for a resolution.
Xbox Live is reportedly facing outages for a number of players, according to Xbox Support. The issue is labelled as a "Major outage," and is affecting sign-in for users on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows, and pretty much anywhere users can sign in to their Xbox Account or profile.
This could potentially affect more than just your Xbox, as an Xbox Account can be connected to Android, iOS, cloud and web services, and more.
We are aware that users may not be able to sign-in to Xbox Live at this time. Our teams are currently investigating to fix this issue. We will update here and on https://t.co/PzAdjUFMJj when we have more information to share!We are aware that users may not be able to sign-in to Xbox Live at this time. Our teams are currently investigating to fix this issue. We will update here and on https://t.co/PzAdjUFMJj when we have more information to share!— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) February 25, 2021February 25, 2021
If you're afflicted by the outage, you may be unable to sign in, be disconnected, or be unable to access any online services connected to your Xbox Account or profile. Xbox was made aware of the issue a while ago, and is actively working on resolving the problem. While there's no resolution right now, hopefully this outage won't last too long.
If you want to keep track of when Xbox Live is down or may be coming back up, we keep track of when Xbox Live is down for our readers. We also have a full Xbox Series X|S networking guide that goes over everything you could possibly need to know about using your Xbox online.
Xbox Live outages are typically pretty uncommon, but they're not unheard of. The last major outage we experienced was around the launch of the Xbox Series X|S, when a wave of new players flooded Microsoft's services and caused a myriad of intermittent issues for a while. Outages usually don't drag on too long.
Update, February 25, 2021 (3:55 pm CT) - Xbox Live's account sign-in issues affect most online services
Our teams are continuing their investigation and have found that users experiencing sign-in issues may have issues with Purchasing Content and Party Chat as well. We will send additional updates here and on https://t.co/PzAdjUFMJj when we have more information to share. https://t.co/H9DDY68yAqOur teams are continuing their investigation and have found that users experiencing sign-in issues may have issues with Purchasing Content and Party Chat as well. We will send additional updates here and on https://t.co/PzAdjUFMJj when we have more information to share. https://t.co/H9DDY68yAq— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) February 25, 2021February 25, 2021
Microsoft has updated their official Xbox Support page to indicate that the ongoing outages, which initially started with issues signing in to Xbox Accounts and profiles, is now affecting most Xbox Live online services. Players may experience problems purchasing games, playing online, and utilizing Xbox's cloud gaming services. Microsoft is still investigating the issues.
Update, February 25, 2021 (8:10 pm CT) - Xbox Live is back for some users, still not entirely fixed
After nearly six hours, Xbox Live is still being reported as down for many users, and there's been no further update from Microsoft. However, some users are reporting that Xbox Live is up and working for them again, especially after a restart of their console. Hopefully the Xbox Live outage is at the tail end, and will be resolved shortly.
Update, February 25, 2021 (9:00 pm CT) - The Xbox Live outage should be resolved, and users can sign in
Users should once again be able to sign-in, complete purchases and join chat sessions. Thank you for your patience and as always, we're listening. https://t.co/d8rSxOsgNkUsers should once again be able to sign-in, complete purchases and join chat sessions. Thank you for your patience and as always, we're listening. https://t.co/d8rSxOsgNk— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) February 26, 2021February 26, 2021
Microsoft has now reported that the ongoing Xbox Live outage should be resolved and everything is up and running like normal. Users should be able to sign in, access online content, purchase games, and utilize cloud services. If you're still experiencing issues, restarting your Xbox console may fix the problem.
