Microsoft Restores 25-Year-Old Account with Son’s Baby Photos After Nuking It Due to Hacker

Microsoft has recently restored a player’s access to his 25-year-old account, which contained photos of his son and thousands of dollars worth of games. The account was previously suspended after being hijacked by a hacker a few days prior.

Streamer Joshua Khane shared the news on July 16, confirming that Xbox had reached out to him and restored access to the account. Khane expressed his gratitude towards Microsoft for its help in recovering his account and all the invaluable information contained within.

However, Khane levied some criticisms towards the brand for its initial response, claiming it had told him the suspension was ‘irreversible’ at first. He compared the situation to the growing conversation surrounding digital ownership, referencing Sony’s decision to stop printing physical game discs starting January 2028.

‘It’s unfortunate that such a big company can bring back your account if you ask them to,’ Khane 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 tied the situation to the growing unease players are feeling as the games industry heads toward an all-digital future.

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.