Microsoft’s Xbox Live service is once again experiencing issues. Users are unable to sign in, and Microsoft is investigating what the problem might be.
Ironically, we first spotted the issue without even being on an Xbox. At 9:23 a.m. Pacific, we tried playing Minecraft for Windows. The game requires logging into Xbox Live, but because the service is spitting out error 0x87DD0006 (“This may mean that there was a service outage just before you tried to sign in”), we can’t play. Next, we tried signing into Skype on an Xbox One, but the console also reported that signing in wasn’t working.
A quick search on Twitter showed us that others are also experiencing the problem. It’s not yet clear how many users are affected, but Microsoft has confirmed the problem:
We're aware of reports of users unable to sign into Xbox Live. We'll be investigating to get you back on track, thanks for your patience!
— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) March 5, 2016
Microsoft’s Xbox Live Status support site, however, states that everything is fine and dandy. We will update you as we learn more.
2016 has been a particularly rough year for Xbox Live. Indeed, this is the third week in a row that the service has seen disruptions. Xbox Live saw outages the second to last week and the last week of February.
The problems are even more frustrating for those who pay for an Xbox Live Gold membership, the premium tier that gives customers access to special deals and online multiplayer. Millions of people pay $60 per year so that Microsoft can keep its servers running smoothly, an expectation the company is currently failing to meet.
Update at 10:07 a.m. Pacific: The Xbox Live Status page says Xbox Live Core Services (signing in; creating, managing, or recovering an account; and search) are “limited” on Xbox One and other devices. Microsoft is working to resolve the issue:
Are you having issues signing in to Xbox Live? Our team is currently working hard to find a fix. Thanks for being patient in the meantime, Xbox members! We’ll update you as soon as we have more information.
The company did not give a time for when users can expect the service to return.
Update at 10:40 a.m. Pacific: Many users are seeing Xbox Live working as expected again.
We're seeing reports that many of you are back in business! We'll keep working to help those of you who are still unable to sign in.
— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) March 5, 2016
The Xbox Live Status page now states that all services are running normally.
Update at 4:44 p.m. Pacific: Xbox Live should now be back for all.
We're seeing reports that many of you are back in business! We'll keep working to help those of you who are still unable to sign in.
— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) March 5, 2016