[UPDATE: Microsoft reports that Xbox Live services should be accessible once again.]
For the second time in just a few days, the Xbox Live servers are down. Microsoft confirmed that the online service is experiencing issues and is currently working on a fix.
According to a post on social media, the Xbox Live server outage is affecting both sign-in and matchmaking services. Since the initial post, tens of thousands of Xbox Live users have replied stating that they are experience issues, so the downtime is widespread enough to impact a larger portion of the player base.
No doubt the Xbox Live outage is bad timing for many gamers who are keeping inside in order to avoid coming into contact with or spreading the Coronavirus. Government officials have recommended that citizens try to stay inside as much as possible in order to avoid coming in contact with the Coronavirus and potentially spreading it to more people. This means there are a lot of young, healthy people who are cooped up inside without much to do besides play video games.
Many online gaming services like Steam and Twitch have reported higher than normal user numbers because of the self-imposed quarantines, but it’s unclear if this put enough stress on Xbox Live to bring it offline. This week, Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed that Xbox Live was seeing increased usage as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, so there is evidence to suggest that Xbox Live is simply seeing higher numbers and working to respond.
The timing also coincides with this week’s release of Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale spin-off from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Because the Xbox version of Warzone requires an Xbox Live subscription, many are now unable to play despite having technically paid to do so.
The good news is that the issues only seem to be affecting some Xbox Live users and not all. So those who are lucky enough to get online should enjoy their multiplayer experience and don’t log off for the time being.
And for those Xbox users who are looking for something to play while they wait for the servers to return, Ori and the Will of the Wisps just recently released on Xbox Game Pass. In The Best War Games’s Ori review, we praised the sequel for its tight platforming and moving story. So any who potentially downloaded the game in the hopes of trying it later can now see what Moon Studios has cooked up.