Cannot connect correct EA account to Xbox PC app.

Hi folks,

I cannot download or play EA games from Gamepass.

When contacting support, what I've been told is that there is some unknown EA account linked to my Xbox account. This unknown EA account has access to my Xbox profile (and data) while connected to my Xbox account. Since I do not know anything about this unknown EA account, I cannot verify that it is mine. I don't recognize it, but maybe it's an old one-off email account I created a long time ago. Either way, it's an @hotmail account and there's no way for me to access it. At this point an @hotmail address is most likely a spam-trap, bot email, or has been deleted if it went unused for long enough - since hotmail is no longer a thing (it doesn't exist).

For most software that integrates with other apps, the way EA integrates with Xbox, removing access from either side (either through Microsoft or EA) should effectively revoke permission from both apps communicating the private information contained within each app. This is a security principle that allows the owners of an account (like my Xbox account) to block access to that account when needed. Since the Xbox account is mine, I should have control over what account have access to the data it contains.

For those that are having this issue, you CAN remove permission given to EA by logging into your Microsoft, clicking Privacy, and selecting Apps & Services (or maybe this link can take you directly there click here).

Of course, this does not mean you can reconnect and play EA games. When you go to link EA again - what you will find is that EA will give access of your Xbox account to the previous EA account and will not give you an option to select which EA account you are giving Xbox profile access to, or even verify that you are giving Xbox data access to the correct account!

From my point of view, besides being amazingly frustrating, this is a huge security flaw. Sorry to repeat this, but just to be clear: I have instructed Xbox to deny access to EA - effectively signaling that permission to access my Xbox profile data has been revoked to this specific EA account. When I go through EA's prompt to link my EA account (the one that I know is mine) the EA app happily asks for my Microsoft ID and Password, and then proceeds to give access to the previously connected EA account without displaying or confirming that this is the account you want to give access to!

There's no user control over access to their own Xbox account. The absolute best case scenario is for me to deny access from Microsoft and never play an EA game through Gamepass again. Essentially negating a significant portion of good game titles and minimizing the value that Gamepass offers as a result.

I've spent hours working to resolve this issue, being simply a common person with a common email problem that should be relatively easy to solve. I went back and forth between Microsoft chat support and EA chat support multiple times each to confirm the details of this issue and it seems clear that the problem lies with the EA app. The authentication from the EA app fails to properly inform me the bare minimum details about which EA account is being given access to my private, password protected Microsoft account.

I know that this is most likely my own doing, having possibly made an @hotmail account sometime 20 years ago the first time I ever played an EA game. But seriously, all I'm looking to do is connect the Xbox account I own (and can verify ownership of) to the EA account I own (and can verify ownership of) to play an EA game. I think this is a reasonable request and I'm literally ASKING to support EA with my money as I have no doubt EA receives some amount of payment for allowing Gampass to feature their games. I really like the Gamepass service, so I'm not sure if I would drop that just because I can't play EA games - but what I do know is that if I can't have this reasonable request resolved I will certainly never directly give EA any money ever again, regardless of how great the product might seem.

Thanks for your attention