Re: EA account linking to a new Xbox Account

No dice here. Tried to launch/install a couple of EA different titles from the Xbox app, one I already owned and one I didn't. In both instances I got the "Your accounts can’t be linked because the EA Account for [edit: email address removed] was previously linked to the Xbox account for xxxxxx. An EA Account can only be linked to one Xbox account in its lifetime." message.

Interestingly, BFV which I already own and have installed through EA's own marketplace can be seen by the Xbox app as I get a "Play - Installed" button rather than a "Install" button. The EA titles I already own and have installed via Origin now show up in the "My Collection" tab in Xbox but are not able to be launched from there - they just trigger the account linking warning.

This confirms to me that the bottleneck is being caused by EA and not Microsoft.

Maybe this is a step in the right direction - but honestly who knows. No one from EA will respond in any meaningful way to any requests for updates.

The account linking page was updated again on Tuesday August 17 - the second time in a week. Still mentions the linking to a new account prohibition. Not sure what has driven two changes in a week. - https://help.ea.com/en/help/account/unlink-gaming-accounts-from-ea-account/

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@Shikaar wrote:
@ZirocksWhen I install BF4 from Origin where I already own it, it also shows as installed in the Xbox App as an installed Gamepass title...

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But can you launch it from the Xbox App?

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@Zirocks wrote:

Sorry for the false joy everyone :/

I don't know why it still don't work for you guys but now it works for me, my "good" xbox acc is now linked to my ea ( verified on the website )

Maybe it's the "6 months thing" I saw earlier ?

And for those who asked I literally did nothing, sometimes I try to play some ea games trough the xbox pc app ( to see if something have changed ) and I always had the message "only one xbox acc can be linked for lifetime ...", until today, I tried to start BF5 ( wich I own on my EA acc ) and bam "EA desktop" app started and I had nothing more to do, the app just asked me where to install it.

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The other thought I had is that this could be a regional licencing issue. Perhaps people in certain regions are able to do this but it remains restricted in others. I'm in Asia/Pacific and it isn't working but perhaps in places like the EU where consumer law is much more robust it can be done and has been enabled? 

Yeah, it isn't ideal. The 'make another account' solution is not acceptable to most end users but it sure makes it look like EA has more users than it actually does. I'm sure it's in EA's best interest for there to appear to be more users on their service.

I looked into making another account and moving progress and titles over. It is not easy, requiring EA tech support to do it on an individual basis, many titles are not eligible for transfer, and in my case because I had my existing EA account linked to Steam (thanks to C&C Remastered) not possible at all! 

As I keep banging on about, some feedback from EA about where we are with this issue would go a long way.

3 months of Game Pass throwed into the trash. Nice job EA. 

26 pages deep. Someone gonna have to pass this over to games media or something because this policy is straight up loony tunes!

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@Gaycob wrote:

26 pages deep. Someone gonna have to pass this over to games media or something because this policy is straight up loony tunes!

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I'd love to see that happen, but we have to catch someone in the media's attention first. People need to reach out to games media and ask them to cover this.

It's almost September! Throw us a bone, EA! We just want to play our games.

Maybe some of the more click-baity sites might be interested initially, they are always hunting for content. 

Bumping too, cause this is absurdly arbitrary; I also have a nearly 10 year old account that I can't link to my main Xbox account cause it was already linked to a some dumb burner account I made in high school when I thought about changing Xbox accounts cause I was too poor for a gamertag name change. We should start a petition or something Idk, this can't just BE how it is.

US btw

Bumping as I just got an XSX and now have the same issue. I've been told by support that my current gamertag (which I haven't used in over 7 years) is linked to an EA account which has been deleted (although I never deleted any EA accounts). Essentially my gamertag is in EA purgatory - the only solution I've been provided is to try resetting the password for an EA account I never created and never deleted, and support both on chat and on the phone told me that EA is unable to do anything about it. One would think that if the account my gamertag was previously associated with was deleted, then it should be free to be associated with a brand-new EA account but apparently this is something EA doesn't have the capacity to do? I don't care about my previous game saves, I just want to be able to play new EA titles online on my Xbox and getting a new gamertag is not an option - nor should it have to be. It was a hard choice to move from PS back to Xbox, and now this inability for EA to make a simple change may not only lose a customer for EA but Microsoft as well as there is little incentive for me to say if I can't play a large number of games online that I enjoy.

Has anyone had any success? This seems like an easy fix that should be possible - see how Activision and Ubisoft handle changes in gamertags/PSN IDs linked to their accounts. 

I'm getting the impression that the support team don't have any team leads that have the balls to raise this issue with the development teams.

Pretty sad.

Are we going to get to a full year of lost service before this is addressed? Okay, let's be serious, is it ever going to be addressed?

They're just wearing us down at this point. It's kinda absurd and gross.

If this were something disrupting the flow of FIFA bux it would have been fixed in hours, but Microsoft already paid EA for our access so I guess they don't care.

Does the 6 month rule still work? 

It's now been 6 months since I unlinked my old redundant Xbox account from my primary EA. I currently have a secondary EA linked to my Game pass, but I don't want to unlink and find out I then have two redundant EA accounts I can't link.

I would like to link together my primary and game pass together as they should be!

AFIAK the six month rule only applies to connecting preciously linked XBOX accounts to a NEW EA account. If your EA account has had another Xbox/MS account linked to it in the past (doesn't matter if it was 15 years ago), they won't allow you to EVER link another Xbox account to it. It's insane considering the compulsory account links many of us made on the original Xbox or 360 when we were children, who now have permanent Microsoft accounts we want to use.

EA please throw your paying customers a bone.

Have sent xboxgamepass a DM on twitter explaining the issue and linking this thread in the hopes they may escalate it within Microsoft. This is just beyond a joke now and it takes so so much value away from having gamepass. Ugh.

Can confirm they were able to help me with my account aswell here's the transcript:

Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:29:17 PM): Thank you for contacting EA HELP, my name is Adrin, may I start with your first name please?
(10/7/2021, 4:29:25 PM): [Name]
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:29:43 PM): Hello [Name], how are you?
(10/7/2021, 4:30:13 PM): Not good Adrin. I cannot link my actual xbox account to my actual origin account...
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:30:57 PM): No worries, I will assist you with the issue that you are facing.
(10/7/2021, 4:31:05 PM): Alright.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:31:37 PM): Can you provide me with the email linked to your EA account?
(10/7/2021, 4:32:22 PM): so I have 2 ea accounts:
Real one: [email]
Second one: [second_email]
(10/7/2021, 4:32:45 PM): I cannot link to the real one anymore tho ☹️
(10/7/2021, 4:33:43 PM): So I tried creating a second account and was using gamepass through that, but it is super annoying when I want to play my own games...
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:33:55 PM): You mean [email] this one.
(10/7/2021, 4:34:14 PM): yeah, [email] is my actual account
(10/7/2021, 4:34:41 PM): oh you mean the account I am contacting you with right now?
(10/7/2021, 4:34:57 PM): right now I am in my alt account, I hope that doesn't changes anything?
(10/7/2021, 4:35:06 PM): I can login to the other one if it is required
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:35:18 PM): The account on which you are contacting is [second_email].
(10/7/2021, 4:35:33 PM): Yea, is that a problem?
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:35:48 PM): No !
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:36:03 PM): Do you have access to this [email] mail?
(10/7/2021, 4:36:08 PM): Yes.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:36:48 PM): I have sent a code to this [email] mail.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:36:55 PM): Please share the code.
(10/7/2021, 4:36:57 PM): 789315
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:37:15 PM): Thank you for the code.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:38:39 PM): I can see that you have unlinked an Xbox from the EA account that has this [email] mail.
(10/7/2021, 4:39:16 PM): Yea, that was my brother's xbox account and I linked to mine by accident and then unlinked to link my own account.
(10/7/2021, 4:39:25 PM): but I failed linking my own it does not let me.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:41:26 PM): Yes , when you unlink an platform you cannot link any other platform to that account for next 6 months.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:41:52 PM): But I can provide you one exception.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:42:20 PM): That is I can provide you a link free pass to that account , is that fine?
(10/7/2021, 4:42:47 PM): So I will be able to link my account to it right?
(10/7/2021, 4:42:52 PM): xbox account I mean
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:43:10 PM): Yes, that will be the last time.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:43:16 PM): Is that fine?
(10/7/2021, 4:43:24 PM): Alright! Thanks a lot! Yes, that's god!
(10/7/2021, 4:43:28 PM): good*!
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:43:41 PM): Alright!
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:43:46 PM): Stay connected.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:47:28 PM): I have granted you a link free pass try linking your Xbox to your account, Refer this link https://help.ea.com/help/account/link-your-console-accounts/#how-to
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:47:38 PM): Let me know when it is done.
Adrin (10/7/2021, 4:49:37 PM): Are we connected?
(10/7/2021, 4:49:45 PM): Yes, I think it worked thanks a lot!

@Beteraxa how did you get the chat option? I can't find it anywhere.

Hi @Gesuhs! Answering from my real account :D

Here's a direct link: https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/?product=ea-play&platform=pc&category=manage-my-account&issue=account-linking

I basically just searched for "ea live chat" on Google and then ended up in https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/
Then I selected Ea Play > PC > Manage my account > Account linking > Select contact option

After that it puts u in a webstie where u have to basically state ur problem and request for a live chat.

Hope this helps ^^

@Shikaar @beterax 

Thank you both! Especially Shikaar - that link was the perfect combination of selections to get a live chat option.

I'm just going to repeat it here for anyone googling this like me: https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/new/?product=origin&category=manage-my-account&issue=manage-account-details

And some keywords for more searching:
Xbox account

Link account

Once per lifetime

New xbox account link to ea

ea live chat

Well guys. I tried with the support about trying to link my Xbox account and they told me the same thing as always. I guess you guys got lucky. 

EDIT: Contacted them again and they fixed my problem. Thanks guys. Today is a day to remember.

Me too, I was told about four months ago that nothing could be done to link my real account so I should make another account. I saw the updates in this thread today so I contacted chat and was told nothing could be done for another 2 months! 

What should I do now?