Microsoft Store/Xbox independent devs might lose their accounts, due to this new policy
Devs will need to provide valid business information by early 2025.
Independent developers for Microsoft Store and Xbox might have their accounts terminated, even whether it’s a personal account, or a company-associated one, per emails received and posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) by various indie devs within the Xbox community.
The email, which you can read below, doesn’t explicitly mention which accounts are susceptible to banning, and a lot of indie devs have expressed their concerns on X. Microsoft has yet to respond.
According to the email, all company accounts in Parter Center must submit their business DUNS ID or a valid form of business verification by early 2025, or face banning otherwise.
The Redmond-based tech giant also states that new company accounts will be required to provide valid business information during account creation, starting February 14, 2024.
Microsoft allowed developers (independent or otherwise) to sell their software and apps on Microsoft Store, and Xbox a while ago, and the decision has been received positively by developers anywhere, allowing them to make a steady income from their developing works.
If this decision affects all accounts, then those indie devs who are not tied to a company will be at risk of losing their accounts. However, Microsoft has yet to respond, and as we mentioned earlier, users are worried. For good reasons, though, the email seems quite ambiguous.
Here is the email Microsoft Store/Xbox independent devs have been receiving
Dear Microsoft Store Developer,
You are receiving this email notice because you have an active developer account in Microsoft Partner Center and may make products available through the Microsoft Store as part of the Windows & Xbox and/or Microsoft Edge programs.
Updated Partner Center Account Verification Requirements
Microsoft will be requiring that all company accounts in Partner Center submit either their business DUNS ID or one form of business verification document. To learn more about this change, go to our account creation page here.
Required Action:
Beginning February 17, 2024, new company accounts will be required to enter their business information during account creation. Existing partners with company accounts will have until early 2025 to update their accounts with the required business verification information. Failure to provide the information by the deadline may result in accounts being blocked and/or content removal.Updating Your Contact Information
Microsoft requires that you enter your contact information: email, physical address, and phone number. This information is required and will be made available under the Publisher Information section on product detail pages.
Required Action:
Please login to your PartnerCenter account and update below under “Contact Details” or “Properties” for each product available through the Microsoft Store. You will need to update your email, physical address, and phone number.Reminder: Microsoft Store Application Developer Agreement Acceptance Requirement
As per our email sent on October 30th , 2023 Microsoft updated its Application Developer Agreement on Oct 30th 2023, effective November 30th 2023. The updated Application Developer Agreement can be accessed here.Microsoft
Required Action:
Please login to your PartnerCenter account access Agreements (Microsoft) page renew accept updated Application Developer Agreement for program which you enrolled You must accept agreement February 28th 2024 or you blocked publishing new apps or making any edits to existing apps.
Indie devs are already rightfully concerned as many of them received this email on their accounts as well. As Microsoft’s email is quite vague, many are left to wonder what will happen to their accounts if they don’t tie them to a company.
I’m an individual developer and I has 2 free applications published on the Windows store, and received this email too. Very concerning.
@john_mohl_ar
I received an email (as an individual developer – not a business).
@onlinedeadline
Yeah, I feel like this is some sort of mistake. They can’t mean to require all indie devs to be part of a company. That is very restrictive to their indie dev program and pretty much gatekeeps access to actual game studios. Not a good look for them…
@CHI3F
Hopefully this won’t affect personal accounts, but I got this same email and I’m not using a company account so. If this change affects personal accounts it’s a massive, massive L by Microsoft and will probably put a target on the console’s back for full-on hacking.
@Juganawt
Just received this email. Individual dev account / series x / usa in case that matters or someone reading is trying to get to the bottom of it
@gwizofthestars
Microsoft has yet to respond.
