Xbox warns users of eight-strike rule: What it is, how it will affect your experience

Microsoft has made significant changes to its community guidelines on Xbox. As a part of these changes, the company has introduced a new enforcement strike system. This new strike system defines how repeated enforcements impact users’ gameplay, how various complaints get escalated, what they escalate to, and how they know when their account is back in good standing.

“The new system attaches strikes to every enforcement, ranging in severity based on inappropriate activity. Each player will now have a view of their enforcement history including strikes and the overall impact these have on their player record,” Dave McCarthy, CVP Xbox Player Services wrote in a blog post.

The new system also defines strikes based on their severity of their actions. Players have a total of eight strikes and once that threshold is reached, their account will be suspended from Xbox’s social features like messaging, parties and party chat, multiplayer and others for one year from the enforcement date.

Talking about enforcement, Microsoft said that today, players will all begin with a blank slate, or zero strikes. However, they must complete previous strikes for this reset to come into action. Furthermore, the company said that all strikes received will stay on a player’s record for six months.

As Microsoft’s new enforcement strike system comes into effect, here is everything you need to know about it.

All you need to know about Microsoft’s new enforcement strike system

How do strikes affect my account?

Number of strikes affect the type of restrictions. For instance, first and the second strikes result in a one-day suspension, whereas a third strike results in three-day suspension while the fourth strike results in seven-day suspension. Similarly, fifth and sixth strike result in 14 and 21-day suspension respectively, while seventh and eighth strikes result in 60-day and a 365-day suspension respectively.

The more strikes you have, the more severe the restrictions that are placed upon your Xbox profile. “For example, if you’ve received multiple temporary suspensions for the same violation, you may notice that subsequent enforcement actions will have longer duration periods,” Microsoft wrote in a support page.

What happens if I reach maximum number of strikes?

If you receive eight strikes, your will not be able to use features such as messaging, party chat, multiplayer, and other social features for a year. However, during this time, you can still sign into your Xbox profile, use certain apps, make purchases, and play games that don’t require Xbox services.

Can my account be permanently suspended despite zero strikes?

Yes, that is possible. Microsoft says that if the ‘behavior demonstrated on an account is egregious, a permanent suspension may be issued regardless of the number of strikes on an account’.

“We don’t take permanent bans lightly, and these types of suspensions are only issued after a thorough investigation determines that a severe violation of our Microsoft Services Agreement and Community Standards for Xbox,” the company added in its support page.