Microsoft clarifies X1 DRM strategy following Far Cry 4 issue

Xbox One users will still be able to download and play games they have purchased digitally even if the title is removed from the Xbox Store, Microsoft has confirmed.

Clarification follows confusion earlier this week after digital buyers were locked out of Far Cry 4 after the game was temporarily removed from the Xbox One Store.

“If customers own the rights to a game, they can visit their download history and initiate a re-download whenever they please – even if the game has been delisted from Xbox Store and is no longer available for purchase,” a Microsoft representative confirmed to VideoGamer.com.

The DRM strategy appears to be similar to that of Xbox 360 which also allowed players to download and play previously purchased digital games even after they had been removed from the Xbox Live Marketplace.  It is unclear, however, why digital buyers were locked out of their copy of Far Cry 4 earlier in the week.

“On Monday, some users were unable to access their digitally purchased base edition of ‘Far Cry 4′,” Microsoft told VideoGamer.com in an earlier statement. “Our team has resolved the issue and all access to the title has been restored.”  Hopefully this issue won’t be a problem in the future.