One user's struggles with their EA account exposes the larger problem with third-party launchers linked to Steam

One user's harrowing months-long journey through EA support exposes a major problem with using multiple launchers to play your Steam games. A user on Reddit by the name notd1zzy shared the three-month-long experience trying to regain access to the games they paid for on Steam. But this wasn’t a problem with Steam. You may have a few games in your library that require linking an account. Just yesterday, many users on Steam encountered issues accessing crossplay in Grounded 2 when they linked their Microsoft account. Helldivers 2 was caught up in a huge controversy last year when PSN accounts almost became mandatory. At least on some level, having accounts connected like this can be annoying, frustrating, time-consuming, and can introduce more points of failure.

After months of struggling with EA support, this user finally gets their Steam games back

The story starts with this user’s Steam account being compromised; they explain: “During that time, someone linked their EA account… to my Steam profile.” This became an issue anytime they tried to launch an EA game, apparently, “it would automatically try to log into that unauthorized EA account.” The user attempted to link their own EA account, but kept encountering the same error, with EA’s system claiming the Steam profile was already linked to another account. “So, I ended up completely locked out of all the EA games I had paid for.”

Thus began this user’s three-month-long struggle with EA support. They couldn’t go to Steam support, despite EA support recommending it several times. Steam doesn’t have the power to disconnect third-party connections like this. Eventually, it even seemed like EA was starting to dodge this user. “The ‘chat with us’ option disappeared…The ‘Resume Case’ button stopped working… EA websites wouldn’t load at all unless I used a VPN or mobile hotspot.”

After being fed up, this user finally decided to escalate outside of EA. “After being denied again and again, I decided to take formal action,” they write. “I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau… and in that complaint, I clearly stated that if EA didn’t respond or help me, I’d escalate further to consumer protection offices…” Just a few days after sending that complaint, EA found a solution. They had the user use “an alternative verification method.” They explain: “I had to send a friend request from my Steam account to an EA support Steam profile. After confirming the request by email, they verified my ownership.” From there, they were able to link their own account to Steam again and finally play Battlefield 2042, which they were “genuinely excited to play.”

The top comment on the Reddit post sarcastically reads, “Yeah, using several launchers is so cool!!!!” With another user putting it more plainly: “This is one of the best reasons to be against third-party launchers in Steam games.” Third-party launchers will continue to be a problem for Steam users. At a bare minimum, they complicate and elongate the process of just playing your games. But at the worst, they can be what locks you out of your games.

Hopefully, EA and other third parties will take note of this situation. If making it easier to unlink an account isn’t an option, then hopefully, they can at least give their support staff the training or knowledge needed to assist in such cases. If EA wants people to keep using their services, they will have to listen to their customers. A common sentiment among the comments of this post was that users would never buy an EA game on Steam.

• Steam
• EA / Electronic Arts