Global Microsoft Azure Outage

A major global outage affecting Microsoft Azure cloud services began on October 29, 2025, disrupting websites, applications, and online platforms worldwide — including several in New Zealand.

According to Microsoft, the incident was triggered by an inadvertent configuration change to part of Azure’s infrastructure around 12 p.m. ET on October 29. The issue cascaded across Microsoft’s ecosystem, affecting Microsoft 365 (including Outlook and Teams), Xbox Live, Minecraft, and numerous other services that rely on Azure.

In New Zealand, the outage caused widespread operational disruptions. Air New Zealand experienced delays in check-ins and boardings across its entire network, while the Interislander ferry operator’s call center and online booking systems went offline. Other critical services — including Medimap (medication management software), banking platforms, and government websites — also faced downtime, highlighting the country’s deep reliance on Azure-based infrastructure. Local users reported service interruptions consistent with reports on Downdetector and social media.

Beyond New Zealand, major global brands such as Starbucks, Costco, and Kroger (in the U.S. and U.K.) saw point-of-sale systems and mobile apps fail during the outage. Users also experienced issues accessing the Azure Portal, DNS resolution, and even Microsoft’s own websites. The downtime affected industries from retail to gaming, with Minecraft servers and Xbox services among the most heavily hit. Social media was flooded with memes about “bonus days off”, reflecting both user frustration and amusement.

Microsoft acknowledged the problem on its Azure Status Page and began deploying a fix shortly after the disruption began. By October 30, the company reported that most services were steadily recovering, and that customers should see full restoration “within several hours.”

An analysis from Cisco ThousandEyes provided additional insight into the incident, identifying failures within Azure Front Door, a critical content delivery and routing service. Despite the scale of the outage, Microsoft Corp. stock remained largely unaffected, trading at $541.55 USD — up 29.38% year-to-date.