Cancel Xbox Game Pass through your Microsoft account settings

The fastest way to cancel is to go to your Microsoft account online, find your Game Pass subscription, and turn off automatic renewal. This stops future charges immediately, though your access continues until your current billing period ends. You do not need to call anyone or wait on hold.

Go to account.microsoft.com, sign in with the email and password you use for Xbox, and select "Your info" at the top. Then click "Manage your Microsoft account" and look for "Subscriptions" in the left menu. Find "Xbox Game Pass" in the list, click it, and select "Manage subscription." Choose "Turn off recurring billing" and confirm. Microsoft will ask why you are leaving — you can skip that or answer it, but either way the cancellation goes through.

Your Game Pass membership stays active through the end of the month you paid for. If you paid for a year, you keep access for the rest of that year. If you paid monthly, you keep access through the end of this month. After that date, you lose access to the Game Pass library and cannot play games you downloaded through the service, though games you own outright stay on your console.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancel through account.microsoft.com by finding your subscription and turning off recurring billing — no phone call needed.
  • Your Game Pass access continues through the end of your current billing period, whether that is this month or later this year.
  • Games you downloaded through Game Pass stop working after your membership ends, but games you purchased separately remain playable.
  • If you cancel and then change your mind, you can restart your subscription at any time through the same account settings.
  • Cancelling Game Pass does not affect your Xbox Live Gold membership or any other Microsoft subscriptions you have.

What happens to your games after cancellation

When your Game Pass membership ends, you lose access to every game in the Game Pass library — even games you downloaded and played for months. The games stay on your console's storage, but they will not launch. You cannot play them, transfer them, or sell them.

The exception is any game you bought outright with your own money. If you purchased Elden Ring or Starfield separately, those games remain yours and playable forever, even after Game Pass ends. The same is true for games you own through backward compatibility or Games with Gold. Only the Game Pass library games lock up.

If you want to keep playing a Game Pass game after your membership ends, you have two options: buy the game outright before your membership expires, or restart your Game Pass subscription later. Many games go on sale during the month before your membership ends, which is a good time to purchase any titles you want to keep.

Cancel through your Xbox console instead

If you prefer not to use a web browser, you can cancel directly from your Xbox Series X, Series S, or Xbox One. This method takes the same amount of time and produces the same result — your subscription stops renewing, but you keep access through the end of your billing period.

On your console, press the Xbox button to open the guide, go to "Profile & system," then "Settings." Select "Account," then "Subscriptions," and find "Xbox Game Pass" in the list. Highlight it and press the menu button (the three horizontal lines), then choose "Manage subscription." Select "Turn off recurring billing" and confirm your choice. The cancellation takes effect immediately.

Restart your subscription anytime

Cancelling Game Pass is not permanent. You can restart your subscription at any time by going back to account.microsoft.com, finding the Game Pass listing, and choosing "Renew subscription." You will be charged for a new billing period starting that day, and your access to the full library returns immediately.

If you cancelled a few months ago and want to come back, your saved games and achievements are still there. Your profile and all your progress in games you own carry over. The only thing that does not carry over is your Game Pass library access — you need an active subscription to play those games again.

Game Pass for PC and cloud gaming

If you have Xbox Game Pass for PC or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which includes cloud gaming), the cancellation process is the same. Go to account.microsoft.com, find your subscription, and turn off recurring billing. Your access ends at the end of your current billing period.

Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold, cloud gaming, and access to the Game Pass library on console, PC, and mobile. When you cancel Game Pass Ultimate, you lose all three benefits at once. If you want to keep Xbox Live Gold for online multiplayer, you will need to buy it separately after your Game Pass Ultimate membership ends.

What to do if you cannot access your Microsoft account

If you forgot your password or cannot sign into account.microsoft.com, go to account.microsoft.com/security and select "Reset your password." Microsoft will send a recovery link to the email address on file or to a backup email you set up. Follow the link, create a new password, and then proceed with cancelling your subscription.

If you no longer have access to the email address tied to your account, the process is harder. Contact Microsoft Support through their website and explain the situation. They may ask you to verify your identity using a phone number or other information from your account. This can take several days, so if you need to cancel urgently, consider calling Xbox Support directly at the number on their website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I get a refund if I cancel mid-month?

No. Microsoft does not issue refunds for partial months or years. If you paid for a full year and cancel after two months, you lose the remaining ten months of payment. Your access continues through the end of your billing period, but you do not get money back.

Does cancelling Game Pass affect my Xbox Live Gold?

No. Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold are separate subscriptions. Cancelling one does not touch the other. If you have both, you will keep Xbox Live Gold and can still play online multiplayer games you own, but you will lose access to the Game Pass library.

Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling?

Microsoft does not offer a pause feature for Game Pass. Your only options are to keep the subscription active or cancel it. If you think you might come back, cancelling is fine — you can restart anytime without penalty.

What if my credit card is about to expire?

Update your payment method in your Microsoft account settings before your card expires. Go to account.microsoft.com, select "Payment & billing," then "Payment methods," and add a new card. If your card expires and you have not updated it, Microsoft will try to charge the new card on file. If no valid card exists, your subscription will not renew, but you will keep access through the end of your current billing period.