What happens to a GOG account when someone dies
GOG sp. z o.o publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through GOG sp. z o.o's support ticket system.
GOG sp. z o.o decides what happens to a GOG account after a death case by case; its terms promise no transfer.
GOG sp. z o.o publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through GOG sp. z o.o's support ticket system. The request takes 4 documents.
How to request a transfer
Required Documents
- Death certificate
- GOG username or the email address on file with the account
- Government-issued photo ID of the executor or heir submitting the request
- Letters testamentary, letters of administration or equivalent proof of authority: Proof of authority to act for the estate.
What GOG sp. z o.o. (Michal Kicinski)'s terms say at death
- Section 3.3
“Your GOG account and GOG content are personal to you and cannot be shared with, sold, gifted or transferred to anyone else.”1
What GOG sp. z o.o. (Michal Kicinski) says happens6
- Purchased content and licenses
Section 8.2 of the User Agreement applies the same rule to Virtual Goods, which "cannot be 'bought', 'sold', gifted, transferred or redeemed."1
Offline backup installers already downloaded work without any account, client or server, so already-downloaded game files stay usable whatever the account's status.2
- Passwords and login
GOG does not provide passwords or login credentials.1
- Deletion and data retention
Deleting the account sends a confirmation request to the account's email address; after that confirmation the profile is permanently deleted within 14 days.3
GOG retains limited records documenting transactions for tax purposes even after an account is deleted.4
- Restoring a deleted account
The deletion can be cancelled from account settings during those 14 days; afterwards removal is permanent and irrevocable.3
- Closing the account
Once removal completes, the holder permanently loses access to all the games and other content in the library, any redeemed codes and any GOG Wallet funds; closing an account does not automatically refund purchased games.3
- Balances, payouts and refunds
Wallet funds "do not constitute electronic money of any kind and are non-transferable and non-exchangeable under any circumstances," have no cash value and cannot be gifted, sold or transferred; the Wallet holds at most $500.5
The Wallet FAQ states that "GOG Wallet funds that are considered legally to be unclaimed property may be turned over to the applicable authority."5
Other companies and product lines involved1
- GOG legal team
GOG's published legal point of contact1
Email: legal@gog.com
Not in GOG's published guidance8
- A process for a deceased account holder
- How long a request takes
- A mailing address for a written request
- A phone number for this
- A form for estate requests
- Whether a certified death certificate is required
- Inactive accounts and expiry
- A dedicated estates team
A written request to GOG sp. z o.o can ask it to transfer the accounts to a named family member, refund an unspent balance, provide purchase and transaction records for the estate inventory, preserve the account while the estate is opened and close the account.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for GOG drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from GOG sp. z o.o. (Michal Kicinski) primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
GOG estate claims
GOG Support
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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Forms for Settling an Estate
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Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
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