How to protect your Minecraft account while you are alive

Minecraft and Microsoft offer no way to name a beneficiary or successor for the account, and Microsoft account credentials cannot be transferred to another user or entity.¹

Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock Edition) supports Microsoft Family Share, which lets child accounts in the same Microsoft family group install and play the game without a second purchase. Setup runs through the purchasing account, and it does not transfer ownership.²

Minecraft: Java Edition cannot be family shared because it is not part of the Microsoft Store, so only the account that bought it can play it without buying it again.²

Realms and Realms Plus subscriptions are tied to the subscribing account, though invited players can play on the Realm for free while the subscription is active.³

Minecoins and Marketplace purchases are held against the purchasing Microsoft account and cannot be shared or transferred to another account.⁴

A Microsoft account must be signed into at least once in a two-year period to stay active, and the Outlook.com inbox and OneDrive must each be signed into separately at least once a year.⁵

Exceptions keep an account active without a sign-in: an active Microsoft subscription, an unspent account balance, a Microsoft certification, apps or games published to the Microsoft Store, or a purchase of a current Microsoft product or service other than gift cards, certifications or subscriptions.⁵

Java Edition worlds are already local, in the .minecraft/saves folder, and Bedrock Edition worlds can be exported from the game's Settings menu; local copies are the only holding that does not depend on the account surviving.⁶

The owner of a Realm can download a backup of the Realm world from the in-game Realms settings.³