What happens to a Minecraft account when someone dies

“You cannot transfer your Microsoft account credentials to another user or entity.”¹

The Minecraft EULA bars giving copies of the game software or content to anyone else.²

The EULA bars selling, leasing, renting, transferring, giving away or otherwise dealing in access to a Realm, or receiving financial, commercial or other benefits for letting other people play on it.²

Under the EULA the worlds a player creates remain the player's own content, and Java Edition worlds are ordinary files in the .minecraft/saves folder on the player's own computer.²

Microsoft must first be formally served with a valid subpoena or court order to consider whether it is able to lawfully release a deceased or incapacitated user's information.³

Microsoft responds only to non-criminal subpoenas and court orders served on its registered agent in the requesting party's state or region, and is unable to respond to faxed or emailed requests for such matters.³

Germany and China have separate Microsoft customer-support paths that accept inheritance documentation in place of legal process.³

Minecraft Player Care handles purchase-record, Minecoin-balance, subscription-cancellation and closure questions, and verifies account ownership.⁴

Microsoft states it "may be unable to provide the account content and sending a request or providing a subpoena or court order does not guarantee that we will be able to assist you."³

Microsoft does not transfer accounts or reset passwords for next of kin.³

Microsoft states that if no one knows the credentials, the account "will be closed automatically after two (2) years of inactivity."³

All purchases for Minecoins are final and cannot be refunded, and Minecoins cannot be converted back into money; they are held against the Microsoft account used to buy them.⁵

Each store that sells Minecraft applies its own return policy; games bought from Minecraft.net or the Microsoft/Xbox store are generally eligible for a refund within 14 days of the purchase date through the Microsoft order history.⁶

Mojang states Minecraft Realms is a subscription service and is not typically eligible for full or partial refunds.⁶

Realms, Realms Plus, Marketplace Pass and Xbox Game Pass keep billing the payment method on file until cancelled; Microsoft notes subscriptions may be stopped by closing the bank account or credit card, revoking authorizations or informing the bank.³

Mojang directs subscription changes, refund requests and unrecognized charges to Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo Support for the store the purchase was made through; Minecraft Player Care handles Realms and Marketplace access questions.⁴

A Minecraft data-deletion request runs a 30-day grace period, then deletes the Minecraft account, cancels any Realms subscription, deletes the game data and ends access to and ownership of the games; it cannot be undone after that period.⁷

When a Realms subscription expires, Mojang states "Your worlds are yours to keep. You have 18 months to download them to your device."⁸

A player who resubscribes to Realms within the 18 months regains access to the Realm just as they left it.⁸

After closure, voluntary or through inactivity, a Microsoft account can be reopened within 60 days by signing in, after which the account and its data are permanently deleted.⁹

A Microsoft account not signed into within a two-year period is treated as inactive and closed, unless an activity exception applies, such as an active subscription or an unspent account balance.⁹

Outlook.com and OneDrive accounts are frozen after one year of inactivity, with the email and OneDrive files deleted shortly after.⁹

Service of non-criminal subpoenas and court orders for customers in Europe³

Subscription changes, refund requests and unrecognized charges, for the store of purchase⁴