Can you pass on your Nintendo account when you die?
Nintendo of America's terms forfeit a Nintendo account at death. While alive, the account holder can use family pooling.
Protecting Nintendo accounts while the account is active
No beneficiary designation, lifetime transfer options for accounts, and 9-step plan.
How to protect your Nintendo account while you are alive →Someone died. Handling Nintendo accounts after a death
Accounts are forfeited under the official terms, 7-step process, and 5 required documents.
What happens to a Nintendo account when someone dies →A Nintendo Account holds a digital game library of eShop purchases for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, a Nintendo Switch Online membership, an eShop fund balance, Gold Points and Platinum Points, and game save data.
Under Nintendo of America's terms, a Nintendo account closes when the holder dies and nothing in it passes to anyone. While the account holder is alive, Nintendo of America allows family pooling.
What happens to Nintendo at death
- Forfeited at death
The Nintendo Account User Agreement treats the account and everything in it as a personal, non-transferable license, and deleting the account loses access to the digital library, the points balances and the eShop balance.1
Naming who acts after a death
- Designation
There is no way to name a beneficiary or successor on a Nintendo Account; the account is personal to its holder.1
Sources1
- 1.Nintendo Account User Agreement (US), Effective Date 05/2025
Nintendo of America publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; the request starts by phone at 1-800-255-3700. There is no way to name a beneficiary or successor on a Nintendo account.
Sources
Data sourced from Nintendo of America Inc. primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Nintendo customer support
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone
International
Text/SMS support
TTY
Hours
Website
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