Estate planning as a Nintendo account holder
Nintendo of America Inc. accounts are forfeited when the account holder dies
OverviewWhen someone dies
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
WebsiteFile estate claim→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
(General customer service)
Verified May 2026
A Nintendo Account holds a digital game library (eShop purchases for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2), Nintendo Switch Online membership (cloud saves, classic game libraries, online play), Gold Points rewards, My Nintendo rewards, and game save data. Nintendo Switch games are tied to the Nintendo Account, not the physical console. Each account has one "pass-enabled console" (formerly called the "primary console" before Switch 2 launched) that controls offline play and lets other user profiles on the same console access the account holder's digital library.
Nintendo accounts are forfeited at death under the program's terms. The terms explicitly state that accounts are not the account holder's property and cannot be inherited, transferred by will, or assigned through any estate planning mechanism.
What happens at death
Nintendo has no published bereavement or estate process. No dedicated form, support article, or documented path exists for deceased account holders. Nintendo Support explicitly states: "Neither your Nintendo Account nor your Nintendo Network ID can be transferred or sold to another person, per the Nintendo Account User Agreement." The Nintendo Account User Agreement (accounts.nintendo.com/term/eula/US) governs account use and digital content rights. Help center articles describe digital content as licensed (not owned) and Nintendo Accounts as personal and non-transferable. Upon account deletion, the digital license library, Gold Points, and Nintendo eShop balance are permanently lost - Nintendo eShop balance is non-refundable and non-transferable.
How to protect your Nintendo accounts
Under Nintendo of America Inc.'s policy, accounts have no value after death. Every strategy for preserving Nintendo accounts depends on steps taken while the account holder is alive.
7 lifetime planning steps for your Nintendo accounts:
1
Set your Nintendo Switch as the pass-enabled console (formerly "primary console") for your account. This is the only mechanism that lets other user profiles on the same console play your digital games without your credentials - critical for family continuity.
2
Document your Nintendo Account email, password, recovery email, and any 2FA settings for your executor. Direct credential access is the only reliable path since Nintendo has no bereavement process.
3
Keep the Nintendo Switch Online membership active (auto-renew is recommended). Save Data Cloud backups are only restored if a lapsed membership is resubscribed within 180 days; classic game libraries become inaccessible immediately.
4
Understand that the digital game library has no transferability under Nintendo's terms. Help center articles describe digital content as licensed, not owned, and Nintendo Support states accounts cannot be transferred or sold to another person.
5
If you are the purchaser of a Nintendo Switch Online family membership: the family membership renewal and member management sit on the purchaser's account. If that account becomes inaccessible, the family cannot renew or reshuffle the group from another member's account.
6
Keep your eShop balance low. Funds are non-refundable and non-transferable, and are permanently lost if the account is deleted. The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops shut down to new purchases in March 2023, so remaining balance on legacy accounts cannot be topped up.
7
For Animal Crossing: New Horizons: island save data is stored locally on the console and CANNOT be backed up to cloud saves (it uses a separate Island Transfer tool requiring both the source and destination console). Plan the physical handoff of the console if the island is important to family.
Family sharing
Nintendo Accounts are non-transferable. A Nintendo Switch Online family membership covers up to 8 people in the purchaser's family group. The family membership is linked to the Nintendo Account (not a specific console) and provides Nintendo Switch Online benefits - cloud saves, online play, and classic game libraries - to every member. Digital game purchases are NOT shared between family members. Game sharing works only through the pass-enabled console mechanism: on the account holder's pass-enabled console, any user profile on that console can play the account holder's digital games. On any other console, only the account holder themselves can play their games (and only while signed in and online). The purchaser of the family membership manages the group and can add or remove members.
When someone dies
Handling Nintendo accounts after a death
Accounts are forfeited under the official terms, 8-step process, and 2 required documents.
View details →Nintendo does not offer a beneficiary designation feature. Without this option, accounts cannot be assigned to a named recipient through the program's own settings.
Frequently asked questions
When the Nintendo Switch Online membership expires, access to Save Data Cloud backups is suspended. Nintendo states that resubscribing within 180 days restores access to the previous backups; behavior after 180 days is not documented. Classic game libraries (NES, SNES, Game Boy, N64, Sega Genesis, GameCube) become inaccessible immediately when the membership lapses. Game save data stored locally on the Switch console is not affected by membership status.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons island save data is stored locally on the console and cannot be backed up to Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves. The only transfer method is Nintendo's Island Transfer tool, which requires both the source and destination console. If the console is lost or damaged, the island data is permanently gone.
Not through any formal Nintendo mechanism - there is no authorized-user or delegate feature. The practical option is to document your account email, password, and any 2FA recovery information in your estate plan (typically in a sealed letter of instruction or a password manager your executor can access). Nintendo's terms prohibit sharing credentials, but this is the only path to preserve the digital library for family since Nintendo offers no bereavement process.
Sources
Data sourced from Nintendo of America Inc. primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
WebsiteFile estate claim→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
(General customer service)
Verified May 2026
