How to Cancel Xbox Game Pass Core (Gold) in 2026
Updated February 2026 • Difficulty: Easy • $9.99-19.99/month
Xbox Live Gold was rebranded to Xbox Game Pass Core in 2023. If you're still paying, here's an important fact: free-to-play games (Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, Rocket League) no longer require any subscription.
Cancel from Web (Fastest)
- Go to account.microsoft.com/services
- Sign in with your Microsoft/Xbox account
- Find Xbox Game Pass Core (or Game Pass Standard/Ultimate)
- Click Manage → Cancel
- Follow the prompts — Microsoft will offer alternatives, click through them
- Confirm cancellation
Cancel from Xbox Console
- Press the Xbox button → Profile & system
- Go to Settings → Account → Subscriptions
- Select your Game Pass subscription
- Choose Cancel
Xbox Game Pass Tiers Explained
- Game Pass Core: $9.99/month — online multiplayer + ~25 games
- Game Pass Standard: $14.99/month — hundreds of games + online play
- Game Pass Ultimate: $19.99/month — everything + PC + cloud gaming + EA Play
Do You Actually Need It?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you only play free-to-play games? → Cancel. You don't need a subscription for Fortnite, Warzone, Apex, or Rocket League anymore.
- Do you mainly play single-player games you bought? → Cancel Core. You don't need a subscription to play games you own offline.
- Do you play the Game Pass library regularly? → Worth keeping Standard or Ultimate.
- Do you have Game Pass but only use it for online multiplayer? → Downgrade to Core ($9.99) from Ultimate ($19.99).
Prepaid Time
If you bought a prepaid Game Pass code (from a store or online), cancelling won't refund the remaining time. Your subscription continues until the prepaid period ends, then it simply won't renew.
💡 Savings: Game Pass Core saves $119.88/year. Ultimate saves $239.88/year. If you only play Fortnite and Warzone on Xbox, you've been paying for nothing — those games are free to play online without any subscription since 2023.