Cancel through your Battle.net account settings

To stop your World of Warcraft subscription, log into your Battle.net account on the Blizzard website, go to Account Settings, and find the Subscriptions section. You'll see your active WoW subscription listed with a Cancel Subscription button next to it. Click that button, confirm you want to cancel, and your subscription ends on the date your current billing period finishes — you won't be charged again.

Your character and account remain intact after cancellation. You can log back in anytime and resume playing if you resubscribe later. Nothing is deleted just because your subscription lapses.

If you've forgotten your Battle.net password, use the "Forgot your password?" link on the login page. Blizzard will send a reset link to the email address attached to your account. You'll need access to that email to proceed.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancel your subscription through Battle.net Account Settings under the Subscriptions section, not through the WoW game client itself.
  • Your subscription ends on your next billing date, and you won't be charged again after you cancel.
  • Your characters and account data stay on Blizzard's servers indefinitely after cancellation — nothing is deleted.
  • If you subscribed through a third-party platform like Steam or a console, you must cancel through that platform instead of Battle.net.
  • You can resubscribe at any time using the same Battle.net account and resume playing when ready.

Where to find the cancel button

Open a web browser and go to account.battle.net. Sign in with your Battle.net username and password. Once you're logged in, look for Account Settings in the top menu or sidebar — the exact location varies slightly depending on whether you're on a phone or computer, but it's always labeled Account Settings.

Inside Account Settings, find the section labeled Subscriptions or Manage Subscriptions. This section shows every active subscription tied to your account. World of Warcraft will be listed by name. Next to it, you'll see a button that says Cancel Subscription or Manage. Click that button.

Blizzard will ask you to confirm the cancellation and may show you a brief survey about why you're leaving. You don't have to answer the survey — you can skip it and proceed directly to confirmation. Once you confirm, the cancellation is complete.

What happens to your characters after cancellation

Your characters do not disappear when your subscription ends. They remain on the server indefinitely, frozen exactly as they were the moment you cancelled. If you resubscribe three months later or three years later, you'll log in and find them unchanged, with the same gear, gold, and position in the world.

While you're unsubscribed, you cannot log into those characters or create new ones. The game client will show your characters in a grayed-out state with a message that your subscription has ended. This is normal and does not mean your account is damaged.

Blizzard does not delete inactive accounts or characters due to non-payment. The only way to permanently lose a character is to manually delete it yourself through the game client before or after cancellation.

Cancelling a subscription from Steam or console

If you originally bought your WoW subscription through Steam or through a console platform like PlayStation or Xbox, you must cancel through that platform, not through Battle.net. Cancelling on Battle.net won't work because the subscription is managed by Steam or the console company, not directly by Blizzard.

For Steam: Open Steam, go to Account, then Subscriptions. Find World of Warcraft and click Manage. Select Cancel Subscription and confirm. For PlayStation or Xbox: Go to your account settings, find Subscriptions or Billing, locate World of Warcraft, and select Cancel or Unsubscribe.

After you cancel through the third-party platform, it may take a few hours for the cancellation to sync with your Battle.net account. If you see the subscription still listed on Battle.net after 24 hours, contact Blizzard Support to confirm the cancellation went through.

Timing: when your subscription actually ends

Your subscription does not end when ready when you click Cancel. Instead, it ends on the date your current billing period finishes. If you're billed monthly and your next charge date is March 15th, your subscription runs until March 14th at 11:59 PM. You can play normally until that moment.

Blizzard will not charge you again after that date. You won't receive a bill or see a charge on your payment method. If you want to play after your subscription ends, you'll need to resubscribe manually.

Check your Battle.net account settings to see your exact end date. The Subscriptions section displays when your current period expires. This is the date you should remember if you want to know when you'll lose access.

Resubscribing after cancellation

To play again after your subscription ends, log into Battle.net, go to Account Settings, and look for a button that says Resubscribe or Resume Subscription. Click it, choose your subscription length (usually one month, three months, or six months), and enter your payment method. Your subscription will set up when ready, and you can log into your characters right away.

Your characters will be exactly where you left them. No progress is lost, and you don't need to recreate your account or characters. The same Battle.net account works forever, whether you're subscribed or not.

If you don't see a Resubscribe button, try logging into the WoW game client instead. It will prompt you to resubscribe before you can enter the world, and you can complete the process from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my characters if I cancel?

No. Your characters remain on the server permanently after cancellation. They don't disappear, get deleted, or expire. You can resubscribe months or years later and find them unchanged. The only way to lose a character is to manually delete it yourself.

Can I cancel in the middle of my billing cycle?

Yes, but you won't receive a refund for the time remaining in your current billing period. Your subscription will run until the end of that period, and you won't be charged again after it ends. If you need a refund for a recent charge, contact Blizzard Support directly.

What if I cancel but want to play again next week?

You can resubscribe anytime through Battle.net Account Settings. Your subscription will set up when ready, and you'll have access to your characters right away. There's no waiting period or penalty for resubscribing.

Do I need to cancel before uninstalling the game?

No. Uninstalling the WoW game client does not cancel your subscription. If you want to stop being charged, you must cancel through Battle.net. You can uninstall the game anytime without affecting your subscription status.

Where do I go if cancellation isn't working?

If the Cancel Subscription button doesn't appear, isn't clickable, or you get an error message, contact Blizzard Support through their website. Go to support.blizzard.com, select World of Warcraft, and choose Account and Billing. You can submit a ticket describing the problem, and a support agent will help you cancel manually.