While it got its start as a subscription that let you access a ton of games, Xbox Game Pass has continually become more involved in the Xbox ecosystem at a base level. It has its own permanent tab on the Xbox dashboard, and it’s even required for online multiplayer action on Xbox consoles today.
If you cancel your Xbox Game Pass subscription, you could lose out on features that you didn’t even know were included in the service. There are also multiple different Xbox Game Pass plans, so downgrading to a cheaper subscription may be better than canceling outright if you still want to retain some perks.
In particular, canceling your Xbox Game Pass subscription means you won’t be able to access the Game Pass library anymore, including any games already downloaded to your system. Dropping Game Pass will also lock you out of cloud streaming for Xbox games. Without Xbox Game Pass, you also won’t be able to play online in most games — although there are some exceptions.
What happens to your existing Game Pass games?
If you cancel your Xbox Game Pass subscription, you will no longer be able to play anything from the Game Pass catalog. The size of the Game Pass library depends on your chosen plan, so this might not be a huge issue for you. Xbox Game Pass Essential only includes about 50 games, but you’ll lose over 500 games if you cancel Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
You’ll also lose access to several EA and Ubisoft titles since Xbox Game Pass Premium includes both EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics. Canceling Xbox Game Pass can also remove benefits from certain games you already own. For example, Xbox Game Pass Premium includes a Fortnite Crew subscription, so you’ll have to purchase the Battle Pass and other in-game items separately without a Game Pass membership.
Additionally, cloud gaming is dependent on a Game Pass subscription unless you purchase separate cloud gaming credits from the Xbox Store. Game Pass members get multiple hours of cloud gaming each month, and you can stream any game in the catalog to a number of devices. Xbox has been slowly rolling out streaming functionality for games that you own, however, so you can stream those games without Game Pass if they’re supported.
Can you still play online without Xbox Game Pass?
Since Xbox Live Gold was discontinued in 2023, Xbox Game Pass is now required for online multiplayer on Xbox consoles. If you cancel your Xbox Game Pass subscription, you’ll be stuck playing offline Xbox games, with a few exceptions.
This can even lock you out of some games entirely if they’re designed around online functionality. The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the biggest examples of this, and it applies to other multiplayer games like Fallout 76 as well. Some online games, like Diablo 4, will let you play on your own and see other players in the open world, but you won’t be able to party up or do dungeons in groups without Game Pass.
Free-to-play titles are exempt from Game Pass requirements, so you can play free games online after canceling your subscription. Fortnite, Roblox, and Call of Duty: Warzone are some of the biggest games on the platform, and you can play them without Xbox Game Pass. You can even hang out with friends in a party since Xbox party chat doesn’t require a Game Pass membership, either.
