Cancel through the Battle.net account page in three steps

To cancel World of Warcraft, log into your Battle.net account, go to the Subscriptions page, find World of Warcraft, and click the cancel button. Your access ends at the end of your current billing cycle — you do not lose playtime by cancelling early. The whole process takes about two minutes.

Here is exactly what to do: First, go to account.battle.net and sign in with your Battle.net email and password. If you use two-factor authentication, you will need to enter that code as well. Once you are logged in, look for "Subscriptions" in the left menu — it may also say "Manage Subscriptions" depending on your region.

Second, find World of Warcraft in the list of active subscriptions. You will see the game name, your subscription type (like monthly or 6-month), and the next billing date. Click the button that says "Cancel Subscription" or "Manage" next to it. A confirmation screen will appear asking you to confirm the cancellation.

Third, confirm that you want to cancel. Blizzard will ask if you want to stay subscribed — you can ignore this and proceed. After you confirm, you will see a message saying your subscription is set to end on a specific date. That date is the last day you can play. You will receive a confirmation email at the address on your account.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancel through Battle.net account settings, not through the game itself — the in-game shop does not have a cancellation option.
  • Your subscription ends at the end of your current billing period, so you keep access until that date even if you cancel today.
  • If you cancel a multi-month subscription early, you do not get a refund for the unused months.
  • You can reactivate your subscription anytime by going back to the Subscriptions page and clicking the reactivate button.

What happens to your character after you cancel

Your character does not disappear when your subscription ends. Instead, your account enters a "free-to-play" state where you can log in and see your character, but you cannot level past level 20, enter most dungeons, or access most zones. Your gear, gold, and items stay on your character — nothing is deleted.

If you reactivate your subscription later, everything is exactly as you left it. You can pick up where you stopped and use all your items and gold again. There is no time limit on how long you can leave your account inactive before reactivating.

Cancelling a multi-month or prepaid subscription

If you paid for a 3-month, 6-month, or annual subscription upfront, you cannot get a refund for the unused time. Your subscription will still end on the date you paid through, and you keep access until that final day. Cancelling early does not shorten your access period — it just prevents the next automatic charge.

For example, if you bought a 6-month subscription on January 1st and cancel on February 15th, you still have access until July 1st. You will not be charged again after July 1st because you cancelled. If you want to stop playing sooner, you can let your subscription run out and switch to the free-to-play version, but you will not receive money back.

If you cannot find the Subscriptions page

The Subscriptions page location depends on which region your account is in. In North America and Europe, it is at account.battle.net under the Subscriptions tab. In China, World of Warcraft is run by a different company (NetEase), and you cancel through their account system instead — you will need to contact NetEase support or log into your NetEase account to manage that subscription.

If you are logged into Battle.net but do not see a Subscriptions option, check that you are looking at the right account. Some people have multiple Battle.net accounts linked to different email addresses. Make sure you are signed into the account that has your World of Warcraft subscription attached to it. You can see which games are on your current account by looking at the "Games & Subscriptions" section on the main account page.

Reactivating your subscription later

To restart your subscription after cancelling, log back into Battle.net, go to the Subscriptions page, and click the button to reactivate World of Warcraft. You will be charged immediately for the subscription type you choose (monthly, 3-month, 6-month, or annual). Your character and all your items will be waiting for you exactly as you left them.

You can reactivate at any time — there is no penalty for taking a break, and you do not lose access to your character or items while your subscription is inactive. The free-to-play version stays available to you even after you cancel, so you can log in and check on your character without paying anything.

Troubleshooting cancellation problems

If the Cancel Subscription button does not appear, your account may not have an active subscription. Check the Subscriptions page to see the current status. If it says "Inactive" or "Expired," there is nothing to cancel — your subscription has already ended. If you see a subscription listed but no cancel button, try logging out and logging back in, or try a different web browser.

If you are being charged after you cancelled, contact Blizzard Support through the Battle.net website. Go to support.battle.net, select World of Warcraft, and choose "Billing" as the issue type. You will need to describe when you cancelled and when the unexpected charge appeared. Blizzard can review your account history and refund charges that happened after your cancellation date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cancel my subscription through the World of Warcraft game client?

No. The in-game shop and account menu do not have a cancellation option. You must cancel through the Battle.net website at account.battle.net. This is the only way to stop your subscription from renewing.

Will I get a refund if I cancel mid-month?

No. Monthly subscriptions are not refundable once the billing cycle has started. If you cancel on the 15th of a month, you still have access until the end of that month, but you will not get money back for the remaining days. Multi-month subscriptions also do not refund unused time.

What if I forgot my Battle.net password?

Go to account.battle.net and click "Forgot your password?" on the login screen. Enter your email address and follow the reset link sent to your inbox. Once you reset your password, you can log in and cancel your subscription. If you cannot access the email on your account, contact Blizzard Support for help recovering your account.

Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling?

World of Warcraft does not have a pause feature. You can only cancel or keep your subscription active. If you want to take a break without losing your character, cancel your subscription and use the free-to-play version instead — your character stays on your account and you can reactivate anytime.

How long does it take for my subscription to actually end after I cancel?

Your subscription ends on your next billing date, not immediately. If you cancel on the 10th and your billing date is the 25th, you have access until the 25th. You will see the exact end date on the Subscriptions page when you cancel.