Cancelling is something you do yourself, from the panel, in about a minute. There is nobody to email and no notice period to sit through. The important part is what the word means here: cancelling schedules a stop at the end of the period you have already paid for, and on that date the server and everything on it is deleted. Until then nothing changes, and one button puts it all back.
Do this first: get your files off the server
Deletion on the due date is permanent and it takes the backups with it. So before you cancel, pull down anything you would miss.
- Small worlds and config files. Open the Files tab and download them straight from the browser.
- Large worlds. Use SFTP instead. A browser download of a multi-gigabyte world tends to stall, and an SFTP client resumes. The setup is in connecting with SFTP.
- Backups. Anything in the Backups tab lives on the server, not in a separate archive. Download the ones you want to keep, or they go when the server goes.
A good habit is to take one fresh backup, download it, then open the file on your own machine to confirm it is not empty. Do that before you touch the cancel button, while the server is still running.
Step 1: open Settings and find the Danger zone
Sign in to the control panel, open Game Servers, pick the server, and click Settings in the left menu. The Danger zone at the bottom holds two things, so read the labels: Reinstall server wipes and rebuilds the server you are keeping, Cancel Server is the one that ends the service.
Only the account that owns the service sees this button. If the server was shared with you, the owner has to do it.
A suspended or overdue server can be cancelled too, which is usually exactly what someone wants when an invoice went unpaid. The button works the same way.
Step 2: pick a reason
Six reasons, one click. It is worth being accurate here rather than picking the first option, because the panel reacts to your answer.
Choose Too expensive, Found cheaper elsewhere, Technical issues or Other reason and the next screen offers something before you continue: a price match, hands-on help with whatever is broken, or just a chat with a human. Accepting one opens the live chat with the details already filled in, so you do not have to explain your situation from scratch. Nothing is forced on you and the cancel path stays open.
Choose Done playing this game or Not using it enough and there is no offer, because there is nothing sensible to offer someone who has simply finished. You go straight to the confirmation.
Step 3: confirm, with the date in front of you
The last screen states the exact date the server will be deleted, which is the end of your current billing period, and repeats the reason you picked. The comment box is required and short is fine.
Click Yes, Cancel Server and it is scheduled. No queue, no approval, nobody reviewing it.
What happens next
- The server stays online and fully playable until the deletion date
- No further renewal invoices are created for it
- On that date the server, its files and its backups are deleted automatically
Your confirmation is the banner that now sits at the top of the server page. Check that it is there, because that is what tells you the request registered. No cancellation email is sent.
Changed your mind
Press Keep Server in that banner any time before the deletion date. The cancellation is withdrawn immediately, the server carries on as though nothing happened, and normal renewal invoices start again. There is no penalty and no limit on changing your mind.
Common questions
Can I keep playing after I cancel? Yes. You paid through the end of the period, so the server runs normally until the date shown in the confirmation.
Will I be charged again? No. Scheduling the cancellation stops the renewal invoices for that service.
Can I get my files back afterwards? No. The deletion is permanent, which is why the download step comes first.
I want a different game, not out. Then do not cancel. You can reinstall the same server with another game and keep the subscription, which also keeps your address and port. Ask in live chat if you are unsure whether your plan fits the new game.
Does this work for a VPS? Yes. A VPS is cancelled from its own page under VPS in the panel, with the same dialog and the same end-of-period rule.
I cancelled by accident and the date has passed. Then the service is gone and so are the files. Open live chat quickly anyway, because how much can be done depends entirely on how long ago it happened.
Still deciding? The live chat in the corner of the panel reaches a person, and telling them what is wrong costs nothing.