Xbox Live Gamertags now expire after 5 years of inactivity

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Your Xbox Live Gamertag could soon be up for grabs in a case of use it, or lose it.

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by Chris Brand

@pass_controller

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As part of Microsoft's updated terms of service (which you can read here if you have no other plans this week), your Xbox Live account may be deactivated if you fail to sign in at least once in a five year period.

The new terms of service don't take effect until 15 September, but this explains why Microsoft recently made almost a million expired Gamertags available. If you've been waiting patiently for the right one, you can check to see if it's free on the official website.

The changes also affect the Outlook e-mail service and OneDrive. You must sign into your Outlook.com inbox and your OneDrive (separately) at least once in a one-year period, or risk your account being closed.

Once accounts are deactivated there's no going back; you'll lose any material you had stored.

Are you hoping to snatch a new Gamertag? Need to hop onto an old account? Let us know in the forums or comment below.

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