Account
Will my Old Light account be deleted if I stop playing?
Dormant accounts are reclaimed on a sliding scale: an unverified account lasts as little as a week for a small empire, up to eight weeks for a large one, while a verified account stretches from eight weeks up to about eight months. Any login resets the idle clock, so showing up occasionally keeps your empire safe.
Your empire only stays yours while you keep playing. Old Light reclaims dormant accounts so the galaxy stays full of active rivals, not ghost empires.
Idle limits
If you don't log in for long enough, your account is either removed or transformed into an NPC. How long you get depends on your empire size and whether your email is verified:
No verified email: as little as a week of inactivity for a small empire, up to eight weeks for a large one.
Verified email: eight weeks of inactivity for a small empire, up to about eight months for a large one.
Verifying your email is the single biggest thing you can do to protect a long-running empire, and growing that empire stretches the grace period further still.
There's also an earlier, gentler consequence that applies regardless of email status: after 14 days of inactivity, nearby NPCs may begin capturing your stars one at a time, see Capturing. This doesn't remove your account, but a neglected empire steadily loses territory.
What "reclaimed" means
Two outcomes, depending on how much empire you've built:
Small empires (barely past the starting roster) are deleted outright. The systems return to the galaxy and can be claimed again.
Substantial empires are converted into an NPC. Every system, structure, building queue, and stockpiled resource is preserved.
A converted empire is gone for good. There's no recovery.
How to stay safe
Verify your email. An unverified grace period can be as short as a week.
Log in occasionally. Any session resets the idle clock. You don't have to play hard, you just have to show up.
If you're going to be away, log in once before you leave. The clock starts from your last visit, not your last build.
A beginning is a very delicate time.
Common questions
What happens to a reclaimed empire?
It depends on size. Small empires barely past the starting roster are deleted outright, and their systems return to the galaxy. Substantial empires are converted into an NPC, preserving every system, structure, queue and stockpile. A converted empire is gone for good.
Why should I verify my email?
Verifying your email multiplies your grace period several times over: an unverified empire is reclaimed in as little as a week to eight weeks depending on size, while a verified one gets eight weeks to about eight months. It is the single biggest thing you can do to protect a long-running empire.
Can I lose stars while inactive even if my account survives?
Yes. After 14 days of inactivity, nearby NPCs may begin capturing your stars one at a time. This applies regardless of email status and doesn't remove your account, but a neglected empire steadily loses territory.
