Xbox Live Account Required? Only for Online Multiplayer & Paid Services—Offline & F2P Work Free

No — you do not need an Xbox Live account to play all games.

What Requires an Account (Free Microsoft Account)

• Online multiplayer in paid games (requires Game Pass Core / Gold subscription).
• Cloud saves sync.
• Store purchases, Game Pass, achievements tracking.
• Cross-play / cross-progression titles.

What Works WITHOUT an Account

• Offline single-player / local multiplayer on disc or installed digital games (set console as "Home Xbox").
• Free-to-play online games: Fortnite, Apex Legends, Warzone, Rocket League, etc. — no Gold/Core required since April 2021.
• Blu-ray / DVD / Media apps (Netflix, Disney+, etc. — need their own logins).

Home Xbox Trick

Set your console as Home Xbox (Settings → General → Personalization → My Home Xbox). Then any profile on that console plays your digital games offline and uses your Gold/Game Pass benefits.

Summary Table