Why it matters: Being the most popular game in the world means Fortnite is a prime target for hackers, especially as it relies on microtransactions and players’ credit cards to fund them. As such, creator Epic Games wants all users to protect their accounts by turning on two-factor authentication, and it will reward those that do with a free emote. While reducing the chances of being hacked should be enough of an incentive to enable 2FA, it seems many Fortnite players need the promise of the new 'Boogie Down' victory dance to convince them. 2FA can be a hassle, but it’s better than enduring the headache of having your account compromised. To receive the perk, log into your Epic Games account, select “manage account” from the drop-down menu, go to "password and security," and scroll down until you see "two-factor authentication." It can be set up using an app such as Google Authenticator or Authy. This type of two-factor authentication doesn’t 100 percent guarantee your account's security, but using token-based authenticators is still a lot safer than SMS-based 2FA, which again showed its vulnerabilities in the recent Reddit hack. There were also recent reports of 2FA-protected Instagram accounts being compromised. Still, it’s better than having no extra layers of security. For the safest form of two-factor authentication, physical security keys are the best option. Since Google started requiring all workers to start using the USB keys in early 2017, not a single one of its 85,000+ employees have had their company accounts successfully phished. Fortnite isn’t the first title to offer players an in-game incentive for improving their account security. World of Warcraft already offers extra backpack slots for adding Blizzard SMS Protect alongside the Blizzard Authenticator.<doc-sep>The Fortnite Boogie Down emote is free with 2FA FREE for the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Epic Games has made it their mission to try and improve security for Fortnite players, both with their accounts and when playing online. This has included sending out warnings about malicious sites offering "free" V-Bucks, as well as those looking to share fake Android apps. And the development team has provided the perfect way for fans of Fortnite Battle Royale to pick up a free cosmetic item this week, as well as improve their own account security. The Boogie Down emote is currently available as a free download, if players are willing to enable 2FA. Fortnite 2FA, or two-factor authentication, is a simple but effective way of protecting your Epic Games account. By enabling 2FA, players can lose their password to a hacker and still have another line of defence before their account is breached. This is where the two-factor part of your protection comes in, which usually means the second layer of password protection which has been enabled. This comes in the form of a pin being sent to your phone or email account, or a known key that adds another layer of security. And it appears that Epic Games is rather keen on its players enabling the security measure while using their accounts. Players have no doubt seen emails pop up warning them of people trying to access their accounts, with 2FA another way to make sure your information stays safe. A big new update was released today for Fortnite Here’s more about 2FA from Epic Games, who confirm: “If you opt in to the 2FA feature, each time you sign in using your password, you’ll receive a security code that is good for one use, over a short period of time. “The security code will be sent to you through the verification method that you selected in your account settings. “Currently, 2FA security codes can be received through either an authentication app or via your Epic Games email address.” HOW TO ENABLE 2FA IN FORTNITE To enable 2FA and earn the Boogie Down emote for free, players will need to head over to the official Epic Games website and access your account. When you have provided your name and password, you will need to click the security tab, where it’s possible to change your password. You can also scroll down and look at the two 2FA options available to use for Fortnite Battle Royale, which includes using an Authentication App, or an email password. Fortnite release BRAND NEW item 'Rift-To-Go'<doc-sep>
As if you haven't heard this countless times before, security matters. Even when you're playing a video game like Fortnite, two-factor authentication can come in handy. (Image credit: Epic Games) Realizing that, Epic Games, the developer behind the wildly popular Fortnite: Battle Royale, wants to boost the use of two-factor authentication to secure your Fortnite account. If you sign up for two-factor authentication for your Epic Games account, you'll get a free Boogiedown Emote for use in Fortnite: Battle Royale. In Fortnite: Save the World, you'll get 50 armory slots, 10 backpack slots and a Legendary Troll Stash Llama. (Image credit: Epic Games) Two-factor authentication is one of our best defenses against possible hacks. The technology uses two factors — something you have and something you know — to verify your identity and allow you to access accounts. The thing you know is your password. And the thing you have is something else — a smartphone, an e-mail address, or another tool — that a remote hacker won't have access to. The only way to access your account is to have both. Adding two-factor authentication to your Fortnite account is a pretty good idea. Fortnite is a wildly popular franchise and hackers are always on the lookout for platforms with boatloads of users that are at risk. Fortnite could be one of them. How to set up 2FA on your Epic Games account So, if you're ready to start two-factor authentication on your Epic Games account, here's a quick guide on how to set it up: 1. Log into your account on EpicGames.com and go to Account in the top right-hand corner, under your name. 2. There, click on Password & Security in the left hand navbar. 3. On the bottom of that page, you'll see an option called "Two-Factor Authentication." Click to enable either a third-party authenticator app (the best option), email authentication (not as good as an app, but OK) or SMS text-message authentication (the least secure option). Many companies provide free authenticator apps, including Authy, Duo, Google, LastPass and Microsoft. They're all intercompatible. Again, this is the method we recommend. And that's it. Once you have the feature turned on, you'll need to have both components on the ready to log in to your account.