Game accounts and launchers: sign-up, activation and security

Almost every online PC game asks you to create an account, confirm it and install a client or launcher. The steps are similar across publishers. This guide explains what each step is for and how to keep the account secure afterwards.

Prepared by the BHP CONSULTING editorial team. Last reviewed 1 October 2026.

The usual sequence

Publishers arrange the steps in different orders, but you will normally meet all of the following:

1. Register. Provide an email address, a password and usually a date of birth and a region. Some publishers also ask for a display name that other players will see.
2. Accept the terms. The licence agreement and privacy policy are presented at this point. They set the minimum age, the rules on account sharing and what happens to purchases if an account is closed.
3. Download. Install the game client, or a launcher that then installs the game.
4. Activate. Confirm the account, usually through a link emailed to you. See account activation.
5. Sign in and secure. Log in through the client, then turn on multi-factor authentication in the account settings.

The order matters less than completing every step. A common pattern is that someone installs the game, plays a tutorial and forgets to activate; days later they cannot recover the account because it was never confirmed.

What to enter, and why it matters later

Email address

Use an address you expect to keep for years and can always reach. It is the main route for recovering the account, and changing it later usually requires access to the old address. Avoid a work address, which you may lose when you change jobs.

Password

Use a password you do not use anywhere else. Game accounts are a frequent target because items and accounts can be resold. A password manager makes long, unique passwords practical, and the Australian Cyber Security Centre publishes guidance for individuals on passphrases and password managers.

Date of birth

Enter it accurately. Publishers use it to apply age rules and, for younger players, to switch on restrictions. An incorrect date can also make recovering the account harder, because support teams may use it to confirm ownership.

Region or server

Some games tie an account to a server region at registration. If you plan to play with friends, find out which region they use before you sign up.

Securing the account

Account security for games is the same as for any other online service, with one addition: the people trying to get in are often after the items in your account rather than your identity.

• Turn on multi-factor authentication. An authenticator app is generally preferable to text messages where both are offered.
• Store the recovery codes the service gives you, somewhere other than the computer you play on.
• Keep the email account linked to the game secured with multi-factor authentication too. Whoever controls the email can usually reset the game password.
• Do not share your login with friends, streamers or "boosting" services. Beyond the security risk, it may breach the game's terms.
• Download the client only from the publisher or a recognised storefront.
• Keep your operating system and browser up to date.

Recognising account scams

The most common threat to a game account is phishing. Messages arrive through in-game chat, voice-chat servers, email or social media, and usually promise something: free currency, a rare item, a code, or an invitation to a tournament. The link leads to a page that looks like the publisher's login. Anything you type there goes to the scammer.

A second pattern is the fake "support" contact, someone claiming your account will be banned unless you verify it. Publishers do not ask for your password through chat. A third is the marketplace scam, in which you are offered an account or items for sale outside the game's own shop.

If you think you have been scammed, change your password from a device you trust, turn on multi-factor authentication if it was off, and contact the publisher's support through its own website. You can report the scam to Scamwatch, which uses reports to warn others. If money has been taken, contact your bank or card provider as soon as possible. Cybercrime can be reported through cyber.gov.au.

A worked example: recovering an account

Launchers and storefronts

A launcher is not the game, but it sits between you and the game. It handles updates, sometimes purchases, and sometimes its own friends list and chat. If you install a game through a shared storefront, your purchases may be tied to the storefront account rather than directly to the publisher's. That affects where you go for refunds and support: generally, the business that took your money is the first one to contact.

Launchers usually start when the computer starts. That is convenient but uses memory; most let you switch it off in their settings.

Your personal information

When you register, the publisher collects personal information and is responsible for handling it under its privacy policy. Businesses covered by the Australian Privacy Principles must handle personal information in line with them, and you can ask a business for access to the information it holds about you. If a complaint to the business is not resolved, the OAIC explains how to make a privacy complaint. Overseas publishers may operate under other privacy laws as well; their privacy policy should say which.

Common questions