Fortnite 2FA: How to enable Epic Games two-factor authentication

Fortnite
(Image credit: Epic Games)

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.

Credit: Epic Games

(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.

A promo photo of the Fortnite: Save the World 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.

Since you know what you're doing with 2FA now, you might also want to know how to set up two-factor authentication on Facebook, how to set up Gmail two-factor authentication (2FA) on your phone, how to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for Ring cameras and how to enable 2FA on the Epic Games Store.

Don Reisinger is CEO and founder of D2 Tech Agency. A communications strategist, consultant, and copywriter, Don has also written for many leading technology and business publications including CNET, Fortune Magazine, The New York Times, Forbes, Computerworld, Digital Trends, TechCrunch and Slashgear. He has also written for Tom's Guide for many years, contributing hundreds of articles on everything from phones to games to streaming and smart home.