How To Turn On Two-Factor Authentication In 'Fortnite' And Get Free Boogiedown Dance

Since its release in 2017, “Fortnite” quickly emerged as one of the most popular video games in the world. As such, it has attracted something of a hacking problem, with developer Epic Games routinely sending emails to players warning them about hacked accounts. In order to incentivize players to protect their accounts, Epic is giving away a free in-game dance to anyone who turns on two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication is a more secure way of logging into services because, as its name suggests, it requires more than just a password. According to Epic’s blog, players need to go to the "password & security" tab in their account settings. From there, they can find a button to enable two-factor authentication, choosing between email or an app as their second factor of choice.

Epic said players who want to use mobile apps like Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator can do so.

Any players who do that will be gifted with the “Boogiedown” in-game dance for free. The new dance was the winner of a contest earlier this year that allowed “Fortnite” users to submit their ideas for the next unlockable emote.

Many of the game’s estimated 125 million players have payment information in their “Fortnite” accounts, making them valuable targets for hackers. Epic has been sending warning emails about potential hacks for most of 2018, with many players reporting their accounts had been stolen. From there, the hackers spend large amounts of money on in-game items.

Things like costumes and dances drive the massive revenue of “Fortnite,” a game that is otherwise completely free to play. In July, market research firm Superdata estimated that “Fortnite” had generated more than $1 billion from the sale of totally cosmetic things like dances alone.

Giving players the “Boogiedown” dance as a reward for turning in two-factor authentication may be a savvy move for Epic. It gives players an easy path to the kind of in-game gift they would otherwise pay real money for, and Epic gets more assurance that player accounts are safe.