If you want to claim your free PC games from the Epic Games Store over the next few weeks, you're going to need to make use of two-factor authentication. Epic will now "periodically require" 2FA when claiming free games, but strangely, this requirement is only going to last for a handful of weeks.
"Beginning today and ending on May 21," Epic says in the official announcement, "we will periodically require two-factor authentication prior to claiming free games on the Epic Games Store. We are making this change in an effort to encourage our players to take steps to strengthen their Epic security."
It's not unusual for online service providers to create incentives for s to enable 2FA, but this limited promotion is a strange one. Either way, it's a good security step to take whether or not you're claiming Epic's free stuff every week – there's a guide to enabling 2FA on the official site, and you can make use of email, text message, or an authenticator app for your security codes.
"We understand that this is a minor inconvenience for some," the company says, "but we want to provide the best possible solutions to protect your Epic ."
Beginning today, we will periodically require two-factor authentication prior to claiming free games on the Epic Games Store.
Learn more here: https://t.co/MekyaklrTo
— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) April 28, 2020
Epic's current free giveaway is the indie strategy RPG, Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Crashlands. If you want any of those or the next handful of unrevealed freebies, you're going to need to make use of the extra protection.