Fortnite has began asking players for birthdays when launching the game. Here is why and what it means for you.
Fortnite has unexpectedly started asking players to input their birthdays upon opening the game. You may have come across this screen on a console, mobile, or PC. It might seem random, but Epic Games released an entire blog post explaining why Fortnite asks for your birthday.
Here is everything you need to know about the game's new "Cabined" accounts.
Date of birth screen - why is Fortnite asking for my birthday?
According to a recent blog post, Epic began rolling out "cabined" accounts on December 7, aiming to provide a "tailored experience that is safe and inclusive for younger players while maintaining access to the gameplay you love in Fortnite."
As a result, Fortnite players should have stumbled across a one-time screen asking them to input their date of birth, including the month, day, and year. If you are 13 and older, no further consideration is required, considering you an appropriate age to play Fortnite. However, those under 13 have a few more steps to follow with Fortnite's cabined account system.
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What do cabined accounts mean for younger players?
Players under 13 must provide a parent or guardian's email to begin a "parental consent process." Cabined accounts allow full access to Fortnite but with parental controls enabled. A parent or guardian can customize the settings in your account. After parent controls are in place, your account will respect those settings and will no longer be a cabined account.
Below, you will find a list of features disabled with cabined accounts:
- Communicating with other players using voice chat or free text chat
- Purchasing items with money
- Downloading games that are not owned by Epic
- Recommendations based on past activity
- Email marketing or push notifications
- Trades in Rocket League
- Sign in with Epic, including linking accounts to certain external services, such as social media websites or video streaming applications
- Custom display names
- SMS-based two-factor authentication
Here are some settings that will automatically change if you are under the age of 18 and have not disclosed your age beforehand:
- Chat defaults to "Nobody"
- Your profile details default to hidden
- Parties default to "Invite Only"
- Personalized recommendations will be turned off
For more information on why Fortnite is asking for your birthday, you can check out Epic's blog post and cabined accounts FAQ.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Fortnite news and updates!
