Say Goodbye to Physical Authenticators

[Stan 5,252]

Blizzard today confirmed they no longer manufacture physical authenticators. If you own one, it will still work, though.

Forum users wondered whether the physical authenticator has been discontinued and Blizzard confirmed they no longer manufacture them, but they are still supported. If you own one and think it may run out of juice, consider switching to the mobile app.

Blizzard (Source)

I’ve been searching all over the place, and I can’t see a place where it says that these have been discontinued. But the link to the store where they used to sell them is just a 404 now.

So, does Blizzard no longer provide hardware authentication? I’m starting to make the move away from phone apps and into authentication hardware like a yubikey.

We no longer manufacture, or offer physical authenticators. Sorry!

Wow…ok that is totally unexpected!

I still have mine. I assume it will be supported as long as the battery lasts. Is that the case? I really really dislike phone apps.

Yes, they’re still supported just no longer manufactured.

Will there be a new physical authenticator down the pipeline, or should we just think of it gone from now on?

I don’t have any information to share on that front. 

Any information how they are supposed to change up their authenticators?

The process for changing or removing an authenticator hasn’t changed. Nothing about the authenticator system has changed except that the physical keychain is no longer available for purchase.

If their keychain authenticators are still working* and they would like to change to a mobile authenticator they can do so pretty easily:

• Removing the Blizzard Authenticator

Once the old authenticator is removed, they can immediately attach the new one.

*If the authenticator is no longer working, this article will still be able to assist them. If they have a SMS number associated with their account they can use that for removal or they can contact customer support if they need assistance.

[Laragon 269]

This blue was trying SO HARD to not type "Don't you have phones?!" because they have an app for that...

[Nihilatos 10]

So Blizzard is now going to force its entire customer base to use the authenticator on their phones so they can further push mobile titles. How very low.

[Abom 31]

I wish they'd manufacture a game Id want to play that isn't 5+ years old.

[jinsu2301 274]

15 hours ago, Nihilatos said:

So Blizzard is now going to force its entire customer base to use the authenticator on their phones so they can further push mobile titles. How very low.

I'm honestly not sure if you are being serious, it's kinda hard to tell nowadays.

Nobody forces you to use an authenticator.  If you don't want to use the mobile app, there are desktop apps like WinAuth as well. You could even just buy a couple physical ones as long as they are still available.

Edited July 31, 2019 by jinsu2301

[Varrick 15]

I imagine they got a stockpile of authenicators sitting around not being ordered and or used. That or they really are trying to promote their mobile games. My guess is the first one.

[Enryu 12]

7 hours ago, Nihilatos said:

So Blizzard is now going to force its entire customer base to use the authenticator on their phones so they can further push mobile titles. How very low.

Ironically, the only one low here is you for writing that XD

[Demonpuke 48]

11 hours ago, jinsu2301 said:

I'm honestly no sure if you are being serious, it's kinda hard to tell nowadays.

Nobody forces you to use an authenticator. And if you don't want to use the mobile app, there are dekstop apps like WinAuth as well. You could even just buy a couple physical ones as long as they are still available.

Four reasons why players ARE forced into having an authenticator:

1. Restricted access in guilds, communities and 3rd party websites

2. Extra bag space in a game where more worthless stuff to fill your bags is added every year

3. Securing your account from thieves. Sure, Blizzard will refund you, but not if you don't have an authenticator

4. Blizzard customer support pretty much flips you the bird and says "F off" if you don't have an authenticator. They won't fix your game, restore your account, or anything else anymore until you go setup an authenticator. I experienced that firsthand.

That's four legitimate reasons in less than a minute, so your argument is both ignorant and petty. 

If I hadn't already quit the game, this would be the final straw (I don't have a cell phone, haven't for years, never will again). In reality, the final straw was 8.2: the zones are trash, the quests are the worst in the entire game, the raid tier is the worst in the entire game. I was AOTC the first week and 4/8m the second week, so I know the raid is horse sheet firsthand. This entire expansion has been sheet, but 8.2 was the final *filtered* on the pile. F off Blizzard, I'm done with you forever. 

By the way, FIVE PAGES of comments on the wowhead site about this proves my point that this move is unfounded and unnecessary. 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Demonpuke

[jinsu2301 274]

2 hours ago, Demonpuke said:

Four reasons why players ARE forced into having an authenticator:

[...]

That's four legitimate reasons in less than a minute, so your argument is both ignorant and petty. 

Okay then, I didn't know about all that (except the bag space thing). But the rest still stands, the mobile app is free and you pretty much set it up once and then never have to touch it again, and there are alternatives like WinAuth.

2 hours ago, Demonpuke said:

By the way, FIVE PAGES of comments on the wowhead site about this proves my point that this move is unfounded and unnecessary. 

People in the wowhead comments are actively looking for things they can complain about. You might as well quote reddit while you're at it.

There is nothing unfounded or unnecessary about 2-factor authentification. God forbid, a company is trying to keep its customers safe! It's the absolute norm nowadays. And the reason they stopped making physical authenticators months ago is probably because they just didn't sell enough anymore to warrant production costs. 

2 hours ago, Demonpuke said:

This entire expansion has been sheet, but 8.2 was the final *filtered* on the pile. F off Blizzard, I'm done with you forever. 

Good riddance.

[Ragingwolf 310]

This is not really out of the norm these days...a lot of other MMO's have done the very same thing.  SWOTR stopped making their physical authenticators years ago and have opted out into a free mobile app instead with bonus rewards for keeping said authenticator on per account.  GW2 has been using a Google Authenticator for it's game for the past 4 or so years.  And just not too long ago Square Enix has set up a similar program for FFXIV for extra security measures for players' accounts.  I also imagine The Elder Scrolls Online has a form of an authenticator set up for their playerbase as well.  

Either it be through a mobile app or a browser feature a lot of gaming corporations are and will turn toward authenticators due to be time savers to prevent a huge spike in account theft/hacked.  It's not the perfect or stable system but here we are stuck with it for the time being.

[Bean269 1]

Least can add multiple accounts to the app, saves having two fobs about I suppose

Edited July 31, 2019 by Bean269

[VictorVakaras 83]

16 hours ago, Demonpuke said:

Four reasons why players ARE forced into having an authenticator:

1. Restricted access in guilds, communities and 3rd party websites

2. Extra bag space in a game where more worthless stuff to fill your bags is added every year

3. Securing your account from thieves. Sure, Blizzard will refund you, but not if you don't have an authenticator

4. Blizzard customer support pretty much flips you the bird and says "F off" if you don't have an authenticator. They won't fix your game, restore your account, or anything else anymore until you go setup an authenticator. I experienced that firsthand.

That's four legitimate reasons in less than a minute, so your argument is both ignorant and petty. 

If I hadn't already quit the game, this would be the final straw (I don't have a cell phone, haven't for years, never will again). In reality, the final straw was 8.2: the zones are trash, the quests are the worst in the entire game, the raid tier is the worst in the entire game. I was AOTC the first week and 4/8m the second week, so I know the raid is horse sheet firsthand. This entire expansion has been sheet, but 8.2 was the final *filtered* on the pile. F off Blizzard, I'm done with you forever. 

By the way, FIVE PAGES of comments on the wowhead site about this proves my point that this move is unfounded and unnecessary. 

You can authenticate with a computer, or have you given up using those as well? It's hilarious when people claim they've "quit the game", yet hang around fan sites to continue to complain.

[ThomasC 65]

On 7/31/2019 at 11:13 AM, jinsu2301 said:

Look man, I am trying to have something like an open and civil discussion about the subject matter, and the only thing you have in response is calling me names. Yet somehow I am the toxic one.

This guy like a nut!

 

I am a digital product manager on a authenticated website. Effectively, the physical authenticators  are just the historical way of have 2nd factor authentication and leveraging mobile apps to authenticate is the current, most effective methodology. Retiring these physical authenticators is simply Blizz getting rid of old technology, theres no conspiracy or ulterior motive here. 

[Kurosu 58]

This is  beyond stupid because if for any reason you lose your phone or you have to reinstall its software , you basically lose your account. This has actually happened to a friend of mine. Blizzard responded that without the authenticator ( phone one) there was no way to prove ownership of the account.  But looks like they need to promote their new mobile gaming phase they are going through.

[Kurosu 58]

On 7/31/2019 at 2:36 PM, Demonpuke said:

Four reasons why players ARE forced into having an authenticator:

1. Restricted access in guilds, communities and 3rd party websites

2. Extra bag space in a game where more worthless stuff to fill your bags is added every year

3. Securing your account from thieves. Sure, Blizzard will refund you, but not if you don't have an authenticator

4. Blizzard customer support pretty much flips you the bird and says "F off" if you don't have an authenticator. They won't fix your game, restore your account, or anything else anymore until you go setup an authenticator. I experienced that firsthand.

That's four legitimate reasons in less than a minute, so your argument is both ignorant and petty. 

If I hadn't already quit the game, this would be the final straw (I don't have a cell phone, haven't for years, never will again). In reality, the final straw was 8.2: the zones are trash, the quests are the worst in the entire game, the raid tier is the worst in the entire game. I was AOTC the first week and 4/8m the second week, so I know the raid is horse sheet firsthand. This entire expansion has been sheet, but 8.2 was the final *filtered* on the pile. F off Blizzard, I'm done with you forever. 

By the way, FIVE PAGES of comments on the wowhead site about this proves my point that this move is unfounded and unnecessary. 

While I dont disagree at all with your statements let me add to them that this authenticator thing also affects hots starcraft and all the rest of the games. As someone  who owns all blizzard titles and have invested a ton of hours on almost all of them, for the company to ask me to use a less safe authentication methot is beyond insulting. This company just keeps getting worse over the last years.

[jinsu2301 274]

37 minutes ago, Kurosu said:

if for any reason you lose your phone or you have to reinstall its software , you basically lose your account.

This is simply not true. Just like with any other 2FA, as long as you have a SIM with your number (which you can sort out with your provider/carrier) they can reset your authenticator. I bricked my phone last year, and had no issues disconnecting the old authenticator and adding a new one.

Edited August 1, 2019 by jinsu2301
And yes, I know that the SIM card replacement thing is the reason why 2FA isn't as safe as something like a physical device, at least in countries without proper identification requirements.

[Kurosu 58]

13 hours ago, jinsu2301 said:

This is simply not true. Just like with any other 2FA, as long as you have a SIM with your number (which you can sort out with your provider/carrier) they can reset your authenticator. I bricked my phone last year, and had no issues disconnecting the old authenticator and adding a new one.

Tell that to my friend who lost his 5 year account mate. Blizzard "support" simply refuses to help you the moment you say you dont own ( or have lost ) an authenticator.Despite that there are a dozen other ways to prove ownership.

[jinsu2301 274]

1 hour ago, Kurosu said:

Tell that to my friend who lost his 5 year account mate. Blizzard "support" simply refuses to help you the moment you say you dont own ( or have lost ) an authenticator.Despite that there are a dozen other ways to prove ownership.

Because they don't have to. You go on your account page and simply remove the authenticator. The system will sent you a confirmation code via SMS. 

I'm sorry that your friend lost his account, but I don't see why he shouldn't have been able to retrive it. 

[Kurosu 58]

15 hours ago, jinsu2301 said:

Because they don't have to. You go on your account page and simply remove the authenticator. The system will sent you a confirmation code via SMS. 

I'm sorry that your friend lost his account, but I don't see why he shouldn't have been able to retrive it. 

And how exactly will you log to your account after losing your authenticator? It will ask for the code. Stop acting like a fanboy and use reason.

[jinsu2301 274]

7 hours ago, Kurosu said:

And how exactly will you log to your account after losing your authenticator?

You go the login page, click on "Can't log in?", click on "I need to remove my authenticator", get send an SMS code, and that will allow you to proceed. 

Additionally, you get a recovery code when you first set up the authenticator. It specifically says to write it down in case you lose your phone. Never needed that, but I'm sure it can help when talking directly to CS.

[Kurosu 58]

10 hours ago, jinsu2301 said:

You go the login page, click on "Can't log in?", click on "I need to remove my authenticator", get send an SMS code, and that will allow you to proceed. 

Additionally, you get a recovery code when you first set up the authenticator. It specifically says to write it down in case you lose your phone. Never needed that, but I'm sure it can help when talking directly to CS.

You cannot remove your authenticator without first confirming ownership over it by using its code one last time. Stop spreading false info to these forums.

[jinsu2301 274]

8 minutes ago, Kurosu said:

You cannot remove your authenticator without first confirming ownership over it by using its code one last time. Stop spreading false info to these forums.

https://eu.battle.net/support/en/verify/anon/email

I literally did it twice today with my own account just to double check. I uninstalled the authenticator from my phone, and then removed it from my account without having any way of even generating a new code.

That's the whole point of SMS protect. Anything else would be completely mad, not just for the mobile app, but the physical authenticator too, which could just as easily break or get lost.

Spreading false information is the last thing I want to do. All I am stating here is the exact process I went through when I broke my phone three years ago, and what I did this afternoon to double check that it's still working. I am not on Icy Veins just to win arguments, I am genuinely trying to help people ?

[Kurosu 58]

51 minutes ago, jinsu2301 said:

https://eu.battle.net/support/en/verify/anon/email

I literally did it twice today with my own account just to double check. I uninstalled the authenticator from my phone, and then removed it from my account without having any way of even generating a new code.

That's the whole point of SMS protect. Anything else would be completely mad, not just for the mobile app, but the physical authenticator too, which could just as easily break or get lost.

Spreading false information is the last thing I want to do. All I am stating here is the exact process I went through when I broke my phone three years ago, and what I did this afternoon to double check that it's still working. I am not on Icy Veins just to win arguments, I am genuinely trying to help people ?

Mate you can continue fanboying all you want, I will choose personal experience over a random anonymus person every day. Stick to your belief and I wil stick to mine. Both happy?

[Znifler 58]

On 7/31/2019 at 1:27 AM, Nihilatos said:

So Blizzard is now going to force its entire customer base to use the authenticator on their phones so they can further push mobile titles. How very low.

I really don't see the issue here. Phones are the best and by far most convinient way to do about anything nowadays. Heck, i have my bank login and just about every other login on my phone. I guess you want to have 20 authenticators on your keychain that you bring with you at all times. 

 

If you are the 'wHaT iF tHeY sPy On Us' kinda guy, you need help. Literally no reason to care about it unless you are doing anything illegal. And if you really want to use an authenticator instead of an app because you are afraid of hacking, stop browsing shady websites - and remove your tinfoil hat. 

Edited August 5, 2019 by Znifler