Why these questions come as a group
Sign-in problems, codes that will not redeem and accounts that will not activate look like separate
faults and usually are not. They come from the same few mechanisms: a confirmation step that was never
completed, an address that cannot receive automated mail, or a condition attached to a code that
nobody read.
One rule runs through all of them. Whatever the problem, go to the publisher's own site by typing
the address yourself, and never through a link in a message, an advertisement or a video description.
Account problems are the situation scammers wait for, because a person locked out of something they
value will try things they would otherwise refuse.
Why has my new account not activated?
Short answerMost registrations need a confirmation step before the account works. Until that step is completed the sign-in is refused, which looks identical to a wrong password.
What usually causes it
Publishers separate registration from activation so that nobody can create an account on an
address they do not control. The confirmation message is sent immediately and the account sits
inactive until the link in it is used. Where the address was mistyped by a single character, the
message goes somewhere else entirely and no error is ever shown.
Links in those messages also expire, often within a day or two. Clicking an old one produces a page
that looks like a failure rather than an explanation.
What to try first, at no cost
- Look in the junk, spam and promotions folders of the address you used.
- Search the mailbox for the publisher's name rather than scrolling through folders.
- Check the address for a typo by starting the sign-in and reading what is shown.
- Request a new confirmation message, then use the most recent one, since older links are often cancelled by the new request.
- Wait a few minutes between requests. Several in quick succession can invalidate each other.
- Try a different address if your mail provider filters the message repeatedly.
When to ask for official help
If no message arrives after several attempts, the publisher's support team can confirm the
address held on the account and activate it manually. Contact them through their own website rather
than through a link in any message about the problem.
Where a paid option comes in
Nothing about activation is ever solved by a purchase. Any site offering to activate accounts
for a fee is one to avoid, and is worth reporting to
Scamwatch.
What happens if the confirmation email never arrives?
Short answerThe account stays unusable but the address remains registered, which is why a second attempt often reports that the account already exists. Support can resolve both at once.
What usually causes it
Automated mail is filtered aggressively. A message can be held by your provider as suspected
spam, rejected outright and never delivered, or delivered to a folder your mail application does not
show by default. Addresses at a workplace or school add a further layer of filtering that you cannot
see or change.
Occasionally the publisher's mail is delayed at their end during a busy period, and the message
arrives hours later than expected.
What to try first, at no cost
- Add the publisher's domain to your address book or safe-sender list, then request the message again.
- Check any filtering rules in your mail account that move messages automatically.
- Use a personal address rather than a work or school one for game accounts.
- Give it an hour before concluding nothing will arrive.
- Keep a note of the exact address and the date you registered, which support will ask for.
When to ask for official help
Open a support ticket with the publisher from their own site. If you have lost access to
the address itself, say so early in the conversation, because the identity checks are different and
usually slower. Where personal information you gave has been mishandled, the
OAIC handles privacy complaints in
Australia.
Where a paid option comes in
No paid service can deliver a message that a mail provider is filtering. Account recovery
services advertised for this are at best unnecessary and at worst a way of collecting your
details.
How do I tell whether a bonus or invite code is still valid?
Short answerCheck the date and the conditions attached to it where they are published, then enter it only on the publisher's own site. Codes usually have an end date and often apply only to accounts that have never played before.
What usually causes it
Promotional codes are issued with conditions: a start and end date, a limit on who can use them,
and sometimes a region. Codes circulating on social media and video descriptions are frequently long
expired, because the post stays up after the offer stops. A code that was genuine once is not evidence
of anything today.
The common condition is that the code applies to new accounts only. An existing player entering it
will see a rejection that reads like an error rather than an explanation of eligibility.
What to try first, at no cost
- Find where the code was originally published and look for its stated end date.
- Check whether it is limited to new accounts, to a region, or to a particular platform.
- Enter it only in the publisher's own redemption page, reached by typing their address yourself.
- If it is rejected, do not enter it on any other site that offers to check it for you.
- Treat a code that asks for payment or for your password as a scam.
When to ask for official help
The publisher's support team is the only authority on whether a code is current. If a site
took payment for a code that did not work, the ACCC
explains your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, and
Scamwatch takes reports.
Where a paid option comes in
This is how the offer behind this site is structured, so the detail is set out plainly. The
World of Warships affiliate programme states a bonus code for new players, WARSHIPS, described as
granting 500 doubloons, seven days of Premium Account, 2,000,000 credits, a mystery Tier IV ship and a
skilled commander, applied automatically once the player logs in. The same terms give the end of that
code's lifetime as 31 January 2025, which has passed, so it should be treated as no longer current.
The programme also applies to new accounts rather than existing ones, and the game is supported on
Windows and Mac desktop computers, not Linux. Whatever is offered today is a question for the game's
own site.
Visit the World of Warships website
Paid affiliate link: if you sign up after following it, this site is paid a commission by the affiliate network that operates the link. Nothing changes for you.
What should I do if someone else may have my password?
Short answerChange it immediately on the real site, turn on two-step verification, and change it anywhere else you used the same one. Then tell the publisher, because they can see activity you cannot.
What usually causes it
Game accounts are taken over in a small number of recurring ways: a password reused from a site
that was breached elsewhere, a convincing sign-in page reached from a message or advertisement, or
software installed from an unofficial download. None of them requires anything unusual to have
happened on your part.
Reuse is the largest of the three. Once one address and password pair is known, it is tried
automatically against hundreds of other services.
What to try first, at no cost
- Change the password on the publisher's own site, typing the address yourself rather than following a link.
- Turn on two-step verification wherever the publisher offers it.
- Change the password on your email account next, because whoever holds that can reset everything else.
- Change any other account that used the same password.
- Remove payment details stored in the account until the situation is settled.
- Run a scan with the security software already on your computer.
When to ask for official help
Report the account takeover to the publisher through their support channel; they can lock
the account and review what happened. The Australian
Cyber Security Centre publishes step-by-step guidance on compromised accounts and receives reports
of cybercrime through ReportCyber. If money was taken, contact your bank first, and report it to
Scamwatch.
Where a paid option comes in
A password manager is a genuinely useful purchase here, and free versions exist that do the
important part. Nothing else sold for account security substitutes for a unique password and a second
verification step.
Can I use one account on more than one computer?
Short answerUsually yes, as long as only one session is active at a time, and as long as you are not sharing the account with another person. The publisher's terms decide it.
What usually causes it
Most publishers expect a player to move between a desktop and a laptop, and the account follows
them. What they generally do not allow is two people using one account, or two sessions signed in at
once, and the security systems that detect account theft look for exactly that pattern.
Signing in from an unfamiliar computer often triggers an additional verification step, which is the
system working rather than a fault.
What to try first, at no cost
- Sign out properly on the first computer before signing in on the second.
- Expect a verification email or code when a new computer is used for the first time, and keep access to the registered address.
- Read the publisher's terms on account sharing before lending an account to anyone, including family.
- Do not use a shared or public computer for a game account that holds payment details.
When to ask for official help
The publisher's terms of service are the authority on what is permitted, and their support
team can explain how a specific restriction applies. Where an account has been restricted after a
sign-in from a new location, that is also a support matter.
Where a paid option comes in
Nothing to buy. A second copy of a game is sometimes necessary for two people to play, and
that is a decision about the game rather than a fix for a problem.
Why does the game say an account already exists?
Short answerAlmost always because an earlier registration on the same address was never completed, or because you signed up years ago and have forgotten. Password recovery resolves both.
What usually causes it
An abandoned registration still reserves the address. So does an account created once for a
different game by the same publisher, since many run a single account across their catalogue. People
also register, play briefly and forget entirely, sometimes years earlier.
A less common cause is someone else using your address by mistake when they registered. The
confirmation message that arrives unexpectedly is the sign of that.
What to try first, at no cost
- Use the password recovery option with the same address before creating anything new.
- Search your mailbox for older messages from the publisher, which will show when the account was created.
- Check whether the publisher operates one account across several of its games.
- If a confirmation message arrives that you did not request, do not use it, and change your email password if you are unsure.
When to ask for official help
Support can tell you whether an account exists on an address and help you recover it. They
will not hand over an account to anyone who cannot verify it, which is the protection working in your
favour.
Where a paid option comes in
Recovery is free through the publisher. Services that charge to recover game accounts are
best avoided entirely.
A short routine for a new game account
Five minutes that save a great deal later
- Use an address you control personally and will still have in two years.
- Set a password you have not used anywhere else.
- Turn on two-step verification before you play rather than after a problem.
- Complete the confirmation step straight away while the link is fresh.
- Decide deliberately whether to store payment details, and leave them out if anyone else uses the
computer.
- Keep a note of the exact address used, which is the first thing support will ask for.
Other situations covered on this site