Count the accounts you need to play games on a typical PC. There is the platform store, perhaps a second or third launcher, the publisher’s own account, a voice chat app and maybe a separate profile for a game’s companion site. Console players get off lighter, but even there many big releases ask you to link an external account. It is worth asking: who is all this for?
The case for accounts
Accounts are not pointless. They store cloud saves, protect purchases, enable cross-play and let support staff help you when something goes wrong. In competitive games, accounts tied to verified identities make it harder for banned cheaters to come straight back. And for players under 18, account-level parental controls are an important safeguard.
The case against
On the other side, every extra account is another password to forget, another email list and another potential data breach. Forced linking has also caused real backlash; players have pushed back against games that suddenly required a separate publisher login, especially in regions where that account could not even be created. For many people, the friction feels like it exists for marketing, not for them.
Ideas that might fix it
- Passkeys that replace passwords with device-based approval.
- Optional linking, where extra accounts unlock bonuses but are never required to play.
- Trusted national IDs, as used in some countries for banking and public services.
- Guest play with the choice to save progress later.
That third idea already exists in some corners of online entertainment. In Finland and Sweden, bank-ID logins have let some real-money casino sites drop registration completely; this guide walks through how that pay n play model works. It is a for-adults-only space where budgets matter, but technically it shows that identity and convenience do not have to be enemies.
Over to you
Would you trade a stack of gaming accounts for one strong login, or do you prefer keeping your identities separate? Does linking a publisher account ever feel worth it? Share your take in the comments; this is one of those debates where every player’s setup is a little different.