4 min read · updated 16 July 2026

Staying Safe on External Gaming Websites

We link only to official publisher websites, but the wider search results around a popular game are full of copies. A few habits will keep you on the right side of that line.

Check the address bar, every time

Official domains are usually short and belong to the publisher. Long strings of extra words, unusual endings or hyphenated lookalikes are the most common warning sign.

Never install a launcher from a third-party mirror

Download clients only from the publisher's own site. Mirrors and 'faster download' pages are a common route for bundled software you did not ask for.

Avoid account marketplaces and key resellers

Buying or selling accounts breaches almost every publisher's terms and frequently ends with the account recovered by its original owner.

Use a unique password and check permissions

A password manager entry per game costs nothing. If a site asks to connect to your email or social account, read what it is requesting before agreeing.