Epic is introducing a new account type for children to make it safer for young children to participate in online games such as "Fortnite," "Fall Guys," and "Rocket League."

Cabin Accounts (opens in new tab) will automatically apply to Epic accounts owned by players under the age of 13. This will disable features such as voice and free text chat, game and add-on purchases, downloads of games not owned by Epic, custom display names, and linking of Epic accounts to Facebook, Twitch, etc. Some of these features can be re-enabled through a parent or guardian email provided, and children can ask permission to enable them.

Children will still be able to play games such as "Fortnite," "Rocket League," and "Fall Guys" online with friends and strangers. Past purchases and in-game rewards earned will remain intact. However, unless authorized by a designated adult, features such as chatting and purchasing battle passes will be locked; Epic says that protected accounts "provide a secure, comprehensive, and customized experience for young players who use the store and launcher, while at the same time providing you with the gameplay access must be maintained as well."

While it's probably fairly easy for kids to lie about being 13 or older to get around locked accounts, it's still a useful tool for those who know how to take full advantage of Epic's new features.

Online safety for all ages is becoming an ever-present concern for developers, and the onus is increasingly on them to develop safer and more comfortable ways to play the games we love. Just recently, Riot and Blizzard introduced voice chat recording in Valorant (opens in new tab) and Overwatch 2 (opens in new tab), helping to eliminate harmful babies. Streaming service Twitch has stepped up its methods of keeping children safe since a Bloomberg report in September highlighted the ways in which child predators engage with youngsters on the site (opens in new tab).