Seeking to provide an extra layer of protection for its millions of World of WarCraft gamers, Blizzard has announced the Blizzard Authenticator, "an electronic device that generates a six-digit security code at the press of a button," according to GamesIndustry.biz. Lightweight and waterproof, the device generates a code that is valid only once and active for a limited time. If used, the code must be included with a user's name and password upon log in.

A completely optional device, the Blizzard Authenticator will be available for a price of €6.00 at this weekend's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational event. The purpose of the Authenticator is to provide "a safe and enjoyable game environment" for World of WarCraft, according to Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. One crucial aspect of providing such an environment is "helping players avoid account compromise, so we're pleased to make this additional layer of security available to them," continued Morhaime.