Start here

Getting started

Three things stand between you and your first raid: an account, a linked Discord account and an activated copy of the game.

Not open yet

Accounts open with the first invited playtest. Until then this page shows how sign-up will work, so you know what to expect.

1. Create your account

Your account lives at operationechocanyon.com/account.

  1. Sign in with Steam. Your game account is tied to your Steam account; there is no separate password.
  2. Link Discord (next step). Account creation finishes when Discord is linked.
  3. Playtesters only: accept the short tester agreement described in the Playtest FAQ.

Every player needs a linked Discord account. Discord is where announcements, server status, support, squads and playtest invites happen, and your roles there follow your account in the game.

How linking works

  • On the account page, choose Link Discord and approve the request on Discord. We ask for two permissions: to see your Discord user name and ID, and to add you to the Operation Echo Canyon server if you aren't in it yet.
  • If you start the game before linking, it shows a short address and a 6-character code. Open the address on your phone or another device, sign in and enter the code. The game continues as soon as the link is made.
  • One Discord account links to one game account.
  • You can unlink Discord on the account page, but the game stays locked until you link an account again.
  • After unlinking you can link a different Discord account after 24 hours.

Can't use Discord?

If Discord is blocked where you live, or you can't use it for accessibility reasons, email support@operationechocanyon.com. Support can exempt your account from the Discord requirement. Exempt accounts can play normally but don't get Discord roles or access to the faction channels.

What we keep from Discord

Your Discord ID, user name, avatar and when you linked. We never store your messages. The only exception is moderation: if a message breaks the server rules, the offending part may be kept for 30 days as evidence.

3. Activate the game

Every copy of the game is activated once per player and PC.

  • Bought on Steam: nothing to do. The game activates itself the first time you start it, once Steam confirms you own it.
  • Bought on our website, or invited to a playtest: you get an activation key by email and on your account page. Enter it when the game asks for it.

Keys look like XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX: 25 letters and digits in five groups. They contain no vowels and none of the easily confused characters 0, O, 1, I, 5 or S, so if you see one of those, it's a typo.

Your key belongs to you

  • A key is tied to your account and one PC. It is useless to anyone else, so there's no point sharing it, and nobody from the team will ever ask you for it.
  • Lost an unused key? Cancel it on the account page and generate a new one.
  • An unused key expires after 30 days.
  • Never post your key in Discord or anywhere else. The Discord bot deletes messages that contain a key.

Moving to a new PC

  1. On the account page, open Keys and cancel the key for your old PC. If a raid is in progress there, it finishes first.
  2. Generate a new key (up to five per 24 hours).
  3. Start the game on the new PC and enter the new key. Steam buyers just start the game.

Too many attempts

After 10 wrong key entries in an hour, key entry pauses for an hour. Check the key for typos and try again later.

Next steps

Previous
Welcome
Next
Controls