The Login Sequence

Before the client can gain access to any information it must be authenticated with the server. Authenticating does not create an encrypted connection, it simply identifies the client to the server. This is a 7 step process:

Step 1

Client ➡️ Server

Message: 1000bc0102009e04610b040189040c000000

The first message from the client to the server requests a login portal by providing the server with the client's version number.

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length
1000	Message Length (in fields)	Bytes	2
--	BC010200	Bytes	4
049E	Version Number	Bytes	4
0489	0C000000	Bytes	4

Step 2

Client ⬅️ Server

Message: 1600bc0103009e04610b040189040c000000190300000000

If the client's version number is valid the server will respond with its own version number. Since the game hasn't been updated since 2016, this number is always 610b0401 for both client and server.

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length
1600	Message Length (in fields)	Bytes	2
--	BC010300	Bytes	4
049E	Version Number	Bytes	4
0489	0C000000	Bytes	4
0319	00000000	Bytes	4

Step 3

Client ⬅️ Server

Message: 2a00970103006406f15b0000e303--------------------------------e003000000000000000000000000 Message: 2a0097010300640668940000e303279d25592e148d42b6b7c56c5adbf9b9e003000000000000000000000000

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length
--	2A00	Bytes	2
0197	03006406	Bytes	4
--	Conversation ID	Bytes	4
03E3	Salt	Bytes	16
03E0	000000000000000000000000	Bytes	12

Step 4

Client ➡️ Server

Message: 12003a0001009e04610b04010000000000000000

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length
--	1200	Bytes	2
003A	0100	Bytes	2
049E	Version Number	Bytes	4
--	0000000000000000	Bytes	8

Step 5

Client ⬅️ Server

Message:

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length

Step 6

Client ➡️ Server

Message:

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length

Step 7

Client ⬅️ Server

This final step provides the result of the login attempt. There are 4 possible messages that the server can send to the client at this step:

Login Attempt Succeeded

Message:

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length

Login Attempt Failed

Message: 42003d000800420400fc024849000019020c0c1900190000000000230600000000d60500e303--------------------------------ba00ac5d00000200000000000000

After a login attempt fails the server will respond with the above message. This also resends the salt so that the client may try to submit credentials again, if perhaps the salt was incorrectly handled the first time. Although this does not seem to be used in practice by the game client.

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length
--	4200	Bytes	2
003D	0800420400	Bytes	5
02FC	48490000	Bytes	4
0219	0C0C1900	Bytes	4
0019	00000000	Bytes	4
0623	00000000	Bytes	4
05D6	00	Bytes	1
03E3	Salt	Bytes	16
00BA	AC5D0000	Bytes	4
--	0200000000000000	Bytes	8

Login Service is Not Available

Message:

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length

New Account - Display EULA

Message: 47003d000900bc01010079420400fc020559000019020c0c1900190000000000230600000000d60500e303--------------------------------ba00579400000200000000000000

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length
--	4700	Bytes	4
003D	0900	EnumBlockArray
01BC		EnumBlockArray
0001	79	Bytes	1
0442	00	Bytes	1
02FC	05590000	Bytes	4
0219	0c0c1900	Bytes	4
0019	00000000	Bytes	4
0623	00000000	Bytes	4
05D6	00	Bytes	1
03E3	Salt	Bytes	16
00BA	Conversation ID	Bytes	4
--	0200000000000000 or 0200000001000000	Bytes	8

If the account used to authenticate is a new HiRez account, the server will end the login sequence by sending the above message to the client. This tells the client to display the EULA agreement.

• If the user selects Decline, the game exits silently without any more communication with the server.

• If the user selects Accept, the game prompts the user to enter a "gamer name".

  • If the user selects Quit on this prompt, the game exits silently without any more communication with the server. The user will be prompted with the EULA again on next launch.
  • If the user enters an invalid name (eg, a name with the word "bot" in it lol) and selects Ok, the game client will silently restart the whole login sequence again, up to the EULA agreement.
  • If the user enters a valid name and selects Ok, the game client will silently restart the whole login sequence again with the server completing the sequence with the Login Attempt Succeeded. However, the authentication message that the client sends to the server will contain the chosen "gamer name" and be structured as follows: db003a000d00560068000000d5d977feb0b5013718463a50adf7ce03a734708343fc1842a7c4a47f7dac1ce3cc5147e6a90bdebb6cf068ec1cf369cf97a6f294c301312657798801ab77161bcb6d7072d60f328d97d2e1a43c412862cca99a1e04da422daa97563a193f3d7e69b9a9ae6f2c0f939404100077696c6465727a6f6e65626f743030314a030d0077696c6465727a6f6e65303031bc0101006e7106432800007206000000007306017706c3ee58437606ae3f00007406de100000750687240000340400000000000000009e04610b04010000000000000000

Enumerator	Description	Type	Length