Over the weekend we reported on a class action suit filed against Blizzard Entertainment for allegedly charging customers for Battle.net Authenticators "deceptively and unfairly".

Today we have an official response from Blizzard Entertainment that outlines the suit as "without merit and filled with patently false information", and features information regarding the transparency of their notifications to customers in relation to the most recent Battle.net security hack, which occurred in August of this year revealing that they acted "quickly to provide information to the public about the situation" and that they "explained the actions" they were taking to inform individuals on exactly how the breach affected them.

"The suit’s claim that we didn’t properly notify players regarding the August 2012 security breach is not true," reads the response. "We explained the actions we were taking and let players know how the incident affected them, including the fact that no names, credit card numbers, or other sensitive financial information was disclosed. You can read our letter to players and a comprehensive FAQ related to the situation on our website."

Blizzard Entertainment also counters claims a Battle.net Authenticator is required for a minimum level of security on any Battle.net accounts, saying that the claim is "completely untrue and apparently based on a misunderstanding of the Authenticator’s purpose".

"The Battle.net Authenticator is an optional tool that players can use to further protect their Battle.net accounts in the event that their login credentials are compromised outside of Blizzard’s network infrastructure," the statement explains. "Available as a physical device or as a free app for iOS or Android devices, it offers players an added level of security against account-theft attempts that stem from sources such as phishing attacks, viruses packaged with seemingly harmless file downloads, and websites embedded with malicious code.

"When a player attaches an Authenticator to his or her account, it means that logging in to Battle.net will require the use of a random code generated by the Authenticator in addition to the player’s login credentials," the statement continues. "This helps our systems identify when it’s actually the player who is logging in and not someone who might have stolen the player’s credentials by means of one of the external theft measures mentioned above, or as a result of the player using the same account name and password on another website or service that was compromised. Considering that players are ultimately responsible for securing their own computers, and that the extra step required by the Authenticator is an added inconvenience during the log in process, we ultimately leave it up to the players to decide whether they want to add an Authenticator to their account. However, we always strongly encourage it, and we try to make it as easy as possible to do."

"Many players have voiced strong approval for our security-related efforts. Blizzard deeply appreciates the outpouring of support it has received from its players related to the frivolous claims in this particular suit," concludes the statement.