Last updated 24 September 2026.
MechNode is a game made by Rob Hausdorf. This policy covers the game and this website. It is written to be read rather than to cover anyone, so if something here is unclear, ask and it will be fixed.
The short version
There are no adverts, no analytics and no tracking in MechNode. Nothing is sold or shared with anyone. You do not give an email address or a name to play. Nothing is collected that identifies you as a person.
What the game holds about you
To play online, the game needs an account. It makes one for you and you are never asked for anything.
- An account number. The first time the game runs it makes up a random string and keeps it in its own settings file on the device. That string is the account. It is not your device's serial number, advertising ID, or any other identifier the phone already has, and it cannot be traced back to your device or to you.
- Your Google account, if you sign in with it. Signing in with Google is optional and is there so your pilot follows you to a new phone. When you do, Google hands the game a signed token naming your account, and the server keeps the account identifier and the email address in that token so it can recognise you next time. Nothing is read from your Google account beyond that, and nothing is posted to it. If you never sign in with Google, no email address is held.
- An account code. A second random string, made the same way, which is how you get back to your account on another phone. The settings screen shows it. It is not asked for and it is not sent anywhere except to the game's own server, which holds it against your account so a code you type is recognised.
- A pilot name, and names for your mechs. You choose these. Your pilot name is shown to other players in the lobby, on the ladder and in matches. Do not use your real name if you would rather not be found by it.
- What you have done in the game. Your mechs and their parts, credits, how far you have got in the career, your rating and the matches you have played.
- Who you play with. Friends you add are stored as their account numbers, along with the name you knew them by.
- Whether you are online, so people can challenge you. You can turn this off in the settings.
- A notification token, if you leave turn notifications on. It comes from Google's Firebase Cloud Messaging and is used only to tell your phone that a turn is waiting. Turn notifications off in the settings and the token is deleted.
What it does not hold
No phone number, no real name, no contacts, no photos, no location, no advertising identifier, and no record of anything you do outside MechNode. No email address either, unless you choose to sign in with Google, which is covered above.
Where it is kept
On a server rented by Rob Hausdorf, running Nakama, in a data centre in Australia. Traffic between your phone and that server is encrypted.
The game's own files on your phone, which hold your account number, your account code and your career, are covered by Android's backup if you have that turned on, so a new phone can carry on where the old one left off. That backup is between your phone and your Google account; MechNode does not read it.
Who else sees it
- Other players see your pilot name, your mechs' names, their Build Power, your league and your ladder position.
- Google, only if notifications are on, handles the delivery of those notifications through Firebase Cloud Messaging.
- Nobody else. Nothing is sold, rented or handed to advertisers or data brokers.
Children
MechNode is not aimed at children under 13 and nothing is knowingly collected from them. Because pilot names are shown to other players, names are filtered automatically for abuse. If you believe a child's information has ended up here, write and it will be deleted.
How long it is kept
Your account and its contents are kept while you play. Ask for it to be deleted and it goes, along with your mechs, your progress and your ladder entry. Old matches are swept periodically.
Deleting your account
Write to [email protected] from any address and say you want your MechNode account deleted, with your pilot name so it can be found. It will be deleted within 30 days and you will get a reply confirming it. Deleting the app on its own does not delete the account on the server.
Your rights
You can ask for a copy of what is held about you, ask for it to be corrected, or ask for it to be deleted, at the address above.
This website
These pages set no cookies and run no analytics. The web server keeps ordinary access logs, which include IP addresses, for a short time so that faults and abuse can be found.
Changes
If this policy changes, the date at the top changes with it, and anything that materially affects you will be said in the game as well.