• long running

1 Free Gamertag Change @ Xbox (US$9.99 Thereafter)

1290

Enjoy :)

Heads up – gamertags are changing. If you're happy with your current gamertag you don't need to do anything, your current gamertag still works in all experiences.
Xbox is expanding gamertags to let you have any name you want. We’ve also added support for characters in languages worldwide.
Up to 12 characters, including spaces. Can't start with a number.

More Details here @ Xbox News

At Xbox, your identity has always started with your gamertag – whether it’s a nickname between you and friends, a tribute to your favorite character or something unique that just stuck. We feel that all players should have the opportunity to portray who they are as a gamer and build their identity within the Xbox community. In order to achieve this, we’re revamping the Xbox gamertag to empower players around the world with more choice in how they represent themselves.

Starting today, and throughout the next year, we will be updating several features for the Xbox gamertag, which will roll out to PC, mobile devices, and Xbox One consoles.

Please note that current Xbox players can keep their existing gamertags without any further action required on their part and no change in experience from the way that it looks today.

More Options for Your Gamertag

Today, we’re unveiling a new display option for gamertags, as well as support for new alphabets. Both of which will make it easier for gamers around the world to identify themselves.

Let’s start with expanded choice to build a new gamertag using 10 new worldwide alphabets. The current Xbox community spans across the world. With this change, new gamertags will support over 200 commonly spoken languages so more gamers can express themselves in their chosen language – you could be “SeñorBúho#5405” or even “닥터 부엉이#1882.” Newly supported character sets include:

Basic Latin
Latin-1 Supplement
Hangul
Katakana
Hiragana
CJK Symbols for languages in China, Japan, and Korea
Bengali
Devanagari
Cyrillic
Thai
Next up is the new display option. Gamers can now choose a gamertag of their liking, even if that name is already taken by someone else. If the gamertag you want has already been taken by another user, Xbox will now auto-assign an ID suffix of numbers after a #-symbol to keep everybody unique, so there’s never any question about who’s who. We’ll even change the suffix font size to keep the focus on the name you chose. For example, if you want to be “Doctor Hoot,” and it’s already taken, you could now be assigned “Doctor Hoot#1056.”

Games are currently required to show the suffix while you play. You will also see the suffix in out-of-game experiences like the console UI or Xbox Game Bar so each player has a unique, visible identity while still representing themselves the way they want.

FAQ

Your first change on the new gamertag system is free, regardless of how many changes you have made in the past! However, we will charge for every subsequent change ($9.99 USD). Thanks sss333

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Comments

  • +1

    Nice find. Ty

  • +24

    “And in other news, Microsoft Servers crashed yesterday as 12,000,000 people attempted to change their gamertag to Noobmaster69”,

    • -1

      can confirm; doesn’t work

    • +2

      Noobmaster69#6969

  • +10

    Thank god, don't know what teenage me was thinking with the old tag.

    Now I don't need to make a new account!

  • +1

    Thanks OP!!!

  • +1

    Cool, nice find.

    I don't get what is special about the #-symbol approach. Isn't that just the same as adding numbers after your name? It's just as annoying and why I lost it trying to write my name, which ended up in my ridiculous profile of dAn0000000000000 lol!

    • +1

      Because you can use the entire full 12 characters and they'll still add a suffix on the end.
      The suffix is also displayed in a smaller font, and sometimes in a different colour.

      So we can both be "Mighty Thor" and one of us will just get a little number on the end, but still logging in, shown everywhere etc as "Mighty Thor". Without having to change to "Point Break".

    • +5

      The whole point of the #number is that the game doesn't have to show you the numbers, but each user still has a unique ID.
      Blizz and Discord handle it that way, I dunno why MS is going to make it be the worst of both worlds by displaying it in all cases.

      • From the MS post

        Games are currently required to show the suffix while you play.

        Edit: sorry think you were referring to the other implementations.

  • +3

    yeah having the #1898 numbers after the gamertag is just stupid…

    • Blizzard implement it pretty successfully. As long as the suffix is only displayed when necessary and not persistent, it should be fine

      • +5

        "Games are currently required to show the suffix while you play. You will also see the suffix in out-of-game experiences like the console UI or Xbox Game Bar so each player has a unique, visible identity while still representing themselves the way they want."

        Imo it should only been shown when you open someones profile.

  • Wow, that's pretty cool.

  • +2

    Thanks for posting BA, good find.

    So will this stick to your account? ie if you don't use it now can you use it later? (like years later)

  • +5

    xXx-007-Davo666-XxX will never die!

    Also charging to change your name is pathetically greedy.

    • It's not about money, it's about unnecessary server load.

      • +5

        The processing power required to change a name would be nothing to them. And even if it was, making it $0.50 would reduce the changes significantly, $10 is just greed.

        • -1

          Um no, If everyone could change their name for free it would be like a giant botnet hit them. 50c is still too insignificant.

          • +7

            @JAKEBAB: Yeah of course, obviously, that's why steam is permanently offline /s

            You have no idea what you're talking about.

            • @Jai: Yea, totally, says the one who just compared this to steam.

          • +1

            @JAKEBAB: But this post is literally about them letting everyone change their name for free

            Also writing one line in a database is not a big server load lol

      • -2

        Sony don't charge.

        • +2

          Yes they do.

    • +10

      The fee is there to prevent people from abusing the system and changing their username constantly. They'll think twice if they have to pay for it. I can understand this. What I wish Microsoft would do, is let you change your name for free once every few years (hell, even after 5 years). I've been living with a username I wish I could have changed for the past 9 years, but I never wanted to pay the fee. My lucky day I suppose.

  • +1

    xXX.pu55y.dE5TrOYeR.xXx taken?

    • +1

      Your gamertag needs to be 12 characters or less.
      Kinda glad I didnt accidentally change my username to that

  • oh (profanity), i just changed my gamertag by accident.

  • No wingdings???

  • Damn. I still haven't changed mine from the default one it gave me in 2012 when I signed up.

    Do I get two changes now please, oh mighty Phil Spencer?

    • Honestly, the default one I got around then was pretty cool so I didn't have a need to change it.

  • +1

    Nice find.
    Any idea when it ends?

    • +1

      There is no end. This is their new approach to gamertags moving forward.

      Your first change under the new system is free, and then you'll incur a cost for every change after that.

  • Happy to keep my name. But if I get the # added at the end anyway, gonna be pretty pi$$ed… :-s

    • +3

      "You can sit back, relax and continue to be known by your existing gamertag without a suffix, and since you are the original owner nobody else can ever have it unless you decide to change it. So if you like your gamertag the way it is or have had it for years, nothing will change and no one will be able to use it without an assigned suffix.'

      • Thanks, missed that.
        (Sorry, somehow did a -1 instead of a +1)

  • +1

    Thanks OP, I hated the first gamer tag I created when I didn’t knew it can only be changed once…….

  • Hah, I always just assumed MS had this and it was, until recently, a purely pig-headed Sony decision that prevented you changing your PSN profile name. Didn't realise MS was also as backwards when it came to this…

    • +1

      They've always offered the ability to change your gamertag (…for a fee), all the way back to early X360 days. This is just the first time the name doesn't have to be unique, unlike before.

  • What? Why would I want to change my name from Pu55y_sLaYeR69?

    • yeah im pretty happy with tH0t_cRu5h4

  • Doesn't work if I enter my gamertag minus the number at the end -_-

    • I had the same issue. i tested it out.
      first time it didn't accept my name.
      i logged out then back in. It then accepted it as an original name (no numbers).
      I logged out then in. It accepted the name but put #1593 after it.

  • I wish I could change my Steam names.

    As far as I know there is NO WAY to do this in Steam

  • So I still have default name that had one free change. Does this mean I now have two free changes?

  • +1

    Sweet thanks OP. time to change my Gamertag from my Xbox 360 days

  • Is this live? I tried on PC and Xbox One and I keep getting "That name is not available"

    I changed my name like 9 months ago idk if that's a factor or not.

  • I have a 14char username on XBL - if I try to change, can I only have 12 now?

    • Yes

  • Good to know for the future, but I'll be the only Kryptonikzz without a suffix forever now. I'd take Krypt but people nickname me that anyway 🤷‍♂️

  • Why isn't it working for me? It still wants to charge me.

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