Xbox Live users can now choose a gamertag that is already taken
Xbox Live users worldwide can now choose any gamertag they want (within the rules), even if it’s already taken.
The change to gamertags was announced earlier this year and introduces an auto-generated suffix to names that allows for duplicates. Under the new system, if a Gamertag is already taken, players will still be able to use it but a random string of numbers will be attached in a different font to differentiate it. However, the downside is that new gamertags are now limited to just 12 characters, instead of the previous 15 to make space for the suffix.
“We are updating our gamertag to a 12-character maximum, Unicode-based name of your choice with an auto-generated suffix,” Microsoft writes in an FAQ. “We now offer 13 different alphabets for gamers, which support over 200 languages worldwide.”
Those who wish to take advantage of this new system can do so for free the first time, with subsequent name changes priced at $9.99. Users who are happy with their gamertag do not have to do a thing and will not have a suffix added to their tag if someone chooses the same name as them.
“There is no action required from you – you can keep your current gamertag with zero change in experience,” Microsoft explains. “You will not get a suffix. Anyone who chooses the same gamertag as you will automatically have a suffix added at the end to distinguish them.”
Interested players can change their Gamertag here. Microsoft notes that Xbox One and mobile will be updated “soon” to display the new gamertag, with games to follow “sometime in 2020.”
Source: VentureBeat
Matt is one of the longest-serving members of the EGMNOW team. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream.
