Guild Wars 2

Name change contract in the gem store.

isnt that for character names and not for the account name?

Character name =/= display name. Name change contracts are useless here.

But I agree. I didn’t realize account names would be so visible when I created mine; I’d have used the character name I use in every game if I’d known otherwise. Even if they only let us change it once in the lifetime of our account, I would be ecstatic.

Yes! same. I would be happy with just one chance to change it.

lolzertank.1928:

isnt that for character names and not for the account name?

That’s not your Account Name, which isn’t visible anywhere, but to you. It’s your Display Name, which kind of lets you know it will be on display.

This isn’t something that is offered at the moment, nor likely to be offered soon. The reason being accountability. You can read Dev posts about it over in Account Issues, if you are so inclined.

Good luck.

I know its not the same thing. I tried saying Display name but people think its character name. Then I used the word account name. Im just talking about the name you see here.. thats too bad though

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Just look my display name I had many fights with support about it. They can even see my display name from Guild Wars 1. I wouldn’t mind if they just give us the option to use the display name of Gw1 since many have linked acounts.

Ah I have the same problem. I picked a random name at the time because I didn’t have any characters made in the game itself yet, so was still coming up with those… would really like a way to change names.

I remember way before the game ever launched (around time of betas) some guy somewhere (an anet guy) said that this would become possible a few months into the game… and it would be through the forums…

I just wish I could change my email address. I cant keep this email forever and have no way to change it. Any ideas?

DSavant.9105:

I just wish I could change my email address. I cant keep this email forever and have no way to change it. Any ideas?

You can change the email address associated with your Game Account by submitting a request to the CS Team. Top/Bottom of Page – Support – Submit a Request.

Good luck.

Cool. Thanks. Might help if I looked

I also support this idea of Display Name Change. When I started playing Guild Wars 2, I chose a name from World of Warcraft, which was the game I most played back then and some other players from our community also joined to play GW2.

However, most of them have already quit or I never see them online at least, so I’d like to change my GW2 nickname to something more relevant or even something related to GW2 rather than WoW. (okay the name is a Finnish word, not exactly related to WoW either, but a character name).

Maybe limit the Display Name Change once per year or only once per account and if you want to change it again you must make a request to support for them to change it for you with a good reason. Blizzard allows a free Battle.net nickname change once across the whole service, Arenanet/NCSoft should consider the same option for GW2.

Yea i find it kinda odd that people wouldent think their display name would be visibile to others

I imagine the display name is a unique identifier, and the reason they allow it for some people is that they don’t want to leave people stuck with sensitive information for all to view (such as a real name). Even when they did change my display name a few months back it took several months for the effect to come to grips on my guild, friend’s list, etc. – some people would see it as the old display name and others would see it as the new one.

If your display name is sensitive for any reason, feel free to contact support and they will assist you but if it’s just a case of you not liking the name, you’re stuck with it.

Cuddy.6247:

If your display name is sensitive for any reason, feel free to contact support and they will assist you but if it’s just a case of you not liking the name, you’re stuck with it.

This.

Sources:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/support/Two-different-account-tags/first#post4764250

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/support/Name-Questions-Please-read-merged/first#post2087181

They have stated they don’t want to change display names except for situations where the name has sensitive information.

Gaile Gray
ArenaNet Forum Communications Team Lead
“They are unable to do it upon request because it takes too much time to do it frivolously. Plus, we have a policy of not changing randomly to avoid people “escaping their own history.” “I don’t like my name” or even “I used my first name” isn’t a valid reason to reverse policy.”

They have stated reasons such as people scammming/harassing/getting kicked from guilds then changing the name to avoid consequences (the escaping their own history part of that quote).

I also would like to change display name personally..At some point my name counts as offensive one but theres no way to prove that cause this word doesnt exits in english.

I feel the same way but all of your display names are fine…. Just look at mine and tell me you can read it … I’ve even bought a smurf account but everything I have is here and it’s hard to start up with the new changes made with the traits and all.

SIANZACZAC.7802:

I feel the same way but all of your display names are fine…. Just look at mine and tell me you can read it … I’ve even bought a smurf account but everything I have is here and it’s hard to start up with the new changes made with the traits and all.

I would pronounce it like: Cyan-Zack-Zack (like the colour and the name.)

+1 for account name change.

My account name is really close to my real name, but ArenaNet won’t let me change it.

<—— HA! I bet you guys can’t beat me in choosing my super awesome, never heard before, very unique display name………………..

But anyway, holding my fingers crossed for at least one display name change, so geniuses like us can fix their mistake.

I have made many friends in many games over the years. I like to stay consistent so those acquaintances can easily spot me on a forum.

I’ve bumped in to people I played UO with back in the 90’s, as well as others from EQ2 and SWtOR.

I think its important to think carefully about a Display Name on a forum based on whether you do or don’t want to be recognized.

I vote for account name change as well

Account Name Change shouldnt be a servie handle ingame.
This is a thing, that clearly NEEDS if at all to be handled externally outside of the game.
Most likel best done via a specific system that you have to use here from GW2’s Website to guarantee, that the system behind of this mets all kinds of needed security measurements.

But I’m also for if, that if such a service should get be doen one day, that there need to be clearly restrictions to it and that the change of the account display name absolutely must be clearly visible for everyone for a long enough time, so that scamming doesn’t become a problem with that service, so that also the support is clearly and easily able to tell, when someone changed the accoutn name.
This means, there needs to be for the support of Anet also something lke an Account Name “HISTORY”, so that they can quickly see on 1 view, if someone has changed their account names, what the old name was and what the new one is.

This has alot to do with newly needed data bank space, that would be required for it, which costs MONEY. So it is absolutely inevitable, that this kinmd of service MUST cost a fee.
By that kind of service costign also a fee, it will guarantee also that peopel won’t abuse that service for some silly scamming trys further.

If ever an account name change service should get provided, it MAY NOT be bought via Gems. It must be a real money service only.

Someone with the honest intention to change his/her account name shouldn’t really have any problems with it to pay for that service a real money fee directly to Anet.
Because if you want to change your account name, thats not Anets problem, the players all have more than enough of time to thnik about an account name with the intention of never having to change it, as the account names should be normally intended to be one time createable unique identifications.

Where we are at unique identifications. By changing a old account name, if that service should get ever provided, the game and registration systems should from that moment on where an accoutn name gets changed the old account name, like a banned account.
From the moment on an account name gets change, the old name shouldn’t be useable anymore forever by anyone else.
If someone tries to use the same name, the registration system shouldn’t give that name by random anymore the .0000 code of that for the system permanently removed account name.
I think something like that should be very clear and understandable, why it should work like this.

Yeah who knew that an ex boyfriend’s nickname for me (we played together at the time) would make people call me an “attention seeking girl gamer.” I get that there are reasons that Anet has cited as reasons for not allowing people to change their name, but these reasons exist in any game. This feature is present in pretty much every game I’ve ever played and has presented little issue to the community.

Lest we not forget that people can add you to their friend’s list without your permission, and you can’t make them remove you. Even if you block that person, they can still see when you’re online.

For a game as “advanced” as GW2, you’re lacking 2 very basic features and you’re causing more harm to people than good. Do you really care more about accountability than player privacy/safety?

PS: I don’t play this game anymore, and the reason I don’t is because I can’t change my name… hence how I ended up on this thread in the first place, because I was curious if the feature had been added yet. :/

I’m ok with my account name, and it’s ok for me to not change it. If i block a certain player, i don’t want that he evades somehow my block. What i don’t really like is to display that to other players. I mean, if i’m playing with Randomcharactername, i want they can clearly see it that name, and don’t call me with my account name.

If i’m in a random group, the first name displayed is my account name, instead of the character name! It’s ok for me if other players want to know my acco name, but i want that the first name they see, is my character name.

Also I’d like that my account’s name could be visible only by my friends (in Friend list)… maybe guild members too, maybe…

Sorry for the bump

name.2305:

Just look my display name I had many fights with support about it. They can even see my display name from Guild Wars 1. I wouldn’t mind if they just give us the option to use the display name of Gw1 since many have linked acounts.

I feel your pain, man!
Really didn’t expect that it would be visible EVERYWHERE along with my character name.

Seriously, I had NO idea my name would be displayed everywhere when I signed up… I would like to have it just be my main screen-name instead of my /actual first name/ mashed up with a character name

If they just gave us ONE name change, just ONE, I’d be happy. More than happy. I’d be so thrilled it’d be hard for anyone to imagine how thrilled I’d be.

I can understand not letting people change their names ALL the time, yet perhaps just ONE with the option to see their former username and have the option to still have their former username reserved so no one posed as them? That sort of thing. If they’re really worried about identity protection and fraud and all that.

I’d buy a new account all together but seeing as I have some really rare account bound items and some expensive gear that’d be super hard to replace among map completion and other things… it’s not an option. I’ve emailed them about the issue SEVERAL times and it’s always the same response “We don’t change usernames in these circumstances” and various ways of saying that.

Please GW2, CONSIDER IT! You have so many people crying out for it, and so many other people that are silent about it because it’s “bearable” or “not worth the fight”! It wouldn’t cost you guys anything, and it’d make so many members in your player base extremely happy!

It’s called a ‘display name’ for a reason. You know, something that’s on display.. To the public?

I cannot fathom how people did not understand that when signing up. Personally I made up whatever when making mine and I don’t care much about it but I do agree for those seeking to change due to a real name or something being typed in for it to be changed. Otherwise, this is the internet. Once something goes on it.. No going back.

Be mature, think before you act.

I also really, really wish I could change my display name. I had no idea it was going to be unchangeable or so public. I’m an experienced gamer, having played games like WoW, LotRO, PotCO, and a number of others. I have to say, I am really disappointed with a lot of these “little” things that basically every professional MMO game has that GW2 just decided wasn’t important enough for them. One of those simple “unimportant” things would be this. And like someone already said, WoW had it very well implemented where you could only change it once. I liked that, since I made the same mistake there that it was a smooth, easy correction which perfectly suited my need.

Actions have consequences. There are no do overs, no take backs, no second chances.

If you approach life with this in mind at all times then you wouldn’t be in this spot now.

AGREED, I vote for account name change!

A good solution would be to restrict a change every 30 days, for a free change, and then charge gems for those who want to change it before that, but still restrict them to once a week.

nexxe.7081:

A good solution would be to restrict a change every 30 days, for a free change, and then charge gems for those who want to change it before that, but still restrict them to once a week.

People shouldn’t need or want to change their display name that often.

I would however be open to allowing one free display name change ever. Or maybe once per year.

I’m happy with my display names but I agree there are situations where someone wanting a display name change is reasonable. A couple of reasons is a bad original choice that the person now regrets. Another is stalking by someone you have already blocked.

I can see why ANet doesn’t want to change the display name as it can allow a person to evade the consequences of scamming someone or, for example, causing trouble/stealing in a guild, getting kicked and getting back in under a new name but surely a middle ground such as a one time change can be considered.

It’s funny that Gaile will say that they wont Change it.

But when you start your account, they don’t tell you it can’t b changed, and you also don’t know f someone has already picked that name for a character already.

Poor design.

Since I was going to link my accounts for HOM and learned about all that reward system and such before the game even launched, I made sure the names matched, what you see me here as is what I am in GW 1, minus the four digits.

I can see most of your concerns were valid, but it would have been wiser to use the same name you had in GW 1, even if you were to link it or not.

If you never played GW 1, then you should have known better not to have the name you put on here. Nothing personal or easily identifiable to anything outside of game should be used. This is not even my real name and I wouldn’t even tell you it.

There is no excuse.

I for one have always been a bit concerned about your account name being on public display on the forums. Forum Alias option pls anet?

rapthorne.7345:

I for one have always been a bit concerned about your account name being on public display on the forums. Forum Alias option pls anet?

No one’s Account Name is on display on the forums, or anywhere else. That is why they give Display Names. So there is a name to display without using the Account Name.

You can’t access an account using a Display Name, that’s why Account Names are immediately removed from the forums whenever someone posts their sensitive information..

I believe that they will help you change it, if it gives out real-life information (such as name) if you feel uncomfortable with that.

Being able to do it for no reason whatsoever however, is a bad idea and would make it way too easy to simply troll people like mad and then just change name.

They lost me as a player because they wouldnt allow me to change it.. i’ve evern considered buying the game again to start a new account but I dont want to do that.

YOU SEE THIS ANET? you’re losing players because of something so stupid, It can be simple but noo.. WoW lets you change your display name once and then never again ever. I think you should do the same. This is ridiculous

You can always buy a new account next 10 buck sale and think more carefully when you pick a display name

I’d love an account name change aswell!

I’d actually like to have the ability to change this as well, my user name was made during beta when it wasn’t very clear that this would be a permanent thing that everyone could see lol….

Only if it’s not allowed for players who’ve already had their names anagramed. This way they can’t escape their punishment for their poor choice.

It’s still ridiculous.

+1, even for gems , you like gems right?

I inherited this display name from my wife at launch. She was unable to sync her gw1 stuff at the time so she bought another account and gave me this one. I asked three years ago to have it changed and was told to be patient.

All they have to do is add an option for display name instead of using the account name. It’s not that kittening hard.

Account Name and # = used by Anet for whatever reason they need to use it for.

Display Name = Just a name linked to your Account Name and number and is what shows up on your forum posts, in your friend list when offline.

Character name= self explanatory.