[Suggestion] Renaming Our Accounts/Display Names

[GWTWO.5910]

I don't know about anyone else, but five years ago when I bought Guild Wars 2 I never had an official username I'd go by. But after all these years, I've found one that fits me and I'd love to have it as my Display Name. I know it would be hard for the devs to create something that updates it for everyone but I'm putting this out here as an idea I'd love to see happen. I feel kind of embarrassed to have GWTWO as my display name right now.

Much love and loyalty,GWTWO.(please tell me that I put this in the right area of the forums- sorry if I didn't! <3 )

[FANY.6524]

I wonder if it's possible for them to allow us to change the name part like Discord does, but we still keep the same numbers. I think that Blizzard naming thing is similar? Either way, I'm totally up for this.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

As it turns out, there's no way to make this happen. A related question came up on Reddit recently & here's what the dev had to say:

Dornsinger writes

Generally we do not offer display name changes ...because of a very hard and fast rule:

Don't Break Your Customer's Account

.

Changing display names can break your ability for social interactions in the game. And by break, I am speaking of users whose display names were changed in 2014 who still are broken today. The way display names are handled, we only change them in very specific circumstances and often even then only on a case-by-case basis after checking the account's age and situation. We always warn users, even if we do offer the change, that things could break. And the worst is:

There is no way for us to 'unbreak' things. once broken, you're stuck and nothing we do will fix you.

... If we change your display name, we risk breaking your guild, your in-game mail, your ability to interact with the trade post and your whispers. In an MMO, we'd risk dooming a user to not being able to interact on any of the common social channels for days, weeks - or years.

If it's something like a first name, chances are we deny. You can always ask to have your ticket be escalated and have a supervisor review it. But if we say no to a display name change, we say no because we are likely to utterly wreck your game account. And we simply do not want to risk that, as we cannot un-wreck.

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

I've been wondering actually. Could they just remover a spacing?I would like if I can just remove the spacing in my display name. Wonder if the space would completely break things as it's just a space.

[BlaqueFyre.5678]

They change account names very Rarely, and it is bugged like no other do to inability of modify Spaghetti Code, I noticed a player on my friends list that when they change Maps it will change to his original display name which was his actual full name, and it’s his old display name shown on the leaderboard, who knows what other hidden bugs there could be

[starhunter.6015]

@Ayumi Spender.1082 said:I've been wondering actually. Could they just remover a spacing?I would like if I can just remove the spacing in my display name. Wonder if the space would completely break things as it's just a space.

It still changed how the system sees and reads the name. So even removing a space could wreck your account.

[Grimstone.7546]

Permitting the selection of an alias for our "display name", possibly?

[Cyndercat.7615]

I wish it were possible. I hate my display name. Its something i used when i was a teenager and zombies were cool. Totally understand that its too difficult to code though. I shall endure

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

@starhunter.6015 said:

@Ayumi Spender.1082 said:I've been wondering actually. Could they just remover a spacing?I would like if I can just remove the spacing in my display name. Wonder if the space would completely break things as it's just a space.

It still changed how the system sees and reads the name. So even removing a space could wreck your account.

I just wish I knew that your account name could NOT be used as a character name. That's what pissed me off. If I knew that, I would've never made my account name this.

[Gaile Gray.6029]

Previously posted here: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/9647/change-display-name