A unique gamer tag, among other things, can tell others about your personality. There is a notable difference between someone using TheKiller and 7WaysToMeetYourMaker. The latter feels more thought out and hardly overused.
Some gamers are not too fussed about their names. They pick something random whenever playing online games and creating new characters.
Meanwhile, other gamers stick to the nickname that they have been using because they want to be recognized, are attached to the nickname, or cannot come up with something else, to name a few reasons.
If you wish to change your current in-game name, there are certain things to consider beforehand.
Check for Name Availability
Let’s start with name availability. You cannot go through every single platform and video game out there to check whether your name is not taken.
If anything, you can count that someone has already used the name you are thinking about, especially if the handle includes commonly-used English words.
Those who create a character in an MMORPG or a dungeon crawler game, for example, usually get warnings that the name is already taken, which helps.
For general use, particularly on gaming platforms like Steam or Discord, you are stuck with certain doubts about the uniqueness of your gamer handle. Nevertheless, if it is available, you should not overthink and simply use the name.
Understand the Naming Rules
Naming rules are pretty clear for the most part. First, you obviously do not want to use slurs and swear words. Political statements are also to be avoided.
Names of real people are another example. Some online games have strict policies about using someone’s real name.
Besides these obvious rules, some video games might have other exclusions for gamer tags, so be sure to check those if the information is available.
Avoid Long Names
Most video games have a character limit to gamer tags. And it is not like most gamers would actually use ridiculously long nicknames. Shorter handles make more sense.
For the most part, a video game handle consists of a few words at most. If it is not a single word, then it is usually a phrase or a combination of two words, such as DarkAngel or MightySlayer. Anything longer than that often looks out of place, which is why games have a character limit and why you find recommendations to stick to shorter nicknames.
Try to Be Funny and Unique
Funny and unique are two aspects that can make your gamer handle more interesting. The problem with funny is that you do not have that much to work with because nicknames tend to be short. Nevertheless, some puns, play on words, or paradoxes can help overcome the creativity block. AreYouKittenMe or MiserableClown would be examples of nicknames that fit the “funny” aspect.
Perhaps a popular internet culture phenomenon or a quote from a movie can be used as a nickname. Say that you are a fan of TV series like The Office. Something like TotOfScott could work. Or maybe you are watching HBO’s hit series House of the Dragon and are in love with Matt Smith’s portrayal of Daemon Targaryen? Why not call yourself DaemonEnjoyer then.
Uniqueness is also tricky. The English language has only so many words that you want to use as a gamer handle.
Looking at other languages and finding a cool word could be an interesting approach to coming up with a new gamer tag for yourself.
Test Unique Characters
Unique characters may look out of place sometimes, but they can also add some flair to the nickname.
Unfortunately, most video games are pretty strict when it comes to using non-Latin letters and various symbols and emojis.
If there is an opportunity to introduce these elements to your nickname, however, you should try it and see how it looks. Perhaps there is even an option to add a fancy font to your gamer handle? Glyphy is a great place to find interesting fonts, not just for the in-game tags but also for your display name on Discord—a popular communication platform for gamers. Instead of a plain-looking BestServedCold, your nickname could look like this:
- ̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼
- ̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈
- ̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼̼ℂ̼̼̼̼
- ƁЄƧƬƧЄƦƔЄƊƇƠԼƊ
Find a Name With Longevity
Longevity is not necessarily a priority, but you should not underestimate the fact that you might end up needing to change your nickname in the near future because it becomes irrelevant.
For instance, if you choose a pop reference, the odds are that the trend passes and becomes forgotten, which would make your nickname somewhat irrelevant for the current times.
Try Different Iterations Before You Decide
Ideally, you want to brainstorm multiple ideas so you can try different names before choosing one.
Try to rank your current options and see which ones you see as the best. If you have doubts over a nickname, cross it off the list to reduce the available options and continue until you are left with the handle you are most satisfied with.
Consider Gamer tag Generators
Gamer tag generators should be considered as the final resort. If you struggle to come up with anything remotely close to what you like and creativity is not your forte, check what a gamer tag generator can offer to you.
The results are unlikely to be satisfactory, but if nothing else, a gamer tag generator can push you in the right direction. You can take what you get from a generator and add your own unique twist to it.
