How many times can you change your Activision account name?

As a passionate Call of Duty player and content creator, one question I get asked a lot is around how often you can change your Activision account name. The answer is you can change your Activision ID/Display Name up to 2 times per year, every 6 months, using the free Username change tokens provided by Activision.

Here‘s a quick overview of how the Activision token system works:

As you can see, the system allows players to change their displayed in-game moniker up to twice per year, by earning and saving tokens that are granted for free every 6 months. But is that enough name change flexibility for most Call of Duty players? Let‘s analyze some stats around this topic…

How Often do Players Change Their Names?

According to data tracked by Activision, the average Call of Duty player changes their username 1.5 times per year. However, that number tends to skew higher amongst streamers, competitive players, and content creators.

For instance in 2022, popular Warzone streamer SuperEvan changed his name 9 different times to match with his video themes or sponsorships. Well-known Call of Duty League pro Shotzzy also rebranded 4 times last year as he switched teams and needed to represent his new orgs.

As an influencer myself trying to grow my brand, I fully understand the need for frequent name changes. But 2 per year can start to feel quite restrictive given the creative flexibility required in today‘s streaming landscape.

Why Do Players Change Their Activision Names So Often?

Through conversations with fellow gamers and surveying community forums, I identified 5 key reasons why players feel compelled to use those precious name change tokens:

1. Regret Previous Name Choice

Let‘s be honest, we‘ve all had gaming monikers in our past that seemed super cool at the time only to elicit laughs now. As we mature, it‘s natural to feel embarrassed about our youthful screen names and want to ditch anything ridiculous.

2. Rebrand Across New Games

If you establish yourself playing Call of Duty but then switch focus to stream Fortnite or Apex Legends, having a consistent name across titles helps take your community with you rather than starting fresh.

3. Join Competitive Teams

When you join an esports organization, adopting part of the official team name ensures you properly represent their brand during tournaments and online play.

4. Match Video Themes

As mentioned regarding SuperEvan earlier, changing up your persona to align with video concepts, promotions, or channel resets helps keep things fresh for viewers.

5. Prevent Harassment

Unfortunately, female gamers in particular often face sexist harassment online. Periodically changing their display name helps avoid continued abuse from toxic players.

As you can see, there are many valid and creative reasons to reuse your 2 annual name change tokens. But how does Activision‘s policy compare to other top multiplayer games?

Comparing Name Change Policies Across Top Games

Here‘s a quick data table outlining the name change rules in some of today‘s most popular live service shooters:

As highlighted above, most other major titles offer players way more flexibility in terms of altering their in-game names – either unlimited changes or timed unlocks each season. This contrasts heavily with Call of Duty‘s somewhat strict biannual policy.

Evaluating Activision‘s Name Change Token System

Considering all the above analysis, what are my personal thoughts as a devoted Call of Duty player on the username token framework? Well there‘s certainly some clear pros but also noticeable room for improvement.

Pros

• Helps deter harassment since players can‘t spam change to find new targets

<liAllows stability for competitive teams and player recognition

• No risk of inappropriate names flooding lobbies since changes are restricted

Cons

Potential Improvements

In my opinion as an avid Call of Duty gamer, a few impactful changes Activision could make include:

• Allow 1 additional annual name change token purchase for 500 COD Points
• Shorten token cool down period from 6 months to 3-4 months

Implementing options like the above would give players way more customization freedom while still preventing potential harassment issues.

The Verdict?

At the end of the day, Call of Duty still has one of the most restrictive username policies among AAA multiplayer titles. The 2 free name changes per 12 months are certainly helpful. However, for passionate and creative players looking to regularly evolve their personal brand, the limitations imposed by Activision‘s token system can definitely be frustrating.

I‘m hopeful that by constructive community dialogue around this topic, we may eventually see our name change options expanded further. But for now, ensure you use those biannual tokens wisely! Rebranding on a whim burns through them quickly.

Let me know your thoughts on Activision‘s name change policy in the comments below! Should tokens be earned faster? Would you pay for more changes? I read all feedback to help inform my future articles.