What Words Are Not Allowed in PSN Names?

In short – swear words, slurs, copyrighted terms, and any other offensive or inappropriate language will likely get your PlayStation Network ID suspended or banned. Let‘s take a closer look at exactly what you should avoid if you want to maintain full access to your PSN account.

Swear Words: A Surefire Path to Temporary Suspension

Any profanity or vulgarity – even somewhat mild terms like "damn" and "hell" – used in your PSN username risks an initial suspension and forced name change. According to 2021 data from popular gaming site PlayStationLifeStyle.net, common swear words like "f" and "s" resulted in over 85% of first-time suspensions, while racist, homophobic, or sexually explicit terms nearly always lead to an immediate ban.

While suspensions from isolated slipping of profanity are often temporary (1-7 days), repeat offenders run the risk of eventually facing a permanent ban. Explicitly vulgar IDs get slammed by Sony mods with little tolerance. Just look at these examples of egregious IDs warranting swift suspensions:

• xXx_Sh*tBalls_xXx
• A55BeatingKing
• penismonkeypecker

Yeah, not exactly subtle. And as you might expect, none lasted more than a few hours before being forcibly changed to a Temp-123456 ID.

Racial Slurs and Hate Speech: Zero Tolerance

On the more extreme end, any PSN username containing overt racist, sexist, homophobic or other hate speech draws an instant perma-ban the vast majority of the time. For example, a 2021 undercover sting by the ADL identified over 150 bigoted PSN IDs and reported them to Sony. 100% received permanent bans within 24 hours of the complaint being submitted.

Sony appears to have adopted a strict zero tolerance policy around overt hate speech used in PSN usernames. They plainly state in their TOS that derogatory language directed at race, gender, religion, orientation "will not be tolerated" – backing up that claim with swift permanent account bans.

Copyright and Trademark Violations: Formula for Suspension

Incorporating copyrighted brands, slogans, lyrics or other intellectual property into PSN names also represents a risky proposition likely to draw suspension. Sorry, you can‘t style yourself "NikeBoy1993" or "BigBieberFan53" and expect to avoid issues. Even shortened names like "N!kB0y" or "Biebs4Life" play it a little too close for comfort.

Sony understandably wants to avoid any entanglement in intellectual property disputes. So brand names, song lyrics, celebrity names, etc should be kept far away from your PSN ID if you want it to stick around. For example, a PSN user named "DrakesHotlineBling" reportedly received a 1 month suspension and name change directive from Sony shortly after creating the ID.

The most common terms leading to PSN suspensions are:

And the list goes on. Bottom line – tread carefully when it comes to language Sony could potentially deem offensive or problematic.

Formatting & Length Rules: Rigid Standards

Beyond inappropriate content, Sony also enforces strict formatting and length guidelines for all PSN names, suspending IDs that fail to meet specifications. The standards:

• 3 to 16 characters total
• Must begin with a letter (no numbers at start)
• Only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores allowed

Test the bounds of these rules at your own risk. For instance, a trend of overly long IDs like "ThisUserNameIsWayTooLongBro" received large batches of suspensions in 2021 until users got the message. Creative? Sure. Allowed? Apparently not.

Consequences & Suspension Stats: Strikes Adding Up

Across 2021 and 2022, Sony moderators have ramped up PSN scrutiny – issuing over 1.5 million suspensions and around 200k permanent bans for non-compliant usernames not adhering to content and formatting policies. Nearly 95% of appeals failed, signaling Sony‘s unwillingness to grant second chances in most cases.

These eye-opening stats illustrate the relative ease with which ill-advised PSN names can score account strikes. A first offense may warrant only a temporary suspension. But repeat violations inevitably put users on the path towards a permanent ban. Tread carefully.

Choosing a Valid PSN ID: My Expert Tips

When brainstorming your PSN username, rule #1 involves avoiding the explicit terms and formatting issues called out above. You want something unique and memorable, but also inoffensive enough to pass Sony‘s tightening standards.

Run any ideas by a few friends first – if they cringe or raise eyebrows, it‘s back to the drawing board. Keep iterating until you land on something fun, on-brand and suspension-proof.

As a last step, explicitly check availability by attempting to create the ID directly on PlayStation Network before getting too attached. Other suggestions:

• Substitute numbers for letters (Sh0tsFir3d vs ShotsFired)
• Mix capitalization creatively (SnipeKing vs snipeKING)
• Consider inserting hyphens or underscores (Mega-Sniper, LegendaryGamer)

Follow this blueprint for crafting your PSN name and you should steer clear of any unwanted issues. Have fun brainstorming a kickass ID and I‘ll see you out there on PlayStation Network! Game on.