Guild Wars 2 Name Reservation Policy Announced

Written by: Jason Winter (Twitter @winterinformal - Google+) | May 17, 2012 2:45 pm

39 Comments

What’s in a name?

For MMO players, lots.

That’s why ArenaNet is making it super-easy to reserve your Guild Wars character name(s) in Guild Wars 2.

As outlined in a blog post, ArenaNet will build a list of Guild Wars names from all active accounts, with “active” defined as having logged in to the game at any point in 2012 until the list is constructed.

Then, players need to simply log into the game and create character(s) with the desired name(s) either during the Headstart Access period or on Launch Day.

After launch, the remainder of the 20 million unclaimed names will be “freed up,” allowing anyone to use them.

So are you planning to re-use your Guild Wars character names in Guild Wars 2? Or were you going to go with something original, maybe even — gasp! — one word? Let us know in the comments below!

NOTE: This information supersedes all previous info that indicated that Guild Wars players would have their Guild Wars 2 names reserved solely via linking their accounts or through the Hall of Monuments. The only way to reserve a character name is to have your GW/GW2 accounts linked, log into GW before the list is created, and then use the desired name(s) during Headstart or on Launch Day.

Guild Wars 2 Name Reservation Policy Announced

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http://twitter.com/ookamiwing Phillip Rushing

if someone takes my name i will hunt them down and *censored*
Cyclops07

I hope to get my name reserved, but since I still think launch is at least two months away we have plenty of time to worry about this
- http://profile.yahoo.com/ITHF7XKYGVXFAPCDMDJTKHLBBU Lian Wan
  
  Only if you already have the name and you just need to log in. Otherwise someone could reserve the name while you are waiting. On the other hand this does nothing for people who want to reserve a one word name…
Camzillasmom

Unfortunately there is no name generator in GW2. I always liked the idea of “fate deciding”. One name generator name from the release of DAOC a looong time ago has still a big place in my gaming life!
- Chris Rushton
  
  You could just google one.
http://twitter.com/Noghue Noghue

I would love to reserve my name, but it was already taken on Darkhaven.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=588433136 Graham Pink
  
  If you had a name in GW it cant be taken by anyone else, it’s yours until day 1 of GW2. You can only reserve names you had in Guild Wars, 2 or 3 word names. Names in the current GW2 beta tests wont count and will be erased before launch, so if you mean someone in the beta has your GW name, they wont get to keep it.
7BitBrian

Good thing I’ve already played all my Characters this year. Names already reserved
http://www.facebook.com/simppi90 Simon Sunabacka

doesnt sound easy to me at all, why not just do it like tsw did?
- Old Ben
  
  Surely you mean “why not do it like TSW 2 will”.
  - http://www.facebook.com/simppi90 Simon Sunabacka
    
    well since we already did reserve names, i said did
    - Old Ben
      
      Since TSW is not a sequel, the situation isn’t really comparable, is it? This is about letting people keep the name they were already using in a different game (as opposed to letting anyone reserve a new name).
      - http://www.facebook.com/simppi90 Simon Sunabacka
        
        ah, ye didnt think about it that way^^
Revanhavoc

I reserve the name Revanhavoc and if anyone tries to steal it you will have to deal with me and havoc!

(Yeah! What he said!)

When’s the last time we agreed, anyway? This is great!

(Last thing we agreed on was that GW2 is gonna rock.)

P.S. Only the Gannonator could pull off a wine coloured shirt.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=588433136 Graham Pink
  
  Only you can’t reserve one word names because they don’t exist in GW …
- Chris Rushton
  
  Note to self, make character called Revanhavoc as soon as the game goes live.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=588433136 Graham Pink

No one had one word names in GW but in GW2 you can have one word names, which most people are going to want if normal MMOs are anything to go by. So this really doesnt make much difference. The chances of someone stealing your 2 word name from GW anyway are remote, and you cant reserve one word names, so meh.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506728308 Julian F’n Mugnieco

looks like i have to pre-purchase to get my one worder before launch day!
spamguard136-google

So too bad if for whatever reason a player is unable to get into GW2 during those 4 days (ie, have some long-standing holiday plans, gone off on honeymoon, internet link dead for days because of some technical issue, or whatever that prevents the player getting in on those days), they’d potentially lose their long-time existing character name to someone else, indeed, you can be sure will be players actively TRYING to get another player’s character names (just for larks or deliberate malious intent).And what about the issue we only get 5 GW2 character slots at the start (unconfirmed), while most players are going to have created 8 GW1 characters (and possibly more if they purchased extra slots). Ok, not everyone is going to want to use all 8+ of their GW1 character’s names in GW2, but there will be those that do. Basically, you’d HAVE to buy additional GW2 character slots with cash right up-front during those 4 days, rather than being able to say create 5 of your characters at the start, and then save/use game-gold to buy more character slots to bring the other names over later.

Am really hoping the GW community kick up a big (humongous) stink over this and Anet forced to re-think that policy, at the very least allow the reservation of character names to remain with the linked GW1 account for a period of a month or more, give players a chance beyond a mere 4 days (3 days head-start + launch day).
- Helyanwe8
  
  I don’t think they’ll bend as far as a month. If you read the blog the GW1 names won’t be released to the public until they deal with all the support tickets that were submitted on launch day so there might be a few days grace.
- http://twitter.com/mralmani Clocktown
  
  so what if you can’t log in on the days of the reservation? First of all, this is just a game. People should calm down over something like a name. But okay, there are always people who take those things serious. But if you really ARE serious about that, you wouldnt fucking plan some journey to whereever on the day when the game comes out. Technical issues? People have friends. Log in on their machine, thats it. And if you somehow still can’t get that precious name, you’d just have bad luck. But ppl would have to deal with that. You can’t always get what you want. After all, we couldnt even choose our own names when we were born. GW1 players should be happy that they even get any reservation, but instead some are complaining over something that is a benefit for them – just because its not enough of a benefit. Thats plain stupid. (I dont want to insult you in any way, as you were talking generally and never said that you’d cry if you are to late for getting the reserved name. This post is not targeted to you, but to the GW1 players out there)
- Thomas Schreiter
  
  Really? If your name is that important to you and you got some holiday plans or whatever — why dont you just a friend of yours to login and create the god-o-holy name for ya? Got no friends? You should be instead graceful that you even got the chance to reserve a name you’ve previously used. This is like totally a new game, characters would be dead a very long time too (story-wise) and thank-you-ArenaNet there even is a prestart for us….
  
  This game is to be considered Free2Play so dont mess with the guys who give you chances like these! But i understand you are sad if you cannot reserve your character named “roflloliownu”. sorry bud
pandora005

Personally I HATE the name reservation for GW1 players. From a roleplaying perspective they are all dead and thus everyone should start with a clean slate.

The only saving grace is the ability to create names with more than one word.
Noxdus

All the names for all 8 of my characters will be new, so i don’t care if anyone takes my GW1 names. Nice to see that the reservation for GW1 players isn’t permanent and only one day, that is rather fair of them.
T3chn0Viking

How do I link my GW and GW2 accounts? My GW and GW2 accounts are registered to the same email address . Is there something more that needs to be done?
- http://twitter.com/MightySneaker Mike
  
  No that’s it
abadgirl84

Oo 20 mil names?? i’ve read 2 mil names
- JJGlyph
  
  They sold over 7 million boxes. 20 million names seems pretty low to me. I have 12 characters.
http://twitter.com/AllzweckAffe Harald Freund

Do I need to login to every character to reserve the name or is it enough to login to the account with one character and have all names (I have 30 slots ) reserved?
James Lecouffe

Being a Role player a name is more then just a name. Its a story I have been writing for 14 years. (even longer if I count my PnP days) Every MMO I have played I have paid for the head start to make sure I have the chance at getting my name and when its taken, I have ditched my planed server and went to another to make sure I got that name. GW2 will be holding names game wide. For Role players this is no small thing. For new customers its a kick in the pants. IMO this saddens me greatly and makes me feel like my money is worth less to ANet. I get the HoM but saving names game wide is a little to much IMO. I get how servers are set up but ANet can come up with a more creative way of dealing with server jumping. DAoC tags worked well.
- JJGlyph
  
  It’s a sequel. Deal with it.
  - James Lecouffe
    
    No sequel has ever saved names game wide it is a big deal!
    - Chris Rushton
      
      Considering it’s a story that has taken 14 years to write, shouldn’t you have a name that’s original enough for this not to matter?
- Spammerbam
  
  Unless you’re planning to make 2 word names, 1 word names are free to use.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WFG667RAZSMYCSRJGIDXUNY56E Jack

This really is a non issue if your name is original the chances of it being taken is 0.0000000000000:1%. If it is taken add a space and a surname. If your a “role player” a surname would not be a issue. Also Reserved names must be 2 words not 1 so single names cannot be reserved.

Personally I couldn’t care less for the name reservation for anyone sure your a Guild Wars player who cares this is not a expansion its a new game and entirely different game drawing in an entirely different audience only thing shared is the lore. A 3 days head start for those REALLY dedicated players or even 1 day is enough to use “your” name and make sure it is not taken. But it is Arena Net’s decision and I personally am not worried of my name being taken because its not taken off from some franchise.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Willi-Enderle/1668850948 Willi Enderle

I dont think its a bad system.
Its a little thankyou for GW-Customers

Would you guys prefer a system like TSW has?
Where you have to pay for your name reservation with real money?
Pff
JJGlyph

Names in beta are wiped.
DerTefan

Hell yeah, im lucky to be a Roleplayer and GW2 allow Surnames/Spaces in the Charname. B’cause my fav-Names are on first hand an old eastern Europe Realname and second a oftly taken Name from a RPG (no, not like Dracula, Squall or Cloud, some proudness still remains in this ol’ Gamejunkie-Brain)…
http://www.facebook.com/toph1980 Christopher Fischer

They should make it a week. Personally I’m not keeping my GW name but I can see how certain peeps won’t make it due to illness, work or vacation abroad etc. Less players will complain.

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