How to Change Your Activision Name
Your Activision ID is the name other players see in Call of Duty. You can change it from the in-game menu or on the Activision website, as long as you have a rename token.
Quick facts
- 🎟️ Tokens: one new rename token every six months, and you can hold two at most
- 💰 Cost: free, each name change uses one token
- 🎮 Where: in game (Options, Account tab) or on the Activision website
- ✉️ Verification: a one-time code sent to your account email, plus your password
- #️⃣ Format: your name plus a # and a string of numbers, like DisplayName#1234567
Step-by-step: change it on the website
Sign in to your Activision account
Go to activision.com and log in to the Activision account your Call of Duty games use. Prefer doing it from the game? The in-game route is in the FAQ below.
Open Basic Info
Hover over your display name at the top of the page and select BASIC INFO.
Request a verification code
Select EDIT next to your ACTIVISION ID. An "Account verification required" pop-up appears. Select SEND CODE.
Enter the code from your email
Activision emails a one-time code to the address on your account. Type it into the pop-up to confirm you own the account.
Type your new name and save
Back on BASIC INFO, select EDIT next to your ACTIVISION ID again, enter the new name and select SAVE. Not sure what to pick? Run a few ideas through our generator first.
Confirm with your password
Enter your Activision account password and select SUBMIT. The change uses one of your rename tokens.
Official name-change guides
Ready to use your new name? Follow the publisher’s instructions for your game or account.
- Activision Support — change your Activision ID
See the “How do I change my Activision ID/Display Name?” section for account steps and name-change tokens.
Need a new nickname?
Pick the name before you spend the token.
What changes when you rename
Your full ID and the # numbers
An Activision ID is the name you choose plus a # and a string of numbers. Friends who look you up need that full ID, so send them the new one after the change.
Your account stays the same
A rename changes the name on your Activision account. It does not create a new account, so progress and purchases tied to that account stay where they are.
Common problems
No rename token left
Every change spends a token. A new one arrives every six months and you can hold two at most. With zero left, the only option is to wait for the next one.
The name gets rejected
Activision filters profanity and other names it considers offensive. Its terms also ban misspellings or alternative spellings used to sneak a banned word through, so a creative spelling will not save it.
Your name turned into a random one
When Activision tightened its name filter, names that broke the rules were replaced with randomly generated ones. Its enforcement policy also lists renaming your account and removing rename tokens as penalties for offensive names.
The verification code never arrives
The code goes to the email address on your Activision account, not to your console account. Check spam, and make sure you still have access to that inbox before you start.
Tips for choosing your new name
- Keep it short: names under 10 characters are easier to read in the kill feed and easier for friends to type.
- Match how you play: military names for tactical players, jokes for casual lobbies, sweaty names for ranked.
- Skip this month's meme: trendy names age fast, and you only get a new token twice a year.
- Check the banned list first: celebrity names, trademarks and drug or alcohol references are all against the rules, even when they sound harmless.
- Save a spare token: with two tokens you can fix a typo right away. Use both and you wait six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each change uses a rename token. Activision gives you a new token every six months, and you can carry up to two at a time.
Yes, from inside the game. Activision's Warzone and Modern Warfare support articles describe it: open Options, go to the ACCOUNT tab, select Activision Account, choose CHANGE DISPLAY NAME, type the new name and select CONFIRM. The website route works too.
Activision's terms of use rule out names that impersonate someone (Activision staff included), use vulgar, hateful or otherwise objectionable language, belong to a religious figure or deity, relate to drugs, sex, alcohol or crime, use someone else's rights without permission, refer to a celebrity or pop culture figure, or match a trademark. Misspelling a banned word to get around the filter is also against the rules. Activision can change or remove a name it finds offensive.
That is usually fine. Activision IDs end in a # and a string of numbers, so two players can share the same name part. Your full ID is what keeps you unique.
Activision's support articles do not publish a character limit or a list of allowed symbols. The name box on the change screen applies its own rules, so test a decorated name there before you count on it.