Where to Change Your Username

You change your Call of Duty username through your Activision account, not through the game itself. The change happens on the Activision website or through the Battle.net launcher if you play on PC. Console players (PlayStation, Xbox) go through the same Activision account page, even though your console has its own separate username.

This matters because your Activision account username is what appears in Call of Duty lobbies, on leaderboards, and in friend requests. Your PlayStation Network or Xbox Live username stays the same — only the name other players see in the game changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Log into your Activision account at activision.com, not your console or Steam account, to change your Call of Duty username.
  • You can change your username once every 30 days, and the change takes effect when ready in all Call of Duty games.
  • Your new username must be between 2 and 16 characters, cannot contain spaces, and cannot match a name already in use by another player.
  • If you play on multiple platforms (PC, PlayStation, Xbox), changing your Activision username changes it across all of them at once.

Step-by-Step: Changing Your Username on PC or Console

Go to activision.com and click Sign In in the top right corner. Enter the email address and password for your Activision account. If you have two-factor authentication turned on, you will need to enter the code from your authenticator app or email.

Once you are logged in, click your account name in the top right and select Account. Look for the section labeled Activision ID — this is your Call of Duty username. Click the pencil icon or Edit button next to it. Type your new username (2 to 16 characters, no spaces), then click Save. The system will tell you when ready if the name is already taken or breaks the naming rules.

The change takes effect right away. Close the game completely if it is running, then restart it. Your new username will appear the next time you load into a match or check your profile.

What Names Are Not Allowed

Activision blocks usernames that contain profanity, slurs, or references to real hate groups. The system also rejects names that are already in use, names with spaces or most special characters, and names shorter than 2 characters or longer than 16. You can use numbers and hyphens, but not underscores or periods.

If you try a name and the system says it is unavailable, it either means another player has it or it violates the naming policy. Try a variation — adding a number at the end or using a hyphen instead of a space usually works. The system will tell you why a name was rejected, so read that message before trying again.

The 30-Day Waiting Period Between Changes

After you change your username, you cannot change it again for 30 days. This rule applies whether you change it once or try to change it back to your old name. The 30 days starts from the moment you save the new name, not from the next day.

If you made a typo or chose a name you regret, you are stuck with it for a month. Plan your new username carefully before you save it. Write it out and check it twice, because once you click save, you cannot undo it when ready.

If Your Account Is Linked to Multiple Platforms

If you play Call of Duty on both PC and PlayStation, or on Xbox and PC, your Activision account is the same across all platforms. Changing your username on activision.com changes it everywhere at once. You do not need to make the change separately for each platform.

Your console username (your PlayStation Network ID or Xbox Gamertag) stays exactly the same. Only the name that appears in Call of Duty matches changes. This is why some players have a different name in Call of Duty than their friends see on their console's friends list.

Troubleshooting: Username Change Did Not Work

If you changed your username but the old name still appears in the game, close the game completely and restart your console or PC. Do not just return to the main menu — fully shut down the process. The game caches your username information, and restarting forces it to reload from Activision's servers.

If the old name persists after a full restart, wait 10 to 15 minutes and try again. Activision's servers sometimes take a few minutes to sync the change across all game servers. If it has been more than an hour and the new name still has not appeared, log out of your Activision account on activision.com, wait 5 minutes, and log back in to confirm the change was actually saved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username back to what it was before?

Yes, but only after 30 days have passed since your last change. If you changed your name today, you cannot change it back for a month. After that month is up, you can change it to anything available, including your old name — if no one else has claimed it in the meantime.

What if someone else took my old username while I was using a different one?

You cannot reclaim it. Usernames are first-come, first-served. If you want it back, you would have to contact that player and ask them to change their name, which they have no reason to do. Choose a new name instead.

Do I need to change my username on my console too?

No. Your PlayStation Network ID or Xbox Gamertag stays the same. Only your Activision account username changes, and that is what shows up in Call of Duty. Your console username is separate and does not affect the game.

Why does my username still show the old name in my friends list?

Friends sometimes see a cached version of your old name for a few hours after you change it. This is normal and fixes itself. They will see your new name the next time they restart the game or the next time you both load into a match together.

Can I use special characters like underscores or periods in my username?

No. Call of Duty usernames allow only letters, numbers, and hyphens. Underscores, periods, spaces, and most other special characters are blocked. If you want to separate words, use a hyphen instead.