Yes, you can change your Valorant username, but only once every 30 days

Your Valorant username is tied to your Riot account, and Riot lets you change it through the account settings on their website. The process takes a few minutes, but the change applies when ready across all Riot games you play — not just Valorant. You cannot change your username more than once per month, and the name you pick must be between 3 and 16 characters, use only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores, and not be already taken by another player.

The username you see in Valorant matches is the one you set on your Riot account. If you have never changed it, it is probably the name you created when you first signed up. Changing it does not affect your rank, your cosmetics, your battle pass progress, or anything else in your account — only the name that appears above your character in matches.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your Valorant username through your Riot account settings at account.riotgames.com, not through the Valorant game client.
  • The change takes effect when ready in all Riot games, and you cannot change it again for 30 days after you do.
  • Your new username must be 3 to 16 characters long and can only contain letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores.
  • Changing your username does not reset your rank, delete your cosmetics, or affect your account in any other way.

Step-by-step: changing your username

Go to account.riotgames.com and sign in with your Riot account email and password. Once you are logged in, look for the "Username" section on the left side of the page — it is usually near the top, above your email address.

Click the "Edit" button next to your current username. A text box will appear where you can type your new name. Type what you want, then click "Save" or "Confirm". Riot will check whether the name is available and whether it breaks any rules (like containing only numbers, or using characters that are not allowed). If the name is available and follows the rules, the change happens right away. You will see your new username the next time you load into a Valorant match.

If you see an error message, the most common reasons are: the name is already taken by another player, the name is too short (fewer than 3 characters) or too long (more than 16 characters), or the name contains characters Riot does not allow. Try a different name and check again.

What happens to your old username

Once you change your username, your old one becomes available for another player to claim. This happens when ready. If you change your mind within the first few minutes, you cannot get your old name back unless no one else has taken it yet — and if your old name was popular or short, someone probably will claim it quickly.

Your old username does not stay reserved for you, and Riot does not hold it. This is why many players think carefully before changing a name they have had for years. If you are not sure, wait a day or two before you decide.

The 30-day waiting period between changes

After you change your username, you must wait 30 days before you can change it again. This timer starts the moment you confirm your new name. If you try to change it before 30 days have passed, the "Edit" button will be greyed out and you will see a message telling you when you can change it next.

The 30-day rule applies even if you want to change your name back to your old one. If you regret a change after one week, you still have to wait 23 more days. Plan your username change carefully, because you are stuck with it for a month.

Rules for what your new username can be

Riot has specific rules about what characters and words are allowed in usernames. Your username must be between 3 and 16 characters long. You can use uppercase and lowercase letters (A–Z, a–z), numbers (0–9), hyphens (-), and underscores (_). You cannot use spaces, periods, special characters like @, #, or !, or emoji.

Your username also cannot be only numbers — it must contain at least one letter. Riot also blocks usernames that are offensive, that impersonate Riot staff or famous players, or that violate their terms of service. If you try to use a name that breaks these rules, you will see an error message and the change will not go through.

If your username change does not appear in-game

Sometimes the change shows up on the Riot website but does not appear in Valorant right away. The most common fix is to close the Valorant game client completely and reopen it. This forces the client to pull your updated account information from Riot's servers.

If you still see your old name after restarting the game, wait a few minutes and restart again. In rare cases, the change can take up to an hour to show up everywhere. If more than an hour has passed and your new name still does not appear, sign out of your Riot account on the website, wait five minutes, and sign back in to check whether the change actually went through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username if I have been banned or suspended?

No. If your account is currently suspended or banned, you cannot change your username until the suspension or ban is lifted. You can still change it after the penalty ends, as long as you follow the 30-day rule.

Does changing my username affect my rank or my cosmetics?

No. Your rank, battle pass progress, skins, buddies, cards, and every other item in your account stays exactly the same. Only the name that appears above your character changes.

What if someone else takes my old username?

Once you change your username, your old one is when ready available to anyone else. If someone claims it before you change your mind, you cannot get it back. Riot does not reserve old usernames for players who change them.

Can I change my username on mobile or in the game client?

No. You must change your username through account.riotgames.com on a web browser. The Valorant game client does not have a username change option, and you cannot do it from the mobile app.

What if my new username is taken while I am trying to change it?

If you type a name and click save, but another player claims it in that exact moment, you will see an error saying the name is unavailable. You can then try a different name. This is rare, but it can happen with very popular or short usernames.