Change your CS:GO username through your Steam account

Your CS:GO username is controlled by your Steam profile name, not by a setting inside the game itself. To change it, you log into Steam, edit your profile name, and the change appears in CS:GO within a few minutes. You do not need to restart the game or do anything inside CS:GO — Steam handles the whole process.

The steps are the same whether you play on Windows, Mac, or Linux. You can change your name as often as you want, though Steam enforces a waiting period between changes after you have done it several times in a row.

Key Takeaways

  • Your CS:GO name comes from your Steam profile name, which you change in your Steam account settings, not in the game.
  • Go to your Steam profile, click Edit Profile, change the name field, and save — the change shows in CS:GO within minutes.
  • You can use spaces, numbers, and most special characters, but Steam blocks some symbols and very long strings.
  • If you change your name repeatedly in a short time, Steam may lock you out of further changes for a few hours.
  • Your old username does not carry over to your new one — friends see the new name, and your match history still shows under your current account.

Step-by-step: editing your Steam profile name

Open Steam on your computer or go to steampowered.com in a browser. If you use the website, log in with your account email and password. Click on your profile picture or username in the top right corner, then select Profile from the dropdown menu.

On your profile page, look for an Edit Profile button near the top. Click it. You will see a section labeled Profile Name with a text field showing your current name. Delete the old name and type your new one. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page. Steam will confirm the save, and your new name will appear in CS:GO and everywhere else on Steam within a few minutes.

If you are using the Steam client on your computer instead of the website, right-click your username at the top of the window and select View Profile, then follow the same steps to find Edit Profile and change your name.

What characters and length restrictions explore

Steam allows letters, numbers, spaces, and most punctuation marks in your profile name. You can use periods, hyphens, underscores, parentheses, and brackets without issue. Avoid symbols like < and > (angle brackets), which Steam blocks.

Your name can be up to 32 characters long, including spaces. If you try to use a name longer than that, Steam will reject it and ask you to shorten it. Very short names — fewer than three characters — are also blocked. If you want a name that is just numbers or just symbols, Steam may reject it as well, so include at least one letter.

Cooldown periods between name changes

You can change your name once without any waiting period. If you change it again within a short time — typically within a few hours — Steam may impose a cooldown that locks you out of further changes for several hours. The exact length of the cooldown varies, but it is usually between 6 and 24 hours.

This cooldown is a safety measure to prevent account hijacking and spam. If you are locked out, you straightforward have to wait. There is no way to bypass it or request an exception. Plan your name changes so you do not need to switch back and forth repeatedly.

How the name change appears in your match history

When you change your Steam name, your past match history in CS:GO still shows under your current account — you do not lose any stats or rank. However, the name displayed in old match records will update to your new name. If you played a match under the name "OldName" and then changed to "NewName", that match will show "NewName" when you look at it later.

Your friends will see your new name when ready in their friends list and in any ongoing conversations. If you were in a Discord server or a team website that pulls your Steam name automatically, those will update as well. Any place that manually recorded your old name — like a spreadsheet or a forum post — will not change unless someone edits it by hand.

Troubleshooting: name change did not appear in CS:GO

If you changed your Steam name but it still shows the old name in CS:GO, wait 5 to 10 minutes and restart the game. Steam sometimes takes longer than a few minutes to sync the change to the game client. Close CS:GO completely, then launch it again.

If the old name still appears after a restart, check that you actually saved the change on the Steam profile page. Go back to your profile, click Edit Profile again, and confirm that the name field shows your new name. If it does, the issue is usually just a display lag in the game client, and it will resolve within an hour. If the profile page still shows your old name, the save did not go through — try editing it again and make sure you click Save Changes before leaving the page.

Changing your name on other platforms if you use them

CS:GO is available only on PC through Steam, so there is no separate username system for console or mobile versions. However, if you play other games on platforms like Epic Games, PlayStation Network, or Xbox Live, those have their own username systems that do not connect to your Steam name. Changing your Steam name does not affect those accounts.

If you have linked your Steam account to another platform for cross-progression or social features, the link itself does not change — only your Steam display name changes. The other platform will still show your username on that service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my CS:GO name back to something I used before?

Yes. Steam does not reserve old usernames, so you can reuse any name you have had in the past. However, if someone else took that name after you changed away from it, you will not be able to use it until they change theirs.

Will my rank or competitive rating reset if I change my name?

No. Your rank, competitive rating, and all statistics stay with your account. Changing your name is purely cosmetic and does not affect your game progress or matchmaking.

What if Steam says my new name is unavailable?

Steam does not reserve usernames the way some games do, so "unavailable" usually means the name violates Steam's content policy — it contains offensive language, impersonates a real person, or includes symbols Steam blocks. Try a different name, or remove any special characters and try again.

How long does it take for friends to see my new name?

Your friends will see the new name in their friends list within a few minutes. If they have the Steam client open, they may need to restart it or refresh their friends list to see the change when ready.

Can I hide my username or use a private name in CS:GO?

No. Your Steam profile name is public and visible to everyone in matches, on your profile, and in community features. You cannot make it private or hidden. If you want privacy, your only option is to change your name to something that does not identify you personally.