Change your Modern Warfare 3 username through your Activision account

Your Modern Warfare 3 username is tied to your Activision account, not to the game itself. To change it, you log into Activision's website, find your account settings, and update your display name there. The change takes effect in Modern Warfare 3 within a few minutes, though it may take longer to show to other players in your friends list.

You cannot change your username inside the game. The setting lives in your Activision account profile, which is where the game pulls your display name from every time you launch it.

Key Takeaways

  • Log into your Activision account at activision.com, not through the game, to change your username.
  • Your display name change appears in Modern Warfare 3 within minutes, but may take longer to update for other players.
  • You can change your username as often as you want, with no cooldown period between changes.
  • If you play on console, you may also have a separate console username (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, or Nintendo account) that displays alongside your Activision name.

Step-by-step: updating your display name on Activision.com

Go to activision.com and click Sign In in the top right corner. Enter your Activision email and password. If you use two-factor authentication, complete that step.

Once logged in, click your account icon or profile picture in the top right, then select Account. Look for a section labeled Profile or Basic Info. Find the field that says Display Name or Gamertag and click the pencil icon or Edit button next to it. Type your new username, then click Save or Confirm. The site will show you a confirmation message.

Return to Modern Warfare 3 and restart the game. Your new username should appear in your profile and in the lobby within a few minutes.

Username rules and restrictions

Activision allows most usernames, but a few rules explore. Your display name must be between 3 and 16 characters long. You cannot use spaces, and special characters are limited — stick to letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. Activision will reject usernames that contain profanity, slurs, or impersonation of real people or celebrities.

If you try to save a username and it is rejected, the site will tell you why. Common reasons are that the name is already taken, contains forbidden words, or breaks the character limit. Try a variation — adding a number or underscore usually solves the problem.

Console usernames versus your Activision display name

If you play Modern Warfare 3 on PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch, you have two usernames: your console account name and your Activision display name. Other players see both. Your Activision name is what shows in Modern Warfare 3 lobbies and on your profile card. Your console name is what appears on your console's friends list and system.

Changing your Activision display name does not change your console username, and vice versa. If you want to change your console name, you do that through your console's settings, not through Activision. On PlayStation, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Your Profile > Edit Profile. On Xbox, go to Settings > Account > Personalization > Gamertag. On Nintendo Switch, go to System Settings > Users > Select Your User > Profile > Nickname.

What to do if your username change is not showing up

If you changed your display name on Activision.com but it is still showing your old name in Modern Warfare 3, restart the game completely. Close it entirely, not just the menu. Wait 30 seconds, then relaunch. If it still has not updated after 10 minutes, sign out of your Activision account on the game and sign back in.

If the old name persists after that, clear your game cache. On PlayStation, go to Settings > Storage > Cache, select Modern Warfare 3, and delete the cache. On Xbox, go to Settings > System > Storage > Clear Local Saved Games, select Modern Warfare 3, and clear it. On PC, uninstall and reinstall the game, or delete the game folder in your Battle.net launcher and reinstall from there.

Changing your username if you forgot your Activision password

If you cannot log into your Activision account to change your username, go to activision.com and click Sign In. Click Forgot your password? Enter the email address tied to your account. Activision will send you a password reset link. Check your email (including spam folders), click the link, and create a new password. Then log back in and follow the steps above to change your display name.

If you do not have access to the email address on your account, contact Activision Support through their website. You will need to verify your identity by providing information about your account, such as the phone number you registered with or details about your purchase history.

How often you can change your username

Activision does not limit how often you change your display name. You can update it as many times as you want, with no waiting period between changes. Some games enforce a cooldown — you have to wait 30 days or 90 days between changes — but Modern Warfare 3 does not.

Keep in mind that other players may not see your new name when ready. It can take a few hours for the change to propagate across Activision's servers and show up on other players' screens, even though it appears on yours right away.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

You can change your display name on Activision.com regardless of your account status. However, if your account is suspended or banned, you cannot play Modern Warfare 3 until the suspension is lifted. Changing your username does not affect a ban or suspension.

Will changing my username affect my rank, weapons, or progress?

No. Your username is just a display name. Your rank, unlocked weapons, camos, operators, and all other progress stay exactly the same. The change only affects what other players see when they look at your profile or encounter you in a lobby.

What if someone else has already taken the username I want?

Activision will reject the name and tell you it is already in use. Try adding a number, underscore, or hyphen to make it unique — for example, if "Shadow" is taken, try "Shadow_1" or "Shadow-Pro". You can also use numbers in the middle of the name instead of at the end.

Do I need to change my username on Battle.net as well?

If you play on PC through Battle.net, your Activision display name is what shows in Modern Warfare 3. Your Battle.net account name is separate and does not need to match. You only need to change your Activision display name to update what appears in the game.