Image: Discord
Say goodbye to your old Discord usernames.
Discord has announced that usernames on its online chat platform are getting overhauled with, “new, unique usernames (@username) and display names.” The company is dropping discriminatory four-digit codes to push users into making entirely unique usernames for themselves, and all users will have to switch over to new usernames, “over the coming weeks.”
Discord announced the new change on an official blog post this week, elaborating that, “New usernames are lowercase, alphanumeric, limited to certain special characters, and do not have discriminators, making them easier to remember, read, type, and share.” This means that Discord usernames work the same as other social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, where usernames have to be completely unique while display names can be the same as other users.
The way it works now is that users can freely choose any username they have their heart set on, without worrying whether other users have already chosen it first. This is because the chat platform adds a random four-digit code to the back of every username (and usernames are case-sensitive), allowing multiple users to share the same username without running into issues.
When these new changes set in, your username of choice will only be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Without discriminators and case-sensitive letters, people will have to get creative with how they wish to present themselves online, seeing as their favourite usernames will likely already be taken. Their display names will now be their most prominent form of identity on Discord, and will be how other users identify them in private messages unless a nickname has been set.
New usernames have a cap of 32 characters and cannot be used to impersonate Discord’s staff or other individuals, groups, and organisations. These usernames also can’t, “attack other people or promote hate” or, “contain sexually explicit language.” The Discord app will notify users when they have to pick a new username, with older users taking precedence over new ones.
