Blizzard said on Wednesday that it's now offering one free character name change to all StarCraft 2 accounts. However the company warned that free name changes do not stack, so the latest offering will replace all previous unused instances that were tacked onto the account. To take advantage of this free name change, players must log in to Account Management and select the StarCraft 2 license from their list of game accounts.
"You can use the dropdown list in the 'Character Name Change' section at the bottom of your game license screen to select a region in which you'd like to use an available name change," Blizzard said. "Once you've selected a region, click the "Use Name Change" button to initiate the request. After confirming that you'd like to change your character name, simply log in to StarCraft II and you'll be prompted to select a new one."
Blizzard also noted that it's currently re-evaluating its approach to the name change process internally in order to offer free name changes much more frequently going forward. Additional details will be release at a later date.
Ok, it's a free name change. What's the big deal? Blizzard usually charges $10 USD plus applicable taxes for a single character name change – in addition to purchasing both Wings of Liberty ($40) and Heart of the Swarm ($40). After that kind of expense, a free name change is quite a bargain.
"After completing a Character Name Change, that specific character cannot have their name changed again for three (3) days," reads the FAQ. "Once the three day waiting period is over, you would need to purchase a new Character Name Change if you would like to perform a new change."
"Once the name change is complete, your character's old name will be locked from use on the realm for 90 days. After that time, the old name can be claimed by anyone on a first-come, first-served basis," it continues. "If you want to retain the use of that name you will have to reclaim it before anyone else does."
For more information about changing character names in StarCraft 2, head here.
