You've got just over a week to change your Battle.net name for free
Activision Blizzard has announced that players can change their Battle.net username entirely for free – but only if you're quick enough.
You may have heard that Activision Blizzard is in the process of changing MCcree's name in Overwatch because the developer wanted to name the character "something that better represents" what the game stands for, rather than have McCree keep the moniker that was inspired by Diablo 4 lead level designer Jesse McCree.
Well, in honour of the developers changing McCree's name after Jesse Mcree was implicated in California's lawsuit against the company, you've got a limited amount of time to change your own Battle.net tag, too.
"As we introduce a new name, you might have the desire to do the same," the developer noted in a blog post. "Starting 22 October, 2021 and continuing through 5 November, 2021, all players will be offered a free BattleTag name change. This applies to anyone who does not currently have a free name change available. Existing name changes will not stack for future use."
If you're eager to change your BattleTag – maybe you had references to McCree in there yourself, or something – all you need to do is head over to Blizzard support and log a ticket and you should see a name change within about 30 days.
The usual restrictions apply; as well as having to get your request in by November 5, you will also not be allowed to feature any name that has forbidden words (swears, slurs, personal information, etc) included.
The McCree name change has come about because the level designer the outlaw Overwatch character was named after was one of the Blizzard employees accused of either sexually harassing, bullying, or discriminating against female employees.
The developer and publisher is also under fire for unfair pay practices toward women and minorities, and numerous accusations have been thrown at higher-ups for not taking effective remedial measures to combat the rampant “frat-boy culture” at the studio.
Activision-Blizzard has since reached a deal with California's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by committing to create an $18 million fund to compensate and make amends to eligible claimants.However, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing has formally objected to the settlement between the company and the EEOC, stating the settlement would cause "irreparable harm" to its investigation into the company.
This very messy – and very public – dispute is ongoing.
