Path of Exile 2 (still) needs to rethink globally unique character names
I get that names need to be unique *somewhere*, but requiring *globally unique character names* in PoE2 feels outdated and unnecessarily restrictive. I’ve tried dozens of names, and *everything* is taken, even moderately unique or thematic ones. No spaces are allowed, which forces us into ugly mashed-together names that break immersion. It’s frustrating when PoE is a game about constantly making and deleting new characters to explore builds, yet the simple act of naming them becomes an exhausting process. **At minimum, allow spaces** to increase combinations and readability. But better yet, please move to **account-unique names**, like many modern ARPGs and MMOs, allowing us to use the names we want while still displaying our account name for identity, safety, and trading clarity. Diablo 4 and Last Epoch don’t have this restriction, and it doesn’t cause any problems in trading, chat, or public zones. Here’s why they *aren’t* technically needed: * **Modern servers and account systems** can easily support **non-unique character names**, since your account ID uniquely identifies you for trade, chat, and grouping. * **Diablo 4 and Last Epoch** use account-based identity while allowing multiple players to have the same character name. * **PoE already uses your account name** in trades and whispers, so your character name does *not* need to be globally unique to handle transactions or social interactions. # Why GGG is likely still using globally unique names: * Legacy infrastructure from PoE1’s older architecture. * Possibly to avoid confusion in public towns. * Less development complexity than reworking systems to allow duplicate names. * A “default safe” design choice when the game first launched, before standards evolved. But none of these reasons are compelling in **2025**, especially for a flagship ARPG like PoE2 that is trying to modernize its systems while respecting player time. Thousands of decent names are permanently locked by inactive accounts for no meaningful reason, and it’s a frustrating barrier to an otherwise immersive experience. **If GGG wants PoE2 to be as welcoming and modern as possible, rethinking globally unique character names should be on the list.**