WoW Forever name reservation opens October 27: how the two-name system actually works

A day after beta testers started losing access over rude surnames, Blizzard published the official explanation of WoW Forever’s naming system, and put a date on something many players were waiting for: early name reservation.

The key dates

• October 27 – November 3, 2026: early name reservation for eligible upgrade purchases.
• First come, first served. If your full name is taken, or it fails the rules, you pick another.
• November 4: launch.

If you have a name you have used since 2004, this window is when to claim it.

Two names, one region

In Forever every character has a first name and a second name. What has to be unique is the combination, and it is unique across your whole region, not a single realm. There are no realms any more (see our rulesets explainer).

In practice:

• your favourite first name can still be yours, as long as the second name makes the pair unique;
• a guild or a family of alts can share a second name. Blizzard’s own example is three characters called Brightvale;
• because names are regional, someone you meet in a dungeon keeps the same name everywhere you see them again.

You can hide the second name

If you prefer the classic one-name look, go to Options → Nameplates and tick My Secondary Name to hide it. Your full name still appears in chat. This only changes how you are shown in the world.

The filter reads both names together

The naming rules have not changed, and Blizzard says the system can judge both parts together. Splitting a banned word across the first and second name will not necessarily get through. That is exactly what got some beta testers removed. In the beta, a bad name can cost you beta access, not just a forced rename.

PC Gamer’s round-up of beta names shows the other side: most joke names are harmless, and the two-name format is clearly being used for comedy. The line is the usual one. Funny is fine. Offensive, confusing or impersonating Blizzard is not.

A known side effect: mail

One practical issue from the first weekend: players with several alts that share a first name reported trouble mailing between them. With two-part names, make sure you type the full name in the mail recipient field.

Before October 27

• Write down two or three full-name combinations, in order of preference.
• Decide your ruleset and faction first. On the PvP ruleset, your faction choice is final.
• If your name has special characters, check how it looks in chat as well as over your head.

The release date page has the full launch calendar.