Starcraft II gets free name swaps

When Blizzard Entertainment announced it would require players to use their real, government-stamped, names on its games forums, criticism swept through fan communities, and the company speedily reversed the decision. Now, the developer says it will allow Starcraft II players to change their in-game and forum monikers without a fee…but only once.

A statement posted by Blizzard Entertainment today on its forums explains why the company will allow players to swap names without charge the first time.

"In some cases, people chose character names that don't represent their usual multiplayer nicknames, as they were unaware of how the character names were being used," the statement reads. "It's important to us that everyone is represented by a name of their choosing in their multiplayer games, ladders, and on the forums and community site."

Blizzard Entertainment's announcement also shed light on the company's paid name change plan. The system, which is already in place in the studio's ever popular World of Warcraft, lets players change their name as often as they wish with a fee attached each time. Blizzard Entertainment promises that more details on the implementation of the free and paid character name change options are coming soon.

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty is the first installment in Blizzard Entertainment's long-awaited three-part real-time strategy sequel. It went on sale July 27 and sold more than 1.5 million units globally in 48 hours, half of which were picked up in the United States. For more on the sci-fi real-time strategy game, check out GameSpot's review.