Discord last week announced changes to its username and identity system. The platform, which was originally designed to make it easy for users to connect with friends while playing games, has always prioritized the ability to choose usernames freely. However, over the years, as Discord has grown in popularity, the system has become more complex, leading to issues with remembering and sharing usernames.
According to a post on Discord’s blog, the platform will be introducing new usernames which will no longer include the four-digit tag, instead, users will now have a unique alphanumeric username with the “@” symbol in front of it in addition to display names that will be shown to others in the same way as their current usernames.
The company however notes that your previous username and discriminator will still work as an alias after the change is implemented. This will enable users who don’t know your new username yet to still able to add you.
Discord says it will be assigning priority to choose the new username based on when users registered for Discord, Nitro status, and ownership of partner and verified servers. Users who registered earlier will have a higher priority, and those with Nitro and server ownership will also have an advantage.
The changes which will be enforced in the coming weeks will make it easier for users to share their usernames and connect with friends, which is essential for Discord’s goal of being a fun, easy place to hang out with friends.
Meanwhile while some users may not like the changes, Discord believes that they will ultimately improve the user experience and make it easier for everyone to connect with their friends. The company notes that the system had become too complicated and obscure for many users, and that this was affecting the user experience.
“We recognize that this is a big change. There may be hiccups with this process, and it may be tough to part ways with that “#0001” that’s meant a lot to you over the years. We’ll be doing everything we can to manage things as smoothly as possible.”
