Xbox users can now (sort of) have the same Gamertag as someone else but don't worry, no one is going to take your existing one away from you.
We often wonder what future generations are going to do when it comes to setting up email accounts and carefully selecting their Gamertags and PSN Names. That might sound like a strange thing to say, so let us explain. Chances are everyone reading this will have been met with the message "that name is already taken" when signing up for something.
It can be incredibly frustrating, but the fact of the matter is unless you are incredibly unique, multiple people around the world probably share the same name as you. What is even more annoying is when we have the same screen name on everything we use, then we encounter a platform where someone else is using it. We are already resorting to weird and wonderful Gamertags, so what will our children have to do?
To avoid a point in time where our Gamertags will be something we have to leave someone in our wills, Xbox has made a change to its policy. Xbox users can now have the same Gamertag as somebody else, sort of. As reported by Eurogamer, Xbox's updated policy now allows duplicate names. However, should you select a Gamertag that is already taken by others, you'll have a hashtag and a number show up on the end of yours.
The number isn't part of the Gamertag per se, but just subtly on the end in a smaller font and greyed out a little. That now means you can have whatever Gamertag you like, taken or not. However, if you're not the first, you will be getting a number on the end. This might well create a certain pride for people who were the first, or simply have a lower number should there be thousands of gamers with the same tag.
As for the Gamertag you have right now, that will not change and there is no risk of it being stolen. You just might have to share it with others moving forward, although you can rest easy knowing that you were the OG. The update should already be live on the Xbox app for PC and the Xbox Game Bar, and will be rolled out on mobile devices and consoles over the course of the next year.