Look, we’ve all been there. You picked a username back in 2018 when "DefaultSlayer" sounded cool, or maybe you lost a bet and now you’re running around the Island as "I_Eat_Glue_77." It’s embarrassing. You want it gone. But here is the thing: changing your identity in Fortnite isn't as universal as just clicking a button in the game settings.
Honestly, the process is a bit of a mess because it depends entirely on whether you’re sweating in Arena on a PC or just chilling on your couch with a PlayStation controller. If you’re looking for a "Settings" tab inside the Fortnite app to change your handle, stop looking. It’s not there.
The Epic Games Method (PC, Mobile, and Switch)
If you play on PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, or mobile, your in-game name is directly tied to your Epic Games Display Name. This is the easiest version of the swap. It’s free. It’s fast. But Epic is strict about the timing.
- Head over to the Epic Games official site and log in.
- Hover over your current name in the top right and click Account.
- You’ll see a box labeled Display Name. There’s a little blue pencil icon next to it.
- Type in your new masterpiece.
- Check the box that says you understand you can't change it again for two weeks.
That 14-day cooldown is no joke. If you make a typo and change your name to "NinjaWarior" instead of "NinjaWarrior," you are stuck with that missing 'r' for half a month. I’ve seen people do it. It’s painful. Also, your email has to be verified first. If you haven't clicked that link in your inbox from three years ago, the blue pencil icon will be locked.
Rules for the New Name
Epic has some specific "vibe checks" for names:
- Must be between 3 and 16 characters.
- No hate speech or offensive junk (they will reset it to "User-123456" and might ban you).
- No impersonating Epic employees.
The Console Curse: PlayStation and Xbox
This is where most players get frustrated. If you are on a PS5 or an Xbox Series X, changing your Epic Games name on a website usually does... absolutely nothing to your in-game name.
Why? Because Sony and Microsoft are protective of their ecosystems. In their world, your Fortnite name is your PSN Online ID or your Xbox Gamertag.
Changing it on PlayStation
On a PS4 or PS5, you have to go into your console settings:
- Settings > Users and Accounts > Account > Profile > Online ID.
- The first change is free.
- Every change after that costs about $10 (or $5 if you have PlayStation Plus).
Changing it on Xbox
It’s a similar story for the green team.
- Press the Xbox button, go to Profile & System, select your profile, then Customize Profile.
- Select your Gamertag and enter the new one.
- Like PlayStation, the first one is on the house. After that, you’re opening your wallet.
There is a weird quirk here. While your console name shows up in the lobby and kill feed, your Epic Games account still has its own "shadow" name in the background. If you ever switch to PC later, that old Epic name will suddenly reappear. It’s worth updating both just to stay consistent.
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Why isn't my name changing?
Sometimes you follow the steps, hit save, and you’re still "Glue_Eater_77" when you jump out of the Battle Bus. Usually, it’s a syncing issue.
Restart your game. Not just the match—close the whole application and relaunch it. On consoles, it can sometimes take a few hours for the servers to talk to each other. If you’re on Switch and the name hasn't updated, try logging out of your Epic account on the website and logging back in.
The Cross-Platform Identity Crisis
If you’re a "hybrid" player who moves between a PC and a console, things get trippy. Your friends might see you as "SniperGod" when you're on your laptop, but as "CoolGuy2024" when you're on your Xbox.
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To fix this, you have to make sure your Epic Games Display Name and your Console Gamertag match exactly. It’s a hassle, and it might cost you ten bucks on the console side, but it’s the only way to have a unified brand across the board.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Verify your email: If the Epic Games website won't let you click the edit button, check your account settings to see if your email is verified.
- Double-check the spelling: Type your new name into a Word doc or notepad first. Look at it for a full minute.
- Check availability: Use a tracker site or just try the name on the Epic site before you commit to a console change that might cost money.
Once you’ve confirmed the change, just remember that 14-day window. Choose something you can live with, or at least something that won't make your squad roast you in the voice chat for the next two weeks.