We are pleased to announce that beginning Thursday, October 15, millions of character names will become available for use! In all of MapleStory’s 10-year history, we have never before freed up the character names of inactive players. Because so many characters exist, it’s difficult to find meaningful names for new players. Many of these characters are no longer played, but the names remain in use.

For the first time ever, we plan to perform a truly massive name change. All characters under Lv. 200 on accounts that have not been logged in since January 1, 2013 will have their names changed to a combination of numerals. This change will be performed in the scheduled maintenance on October 15.

By changing these names to numerals, the original names will once again be available for use. To coincide with this, we will be having a free name change event from October 15 through October 21. After the maintenance on October 15, all players will be able to request a free name change for one character per world on their account through the event notifier on the left side of the game window. All of the free name changes will be processed in the scheduled maintenance on October 22.

FAQ

What if I don’t want my character’s name changed to numerals?

If you have an account that is currently inactive, you need to login to the account before Thursday, October 15. This way your account will no longer be considered inactive, and your character names will not be changed.

I want to change the names of all of my characters. Can I purchase a name change?

We will feature a sale on Character Name Change Coupons for one week, beginning after the scheduled maintenance on October 22. From October 22 through October 27, you can purchase a coupon for 10,000 NX Prepaid. These name changes will be processed in the scheduled maintenance on October 28.

How will this affect accounts that are permanently banned?

Characters on accounts that are permanently banned will not have their names changed. This is to avoid confusion that could arise by freeing up the names of known hackers or abusers.

Will my character ranking change?

All name changes (whether changing inactive character names to numerals or processing the free name changes afterward) will be reflected on the character rankings on the website.

How will this affect my marriage, guild, friends list, etc.?

Character names will be changed in every location that they are used in-game. This means that the new name will appear on your friends list, in your guild or marriage, and anywhere else that the character name is used. If you encounter any issues after the name changes are processed, please contact Customer Support.