Diablo 3 news » BattleTag Update — Free BattleTag Change

When we introduced BattleTag nicknames, many of you created one to try the feature in the Diablo III beta test or simply establish your new identity in anticipation of Diablo III's release.

Today, we're releasing an update that will give everyone one opportunity to change their BattleTag nickname for free. If you picked a nickname you're not happy with, don't worry -- you can pick a new one. Even if you haven't created your BattleTag identifier yet, you'll still get one free BattleTag change to use after it's been created (similar to the way character name changes for StarCraft II worked).

As we announced previously, BattleTag nicknames will be required in order to play Diablo III, and in the future, they'll be used in a variety of ways across all of Battle.net. To set or change your BattleTag, simply log in to Battle.net account management, head to the Account > Summary page, and look for the Create or Change option. BattleTags aren't unique, so you can pick any name you like as long as it adheres to the BattleTag Naming Policy.

Here's what you can expect from BattleTags when Diablo III launches:

• Your BattleTag will serve as your public identity when chatting, grouping, or interacting with other players in Diablo III.
• Once two players agree to become BattleTag friends, you'll automatically be able to see and interact with each of the Diablo III characters your friend plays automatically – no need to add multiple character names to your friends list individually.
• Prior to the game's release, your presence on the Diablo III forums will be connected to your BattleTag, rather than any one specific character in the game. You'll transcend boundaries!

Our long-term plans include adding the ability for BattleTag friends to participate in cross-game chat (in StarCraft II, Diablo III, and World of Warcraft, and future Blizzard Entertainment games), as well as offer other features similar to what's currently available via Real ID. More cool additions to BattleTag are on the horizon, but we're not quite ready to talk about those yet.

We'll continue to keep you up to date on our plans for BattleTag nicknames as more info becomes available. For more details, check out the BattleTag FAQ.