Bungie Patch Wrecks Destiny 2 Players' Identities

Following an update, online shooter Destiny 2’s moderation tools mistakenly changed a high number of players' account names. Read on for the devs' updates, statements, and what you can do if your Bungie Name has been wiped out.

Destiny 2 Players' Bungie Names Unexpectedly Get Changed Following UpdateBungie Distributing Name Change Tokens

This week, Destiny 2 players found their account names, aka Bungie Names, unexpectedly changed following a recent update implemented to the game. Many players reported seeing their tags replaced by "Guardian" followed by a series of randomized numbers. The sudden Bungie Name change issue, which reportedly began affecting players around August 14, was set off due to Bungie's name moderation tool.

"We are tracking an issue where a high number of account names have been changed by our Bungie name moderation tool," the Destiny 2 team wrote on Twitter (X). "We are actively investigating and expect to have more information tomorrow, including details on an additional name change token for all players."

Bungie’s systems automatically change account names that violate the company’s terms of service, such as those containing offensive language or personal information. However, in this instance, many players still found themselves with the "Guardian[Random Number]" username instead, despite having committed no username violation. This left players confused and frustrated, with some pointing out that they had the same username since 2015, problem-free.

In response to the issue, Bungie acknowledged the error and began investigating. The Destiny 2 team addressed the players through a series of tweets, confirming that a "high number" of them were affected by the unexpected change.

Bungie then reported the following day that they had identified the cause of the issue and implemented fixes to prevent further accidental name changes. "We have identified the issue that was forcing a high number of Bungie name changes. We have applied a server-side change to prevent the issue from impacting accounts moving forward," the devs wrote on Twitter (X).

"As noted yesterday, we are still planning to distribute name change tokens to all players at a later date to assist. As we have more information, we'll be sure to share it with you," they added.

As Bungie continues to address this unexpected issue, players are encouraged to stay patient and await further updates. For now, players affected by the accidental name changes can expect the upcoming distribution of name change tokens and further communication from Bungie.