XBOX Live is updating its gamertag system to support additional languages and to allow users to change existing gamertags (something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile). The first gamertag name change is free for existing subscribers, but subsequent changes will cost $9.99 (presumably to prevent people from automating the system for fraud and impersonation purposes).
We are updating our gamertag to a 12-character maximum, Unicode-based name of your choice with an auto-generated suffix. We now offer 13 different alphabets for gamers, which support over 200 languages worldwide.
Existing gamertags will remain unchanged with no suffix and no action required unless the player wants to make a change.
New Xbox players or players who want to change are allowed to register a gamertag of their choice, up to 12 characters. If it’s already taken by someone else, we will assign a suffix with numbers to differentiate you from other people with the same name. We will also auto-format the gamertag to show the suffix subtly in a different font so focus will be on the name you chose but the suffix will always be shown. If you want to change your gamertag using these updates, your first change is free, but every subsequent change will cost the same amount we currently charge for a gamertag change ($9.99 in the U.S.).