If you use Discord, you’ll be notified in the app when you are eligible to pick your new username and set a display name. With the new system, users will have a unique username, a display name, and if they so choose, server-specific handles. As Discord explains it, “ is your most prominent form of identity on Discord, and it is how other users will see you in DMs where a friend nickname is not set, in servers where a server nickname is not set, and in other places like friend requests.” While users will have to pick a unique handle, they can continue to use display names.

It’s unclear how Discord intends to enforce this policy or confirm user identities, especially given the way verification-related fiascos have been playing out on Twitter.

For instance, a handle cannot attempt to imitate or impersonate Discord staff, server messages, or any other individuals, groups, or organizations. Usernames will be capped at 32 characters, and are restricted in certain ways. “New usernames are lowercase, alphanumeric, limited to certain special characters, and do not have discriminators, making them easier to remember, read, type, and share,” reads the blog post. Now, every user will have to pick a new, unique username. Users can also choose to customize their code via Discord Nitro, the platform’s subscription service. This means thousands of users can all choose the name MasterChiefFan420 without conflicting with each other.

Right now, Discord allows users to pick any username they like, then caps that name with a random four-digit code. The announcement says the change will debut “over the coming weeks.” The chat platform announced the change via an official blog post on May 3. Discord is changing the way usernames work, which includes cutting the four digits at the end of each handle.

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