Valorant does not have a separate “display name” option inside the game. The name other players see is your Riot ID, and it lives on your Riot account, not inside the Valorant client. Changing your display name in Valorant means editing this Riot ID from Riot’s account management page.
This guide covers the exact steps, the character rules Riot enforces, and how often you’re allowed to make the change.
What your Valorant display name actually is
Every Riot ID has two parts: a Game Name and a Tagline, separated by a hash symbol. An example would be Phantom#4926. The Game Name is what shows up on the scoreboard and in chat. The Tagline is the short code after the hash that keeps your name unique from other players who picked the same Game Name.
This is different from your login username. The login name is what you type to sign into the Riot Client. It stays private and is never shown to other players, teammates, or opponents in a match.
Steps to change your Valorant display name
- Sign out of the Riot Client if you’re currently logged in. The name change form will not load correctly while the client is open on that account.
- Go to account.riotgames.com in a browser and sign in with your Riot credentials.
- Find the Riot ID section on the account page. It shows your current Game Name and Tagline.
- Click the pencil or edit icon next to your Riot ID.
- Type a new Game Name (3 to 16 characters) and a new Tagline (3 to 5 characters). There’s usually a randomize option if you don’t have a tagline in mind.
- Click Save Changes. Riot checks the combination for availability right away.
- Restart the Riot Client and Valorant so the new name shows up in matches and on your profile.
The change is free. No Valorant Points or Riot Points are required.
Riot ID rules and character limits
Riot applies a few restrictions when you submit a new name:
- Game Name must be between 3 and 16 characters.
- Tagline must be between 3 and 5 characters, and it can’t be a default region code like NA1, EUW, or KR once you’ve changed it.
- The full combination of Game Name plus Tagline has to be unique. The Game Name alone can be shared with other players as long as the tagline differs.
- Names can’t contain the word “Riot,” profanity, hate speech, or personal information such as a real name, phone number, or address.
- Impersonating a pro player or content creator isn’t allowed, even if the system lets the name through.
Riot’s automated filter catches most of this, but a name that slips past the filter can still be flagged and changed later.
How often you can change your name
According to Riot’s official support article on Riot ID changes, players get one free Riot ID change every 90 days. The cooldown starts from the date of your last change, so the edit option will stay grayed out on the account page until the 90 days are up.
There’s one exception. If you’re experiencing harassment tied to your current Riot ID and you’re still inside the cooldown window, you can submit a ticket to Riot Player Support and request an early change.
Dot Esports confirms the same process across Valorant, League of Legends, and Riot’s other titles, since the Riot ID is shared across every Riot game tied to that account.
What doesn’t change
Your rank, MMR, agent unlocks, skins, gun buddies, player cards, and Valorant Points all stay attached to the account itself, not the name. A Riot ID change is cosmetic. It updates how your name appears to others; it does not reset or affect anything else on the account.
Because the Riot ID is shared across Riot’s games, updating it in Valorant also updates your name in League of Legends, TFT, and any other Riot title linked to that account.
Common problems when changing your Riot ID
Edit button is grayed out: the 90-day cooldown from your last change hasn’t ended yet.
“Name already taken” error: someone else already has that exact Game Name and Tagline combination. Keep the Game Name and try a different tagline instead.
Name gets rejected: the filter flagged the name for profanity, a banned word, or something read as personal information. Try a different combination.
New name isn’t showing in-game: fully close and restart the Riot Client and Valorant. The update doesn’t always apply to an active session.
If you’d rather stay private instead
Changing your name isn’t the only way to control what other players see. Valorant also lets you hide your name from players outside your party through the in-game privacy settings, and separately, you can hide your account level if you don’t want your playtime visible to teammates or opponents.
Since you’ll already be signed into your Riot account to update your Riot ID, it’s also a good time to check that your account is secure. If it’s been a while, consider updating your Valorant account password at the same time.
