Name Change should show your previous name to your friends in their Friend List

Dr Poro·Jul 19, 2015·107 votes·7,511 views

If you have a lot of people in your Friend List, you often don't notice when a friend has changed their name. You suddenly see a weird name in your friend list so you have to ask that person if he changed his name or if he's some random dude that added you after a game to chat with. This is something that should be unnecessary.

I think it's pretty straight forward that if you change your name, your previous name should be shown to everyone who was friends with you at the time of the name change. Simply have the text "Previously known as: ..." shown under their name for a certain period (1 or 2 weeks). Alternatively, you could instead add the option "Show previous name" when you right click the name in your Friend List. I prefer the first solution, though.

The picture below is just an example, created with my l33t Paint skillz.

25 Comments

TheJinxedOneJul 20, 20159 votes

why not send an automatic message to people in your list

Popstar AhriJul 20, 20156 votes

good idea !

Virgin RayJul 20, 20154 votes

tbh I don't like this idea, the ability to go stealth mode and play with your friend thinking you are someone random is totally awesome. Also you can use the description tab to say Previously (Older Name).

Too TonJul 20, 20155 votes

But you do NOT know who they are previously in the first place so you can't write in the description who they are. And who writes the person's name before they change it?

Virgin RayJul 20, 20151 votes

I know they don't know you changed names, that's why if you want to you can put Previously (Older Name). That's also why it's called stealth mode, because they don't know you changed names.

Virgin RayJul 20, 20153 votes

Why would your friends write your name before you change it, yea I totally agree with you, who does that? I'm just saying you should just use the desc bar to tell your 200+ friends your previous name. I also know they don't know you changed names, that's why I called it "stealth mode."

Dr PoroJul 20, 20158 votes

I don't think Riot is supposed to support trolling your friends. Because that's the only purpose this would have. Even so, you could still remove them as a friend and then add them again afterwards with your new name (if they accept). I don't think that the option of trolling should stand in the way of a quality of life upgrade.

You can indeed use the description tab, but if you have 200 friends, it's quite a job, because you have to write it BEFORE they change their names and you don't know who will change it and who won't. Also, aesthetically I think it's a lot more disturbing if you have written the name of all your friends in their discriptions. Riot updated the friend list to reduce the amount of unnecessary text. While you could argue that the previous name is also unnecessary text, how often will your friends change their name? At least it would only be shown when they HAVE changed their name (so when it's useful) and only for a short duration of time.

I'm not saying that this update is necessary and that I'll quit the game if they don't introduce it, but it's just a simple feature that would make it easier for a lot of people.

Virgin RayJul 20, 20152 votes

Using the description tab still allows your 200+ friends to see who your previous name if you decide to write your previous name. What I don't like is for RIOT to forcefully allow this.

Virgin RayJul 20, 20151 votes

How is using the description bar to tell your previous name with 200+ friends quite a job? All of your 200 friends will see your previous name if you want them to know. Besides, you only interact with your 200+ friends through chat and joining a game or creating one. The only thing that will ever happen is shown below. Yes you are correct to some degree, but the only people you should really notify that you changed your name are the friends that you really know and are best friends with. I mean honestly, your other friends you made friends with because they are pro or something don't give a crap about you changing your name. They'll just think, "Hmm don't know who he/she is, but he/she is my friend so I must of known them." "let me message them asking who were they previously." Even then if you put your previous name on desc bar they would already know who you are. if you want your best friends to know you can follow the procedure below or just message them saying Previous name =(Older Name)

The Clarification for Your Besties Friends Would Go

Friend-"who are you?" You-"My name previously was (Older Name) Friend-"Oh ok."

Dr PoroJul 20, 20152 votes

Why have them on your friend list if you don't want them to know who you are? This makes no sense to me.

Also, I assumed that with "description tab" you meant "Notes", not the "Status". The problem is that people sometimes forget to use this feature. Because they didn't think about it or forgot/didn't know it exists. Also, players who didn't change their name but you simply don't remember could fall under this category for all you know.

Virgin RayJul 20, 20151 votes

By desc tab I mean the little bar thingy below your name. Just use it for things important like notifying your friends you changed names and showing your previous name so you aren't a complete stranger.

"Why have them on your friend list if you don't want them to know who you are?"

Because some people like me like trolling our friends and going completely incognito sometimes. If you don't like the idea of going incognito I totally respect that. It's basically like saying why is Batman my friend when he doesn't want me to know his true identity.

All I am really saying is that RIOT should not forcefully implement this for the people that want to go incognito. Or maybe a toggle thingy magig toggling if you want your previous name to be shown or not. I mean I think important notifications like "Hey I changed my name, here's my previous name so I can clarify any confusion to my friends." should be put in the desc bar.

bradJul 20, 20153 votes

or you could use the features already given to you (adding notes on the people on your friends list, creating friend group tabs) instead

Dr PoroJul 20, 20152 votes

The problem with this is that they're rather time-consuming and that you have to do this proactively. If you experience the issue, it's too late.

edson555Jul 20, 20152 votes

I have suggested this from Runescape a long time ago, they just don't care about fixing simple things...

Maximum CanJul 20, 20151 votes

no idea why this isn't a thing yet. i leave notes on mine after asking what their name was before.

Dr PoroJul 20, 20151 votes

I just wrote the name of all my friends in the notes. It took me 20 minutes. Still, I'd like this feature because I don't think that every LoL player should be going through this. It's Riot's job to create clarity ingame but also in the client. I know that this feature is technically more difficult than it looks (you can't just add text with paint like I did), but I think that it's still a lot easier than many things you've already done.

The Fire on FireJul 20, 20151 votes

Yea I had a friend who recently changed his summoner name on League and then I deleted him and then he started raging at me and im like wtf how was i supposed to know

btw i support this idea

ArkenStormJul 20, 20151 votes

I like this. Currently I just use notes for everyone random who adds me so i can remember the game, and for my IRL friends I just put their name

SoMNiaJul 20, 20151 votes

Yeah, I think it should send an alert to your friends when you change it, at least. Or like Steam, where there's a section in their profile that says "also played as..."

SilverthaneJul 20, 20151 votes

or if they're your friends you know they'll message you about the change? or you could write a note about what their previous name was? or they could write in their status who they are?