How to come up with a cool Overwatch name

Overwatch cool name
Fans holding banners with esports players’ names. (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

These days if you’re a good gamer, the world pays attention. Wheater you want to be a Twitch star or play on the big esports stages, you need a cool name. Here’s how to get one.

Names are important - they are your identity and the way people address you. When you play Overwatch, it also needs to be cool, because people will yell it in the heat of battle. Today we take a look at some of the naming conventions popular in high-level Overwatch and give you ideas on how to come up with one for yourself. Let’s take a look at a few gamer tag trends!

The StarCraft Tradition

Overwatch name starcraft
Jooseok "Twilight" Lee (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.)

What better place to start, than the esport with the longest history and tradition? Every Korean pro worth their salt will tell you that in order to make an impression, you need a short and stabbing name consisting of just one word. StarCraft legends like Lee "Rogue" Byung Ryul, Cho "Maru" Sung Choo and Park "Dark" Ryung Woo set the trend and many Overwatch players followed suit. Take Jooseok "Twilight" Lee, Grant “Moth” Espe and Kyeong-Bo “Alarm” Kim as examples.

To come up with your own StarCraft-style name, make sure it’s short, aggressive, and has a kick. Consider out-of-the-box words like Gear, Fuse or Node. Oh, and make sure they’re not already taken!

The Three Letters

Overwatch name 3 letters
Félix “xQc” Lengyel (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.)

Why not go even shorter? This approach surely works for Twitch superstar and former Dallas Fuel tank Félix “xQc” Lengyel, Philadephia Fusion killer Josue "Eqo" Corona and Florida Mayhem DPS Sang-Bum “BQB” Lee. You can be clever and have the three letters represent a hidden message, or just use your initials - it’s all up to you!

The joker

Overwatch name funny
Benjamin "BigGoose" Isohanni (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Spoilers: we play games to have fun. Shocking, right? So why don’t have some fun with our name? There are plenty of examples of players who didn’t take themselves super seriously at first and came up with a wacky name, but their skill and dedication to the game made them respectable later. How about the amazing Finnish player Benjamin "BigGoose" Isohanni of the LA Gladiators? Or his British colleague Isaac "Boombox" Charles? Remember, a name doesn't need to be “epic” in order to be cool!

Your own name (or a version of it)

Overwatch real name
Jacob "JAKE" Lyon (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

That’s right, you are allowed to straight-up use your birth name or a fraction of it. Pros do that all the time: just like Corey “Corey” Nigra, Jacob "JAKE" Lyon, Daniel "dafran" Francesca or Nam-Jin “Gangnamjin” Gang.

Whatever feels right to you

Overwatch name epic
Alberto "neptuNo" González (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

We saved the most important naming style for last - your own style! While you can certainly gain some inspiration from the pros, at the end of the day this is your own screen name you’re picking. Do you want to make it sound epic, like an ancient god of the sea? Silly like a nickname you had at kindergarten? How about a mysterious and menacing title to be feared by your opponents? Go for it!

Just don’t think about it too much, because the squad is online and the next match starts in 2 minutes.

Nikola Petrov

Writer, game designer, and real-life bard who likes to talk about games. GAMES!...