WRITTEN ARTICLE · NAME RESERVATION TROUBLESHOOTING
WoW Forever “That name is restricted”: what to try after the naming fix
Blizzard confirmed a name-filter bug during Forever reservations, then said some issues remained. Check the official retry advice and the separate Oceanic ruleset problem.
A restricted-name message may be a bug
Blizzard confirmed on October 28 that its name check was rejecting some names incorrectly. The announced fix was due with each region’s next realm restarts, after which affected players were invited to retry.
Later that day, Blizzard Support said some issues still appeared unresolved and investigation was continuing. That means the initial fix announcement is not confirmation that every rejected name now works.
In this article
Game imagery © Blizzard Entertainment.
What we recommend checking first
Write down the exact message before changing anything. A restriction, an unavailable name and an unavailable ruleset are different symptoms. That distinction helps you find the relevant announcement instead of repeating unrelated steps.
If you received the restriction message, follow Blizzard’s regional-restart advice and try the same spelling again. If it still fails, check the linked Support update for further news. Avoid deleting a character you want to keep just to experiment with the filter.
- Keep the spelling and the complete error message together.
- Check that the update you are reading concerns your symptom.
- Decide on a backup name you would actually enjoy using.
- Keep your group’s faction and ruleset plan separate from the naming problem.
Can a support ticket unblock a name?
Blizzard Support says game masters cannot resolve this issue or unblock individual names through a ticket. Its October 28 response directs attention to the ongoing investigation.
Our advice is to use the official thread for updates rather than expecting a manual reservation. If you report another example, include the exact restriction message and keep account details out of public posts.
Oceanic players also have a separate ruleset issue
Blizzard’s October 27 notice identifies a bug for Oceanic players connecting to Australian servers. Its workaround was to create intended Roleplay or Roleplay-PvP characters before Normal or PvP characters. Creating the latter first could make the roleplay options unavailable.
The notice says a fix was being worked on. We have not verified that it is resolved. This workaround describes a specific issue and should not be treated as a cure for every login or ruleset error.
Once you have your character, plan the first outing
There is no need to spend the whole evening refreshing character creation. While waiting for an update, agree with friends on where you want to start and look through the opening route for your chosen character.
Our reservation overview keeps the dates and eligibility details in one place. The leveling route library is the next useful stop when you want to see what your first session could look like.
Related reading and guides
Sources and review notes
- Blizzard: Overly Restrictive Name Check and Fix Incoming, October 28
- Blizzard Support: some naming issues still under investigation, October 28
- Blizzard: Name Reservation Issue for Oceanic Players, October 27
Reviewed October 29 using Blizzard’s October 27–28 notices, including the later Support clarification. This page does not claim every naming or Oceanic issue is fixed.
