{"id":312005,"date":"2025-07-01T00:16:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T00:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/?p=312005"},"modified":"2025-07-01T00:16:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T00:16:04","slug":"how-long-are-names-reserved-in-wow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-long-are-names-reserved-in-wow\/","title":{"rendered":"How long are names reserved in WoW?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>\n<h1>How Long Are Names Reserved in WoW?<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\n<p>Names in <strong>World of Warcraft (WoW)<\/strong> are reserved for <strong>90 days<\/strong> if a character is deleted or transferred to another realm, while characters that are level 30 or above will have their names reserved for <strong>30 days<\/strong> after being removed from the realm. This <strong>name reservation<\/strong> policy is in place to prevent other players from quickly taking a name that another player may have accidentally released or may want to reuse in the future.<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_Name_Reservation_in_WoW\"><\/span>\n<h2>Understanding Name Reservation in WoW<\/h2>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>To delve deeper into the specifics of how name reservation works in WoW, it&#8217;s essential to address a range of questions that players might have. Below are some key FAQs that provide insight into the name reservation system, as well as other related aspects of playing WoW.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>\n<h3>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h3>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>How long does it take for a name to free up in WoW?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>A name in WoW is freed up after <strong>90 days<\/strong> if the character that previously held the name has been deleted or transferred. For characters level 30+, the name is reserved for <strong>30 days<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Can you change your name in WoW?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Yes, you can change your character&#8217;s name in WoW through the <strong>Character Service<\/strong> option, but it may take up to <strong>24 hours<\/strong> for the change to be processed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>How long are names saved in WoW?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Names are essentially saved as long as the character exists or until the reservation period ends after a character&#8217;s deletion or transfer, typically <strong>90 days<\/strong> for most cases and <strong>30 days<\/strong> for level 30+ characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Do WoW gifts expire?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>No, <strong>WoW gifts<\/strong> never expire, provided that the content remains available for purchase in the game.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>What happens if your name gets reported in WoW?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>If your name violates WoW&#8217;s <strong>Role-Playing (RP) naming policy<\/strong>, Blizzard may assign a random name to your character, or in severe cases, apply additional penalties to your account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>How long does a Blizzard name change take?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>A <strong>BattleTag Change<\/strong> can take up to <strong>24 hours<\/strong> to process after purchasing the service from the Battle.net Shop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Can you reserve names in WoW?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Essentially, yes, through the act of creating a character with a unique name, you reserve that name on your realm for as long as the character exists or the reservation period after its deletion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>How long does it take to get a new name in real life?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>The process of legally changing your name in real life can vary significantly by state and can take several weeks to months, including a court hearing and receiving a certificate of name change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>What happens to WoW mail after 30 days?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>After <strong>30 days<\/strong>, any mail in your mailbox is deleted, along with any items or gold attached to it, unless you use the Mail Return service to restore it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p><strong>How long does WoW keep deleted characters?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deleted characters are retained for <strong>120 days<\/strong>, during which time they can be restored by the player who deleted them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Do inactive WoW characters get deleted?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No, Blizzard does not delete <strong>inactive characters<\/strong> in WoW, regardless of their inactivity period, unless in specific, rare cases involving low-level alts and name disputes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>How long does it take to max a WoW account?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The time it takes to <strong>max level<\/strong> in WoW can vary greatly depending on the player&#8217;s experience and the content they are playing through, ranging from less than <strong>20 hours<\/strong> in modern expansions to over <strong>100 hours<\/strong> in classic content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Does deleting a character free up the name in WoW?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Yes, deleting a character will eventually free up its name after the <strong>reservation period<\/strong> (typically <strong>90 days<\/strong> or <strong>30 days<\/strong> for level 30+ characters) has ended.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>How much does it cost to get a new name in real life?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The cost of legally changing your name in real life can range from less than <strong>$100<\/strong> to over <strong>$500<\/strong>, including filing fees and potentially extra costs for court hearings and certified documents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Can you sell your WoW account legally?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No, buying or selling <strong>WoW accounts<\/strong>, items, or services for real money is against Blizzard&#8217;s <strong>End User License Agreement<\/strong> and can result in penalties, including suspension or bans from the game.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>By understanding these aspects of name reservation and management in WoW, players can better navigate the complex world of character naming and maintenance within the game. Whether you&#8217;re a seasoned veteran or a new player, knowing how names are handled can save you frustration and help you enjoy your WoW experience more fully.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Long Are Names Reserved in WoW? Names in World of Warcraft (WoW) are reserved for 90 days if a character is deleted or transferred to another realm, while characters that are level 30 or above will have their names reserved for 30 days after being removed from the realm. This name reservation policy is &#8230; <a title=\"How long are names reserved in WoW?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-long-are-names-reserved-in-wow\/\" aria-label=\"More on How long are names reserved in WoW?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-312005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312005\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}