Destiny 2 Players Face Account Name Issues as Bungie Investigates Moderation Error

Recent troubles have arisen for Destiny 2 players as they have unexpectedly experienced changes to their account names, an issue that Bungie is currently addressing.

A significant number of players have logged into the game since August 14 only to find their account names altered to "Guardian" followed by a string of random digits, with no explanation given for this change. In general, the modification of account names by Bungie occurs when players breach the company’s guidelines, often due to inappropriate language or personal information. However, this does not appear to be applicable in this situation.

Bungie has acknowledged that its name moderation system is to blame for this error, resulting in an unintended alteration of a substantial number of account names. The Destiny 2 team communicated through a post on X / Twitter, ensuring players that they are aware of the matter: "We are tracking an issue where a high number of account names have been changed by our Bungie name moderation tool. We are actively investigating and expect to have more information tomorrow, including details on an additional name change token for all players."

While Bungie is working to resolve this situation, it appears some individuals are encountering challenges when attempting to revert their account names from "Guardian." These players, who still have name change tokens, report difficulties in reclaiming their original names, suggesting that their previous names might now be flagged. One user expressed their frustration by stating, "I appreciate the fast communication on the issue, but my original name appears blacklisted now so I had to change it to something else."

Dylan Gafner, the global community lead for Destiny 2, has also engaged with players regarding the issue, urging them to stay tuned for updates as Bungie continues its investigation. Additionally, earlier in the month, Bungie made headlines by laying off 220 employees shortly after launching its most successful expansion, The Final Shape, for Destiny 2.

According to CEO Pete Parsons, these significant workforce reductions were necessitated by "rising costs of development and industry shifts," alongside challenging economic conditions which prompted a reevaluation of the studio's cost framework, affecting roughly 17% of the employees. Moreover, 155 additional team members have transitioned to Sony Interactive Entertainment. Plans were also disclosed regarding the relocation of one of Bungie's upcoming projects—a new action game set in a sci-fi fantasy realm—to PlayStation Studios to establish a new development team.