Gamertag Availability

RedeemMyName · Nov 16, 2017

So I recently got a job, and am going to college. I’m free. I can spend money however I want. A thought of mine was to get an original gamertag. I have thousands of hours logged in across multiple generations so I thought it was a sound investment. For the
sake of privacy I don’t want to list the name but it’s four letters and a word. It says it’s not available but there’s no one linked to it according to Xbox player search. Well I thought maybe there was something that allowed people with original gamertag
to hide themselves from search results. Maybe there is and I haven’t found it. But a recent spark to the idea was finding someone with the name Fort in a game of bf4. I searched the name and sure enough it’s linked. I also searched fox, iron, red and they
all have accounts but the one I want doesn’t but it’s not available despite having no linked account.

:)

Concentrate-F084AFF9-EC0F-4FAF-AC93-529E540BB3E4 · Nov 16, 2017

GamerTag Availability

Hey, so i was wondering, regarding gamertags (original gamertags in general), will those gamertags such as: Exile, Exiled, Enigma, etc.. most of those that have gold on them, and the original xbox gamer picture, with no xbox 360 play time, will they ever
be wiped like last time in January/February 2011? The accounts are possibly not being used at all, and if you can provide ANY insight as to if microsoft will ever be doing another wipe of most of the accounts associated with original gamertags, it would be
greatly appreciated.

- Thanks

voteDC · Nov 16, 2017

Gamertag Availability?

That bottom part make no sense. If I send a friends request to a gamertag and it doesn't exist on Xbox Live then certainly it wont exist on GFWL either.

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Both Xbox Live and GFWL share the same systems for things such as friends requests. Even Xbox.com sees them as the exact same thing.

Smwutches · Nov 16, 2017

If the system says the tag is taken, then it's taken. The gamertag system is also used on other Microsoft services, so even if it's not in use on an Xbox, it may be in use somewhere else. The system also doesn't see things like spaces as making a gamertag
unique. So you might be looking up "gamertag" and can't find it, even though it's in use as "gamer tag"

Smwutches

Even with that search option, the best way to find out if a gamertag is available is by trying to change yours to it. The search option will not show you gamertags that are used on other Microsoft services and if you were to search for "Gamertag" it may
not show it even though "Gamer tag" is in use. The system doesn't see the spaces as being different gamertags.

xlDarkCore

Not the answer I wanted to hear but it definitely helps!

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I'm very picky with names like this--specific criteria and all--and it took me forever just to come up with the name I wanted. I've already partially integrated this name so I'd either have to deal with my names being varied and not streamlined or start
that process all over and lose info., etc. for established accounts.

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I heard that they occasionally purge inactive tags and make them available for the public to use. Do you know how often they do this? Is it worth waiting to see if the tag I want becomes available?

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@davemcfly85 - I know those services are largely inaccurate but the point I wanted to make was that all indicators said the tag was not in use and was available, even those directly from Xbox LIVE. (I didn't realize that other Microsoft services use tags
from the same pool.)

I Have the same problem as you have I Want so bad that gamertag....I will wait some days to see if something changes I hope I get that gamer tag

eG x Thee Elf

Gamertags are not used solely for Xbox accounts. They are also used for Zune and Games for Windows. Since they are not an on-demand service there is no purging timeframe for inactive gamertags. All you can do is keep checking the availability periodically.
Hope this helps!

SoaR BLRY

Well i was told to contact the forums about my situation because the gamertag is being reserved by someone that isnt paying for it.

ngocphi

That's not an official website if you read the details below it says right on the page cohesive networks

The only official way to check for a name is to change your names.and if it accepts or not

Searching for a name like swmutches mentioned only checks for that one combination not included spaces or case

Which xbox doesn't differenitiates

Gamertag Availability