Indie Studio Rusty Lake Finds Its Username Already In Use On Discord

In the latest news about stolen names in the video game industry, indie game studio Rusty Lake found themselves unable to register their names on Discord following the chat platform’s recent decision to do away with the four-digit discriminator at the end of usernames. The studio was one of those who were given a chance to reserve a username early, but unfortunately, someone managed to lock it down first.

Rusty Lake voiced their frustration on Twitter, warning other indie developers about the issue. They expressed concerns about potential impersonation risks and the need for trademark infringement actions. Despite reaching out to Discord support, they received an automated response redirecting them to another helpdesk.

Discord’s decision to implement username changes stems from the fact that nearly half of all friend requests failed to connect with users, highlighting a significant problem. Nevertheless, Discord's popularity has grown to almost 200 million users, even though the reasons for its popularity remain unclear.

Rusty Lake’s case is not the first instance of username squatting on Discord. Streamers like “pewdiepie” and “ksi” faced similar situations, although Discord resolved them by reserving the usernames for the rightful owners. A change.org petition with over 15,000 signatures opposes the elimination of numerical discriminators, advocating for their retention.

This incident sheds light on the challenges indie developers like Rusty Lake face during platform transitions. While Discord aims to improve user experience and address connection issues, fair and equitable processes for username changes are crucial.

Platforms must ensure adequate protection and reservation of usernames for established creators and verified owners. Rusty Lake’s experience serves as a reminder of the potential legal and identity risks arising when usernames are not properly safeguarded.