Name already taken - But its not?

Hi Guru

Im trying to make a new character, but apparently the name is already taken. I cant find @ hom.guildwars2.com and apparently it isnt taken when im trying to add it to my friends-list.

Any idea what is happening?

Banished account? Banned name?

Checking hom.guildwars2.com doesnt tell much because not every existing character has access to the HOM (i think that is a requirement before you can find a player @ hom.guildwars2.com). But not being able to add a taken "name" to your friendslist is weird, unless that name contains parts that not allowed in a name (just thinking out loud).

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Not 100% sure but i think you still can add those names to your friendlist (not useful ofc)...

You can, i added my own banned acc

It really is strange that it tells me that the name isnt taken when trying to add it to flist, and when trying to create the character i dont get the classic: "contains banned words bla bla"

It's possible, though it would be a very rare incident, that you tried to make the character name during the reserve period of another player who deleted a character by that name. If I remember correctly, when you delete a character the name is temporarily reserved (one hour?), and during that time if you try to make a character of the same name it will tell you the name is taken, but if you add the name to your friends list it will tell you the character doesn't exist.

was it the name of a celebrity or something like that?

If someone recently deleted that character, you won't be able to use the name for 24 hours.

I tried that myself, when transfering one name from one acc to another. When the name was in the 24h queue and i could add the name to my flist.

So that not the answer, hmmm

perhaps its someone playing in the betas who never played in gw1?

I have no idea, i am currently email back and forth with Anet about it.

if you have an account that does NOT have eye of the north on it (say a factions only account), it will NOT show up on the hom counter (I have one of these mule accounts).

If you try to add the name to your friends list and it says it does not exist then its probably reserved by someone deleting/creating a character.

Names can be reserved indefinitely by designating them as your account name at Tolkano, then deleting the character.

Also, anyone who has not logged in since before the HoM Calculator was introduced will not show up on it. So maybe someone who already quit playing still has a character with the name you want.

Edit: just read that you couldn't add the name to your friends, weird.

Merc heroes
Had this happen to me,
The player does not exist=cant add
BUT, the player exists in the form of an hero..

That is most likely the reason. Im still waiting for Anet to reply, lets see what they have to say