Microsoft set to re-release nearly 1 million Xbox gamertags starting this Wednesday

This Wednesday, beginning at 11am PDT, Microsoft will be re-releasing nearly 1 million gamertags to Xbox Live Gold members, remnants of the original Xbox era. The gamertags were never migrated to the Xbox 360, and have been inactive for years, but unavailable to new or existing Xbox gamers.

There are a few details, you need to be an Xbox Live Gold member with an active subscription and at least 1 year of Xbox Live Gold tenure. The tags will be released in batches over a 24 hour period, giving gamers around the world an equal chance, so if your dream gamertag isn’t available right at 11am, you should keep trying.

The gamertags fall into a number of popular categories, including:

• Proper Names
• Pop culture references (Entertainment, sports, gaming)
• Types of Food
• Geography and Travel
• Science and Technology
• Math and Numbers
• Animals
• Some of the greatest inventions of all time

According to the post on MajorNelson.com, the easiest way to get a new gamertag is via Xbox.com:

Access to these newly-released Gamertags will be available on Xbox.com, which is the most convenient way to make a Gamertag change. Xbox Live Gold members can also access these Gamertags within the Xbox App on Windows 10 and on the Xbox One console. Xbox 360 owners will need to use Xbox.com, the Xbox App on Windows 10, or an Xbox One console to participate given that access to these newly-released Gamertags is not available from an Xbox 360 console. Click here to change your Gamertag on the web.

You can check your subscription tenure status on your profile, and get ready to get the gamertag you’ve always wanted!