Larry “MajorNelson” Hryb, the director of programming for Xbox Live, has announced that Microsoft will begin the process of making previously used and unavailable Gamertags available for use once more. The first gamertags date back to 2002, when Xbox Live was originally launched. Since then, Microsoft has always refused to make the names associated with inactive accounts available to those except the original owner.
The announcement did not state the period of time it will take for an inactive account to be made available again, though Hryb did indicate that gamertags are being “revived” on a daily basis. Users who wish to change their Gamertag can do so at a fee of 800 Microsoft points (roughly $10), or simply choose to re-register with the new name when their current subscription expires.