A clan tag refers to a tag that players can display next to their username or gamertag in online multiplayer games. Clan tags are used to show affiliation with a particular clan or group of players. They allow players to easily identify which clan or group fellow players belong to. Clan tags are an important part of gaming culture, especially in competitive online games where teamwork is essential.
Purpose of Clan Tags
There are several key purposes behind using clan tags in games:
Showing Group Affiliation
One of the main reasons to use a clan tag is to indicate which clan or group you are a part of. For example, a player with the tag “[AOD]” is telling other players that they are part of the Angels of Death clan. This allows teammates and opponents alike to understand who they are playing with or against.
Fostering Teamwork
In team-based games like first-person shooters, battle royales, or MOBAs, knowing your teammates’ clan affiliation can help foster better teamwork. Players are often more willing to work together when they know they share a clan tag and are part of the same community.
Building Reputation
Good clans or groups will build a reputation in a game based on their tag. Skilled players may recognize a tag and associate it with quality teamwork and skill. On the other hand, poorly behaved clans can get bad reputations as well.
Showing Seniority
Some clans use tags to indicate seniority or ranks within the group. For example, veteran members may have special tags denoting their status. These can show newer members who the experienced leaders are.
Popular Games for Clan Tags
While clan tags can appear in all sorts of online games, they tend to be most prevalent in competitive team-based games. Some popular examples include:
First-Person Shooters
FPS games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Counter-Strike, Overwatch, Rainbow Six, and Halo thrive on teamwork and coordination. Clan tags help players quickly identify ally and enemy teams.
MOBAs
Multiplayer online battle arena games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm, and Smite rely on good teamwork. Clan tags can indicate experienced groups that regularly play together.
Battle Royale Games
In battle royales like Fortnite, Apex Legends, PUBG, and Warzone players can squad up as a clan. The tag helps identify your squadmates.
RTS Games
Strategy games like Starcraft 2 and Age of Empires 2 have competitive clan scenes. Clan tags denote allegiances for team games.
Fighting Games
The fighting game community is very clan-centric. Games like Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Tekken allow tags to rep clans.
How to Set a Clan Tag
The process of selecting and setting a clan tag can vary between games. Here are some common ways clan tags are activated:
Via Profile Settings
Many games let you directly edit your clan tag in your profile settings or options menu. There is usually a dedicated text field for entering your desired tag.
During Lobby/Character Select
Games will often have a clan tag text box that appears alongside your name when matchmaking or selecting a character. This allows changing tags between matches.
Through Clan Management Menus
Some games like Call of Duty have special clan sections. Leaders can set the tag for the entire group here. Members will automatically get the tag when joining.
Via Account Linking
A few games connect to external clan sites or platforms. Linking your account assigns your clan tag from the associated service.
Clan Tag Etiquette and Rules
While clan tags give players a lot of freedom, there are some etiquette rules and restrictions to keep in mind:
Length Limits
Most games enforce tight character limits like 3-8 characters for tags. Trying to use long, spammy tags is usually prohibited.
Profane/Offensive Tags
Obscene, racist, hateful, or otherwise extremely offensive tags are forbidden in all games and will get accounts banned. Keep things PG-13.
Impersonation
Trying to impersonate developers, official clans/guilds, or celebrity gamers via your tag is dishonest and often illegal. Don’t do it.
Spamming
Excessively changing your tag or using nonsense tags intended to annoy others or clog chat is considered griefing. Keep your tags meaningful.
Be Represnetative
Your tag reflects on your entire clan. Don’t give your group a bad name by acting toxic or cheating while tagged up.
Creative and Fun Clan Tag Ideas
Looking for a cool clan tag for your crew? Here are some creative ideas and tips:
Shorten Your Clan Name
Take the first 2-4 letters of your full clan name for a quick and easy tag. Ex: “Legends of Zelda Clan” becomes [LoZC]
Memes and Pop Culture
Use a funny meme or reference from a movie, TV show, etc. as your tag. Ex: [Pepe], [GoT], or [Halo3]
Wordplay
Combine words or use abbreviations to find clever associations. Ex: [PKMN] for Pokemon or [AFK] for Away From Keyboard.
Your Location
Rep your city, state, or country with geographic tags like [PDX], [TX], or [UK].
Inside Jokes
Recall funny memories or experiences you’ve shared as a clan. Ex: [PantsonHead] or [LeroyJenkins].
Leader Names
Show your loyalty by including founder or leader names. Ex: [TimmyClan] or [Jane’sWarriors].
Be Original
Stay away from overused tags like envy, rage, rogue, and why so serious? Create something unique to help your clan stand out.
Conclusion
Clan tags are an integral way for gamers to show off their community and team allegiances when playing online multiplayer games. They enable faster recognition of teammates and opponents, foster better coordination and teamwork, and allow clans to build unique identities and reputations in their favorite titles. While clan tag policies vary between games, most share common etiquette rules like avoiding offensive tags and spamming. With so many creative options, clan tags offer a fun way for groups to bond and get more engaged with the games they love.