RealID take two. Last year, Blizzard announced its misguided strategy to connect players across all of its franchises, requiring users to be identified by their real names. The result was one of the most epic, rant-filled forum threads of all-time. Enter BattleTags, same idea, but with user-created nicknames instead of the name you sign your checks with.

WoW Insider directs our attention to the BattleTags announcement from Blizzard. RealID will still be available for those who want to stay connected with gamer friends they actually know in real life, while BattleTags will allow Battle.net users to connect with people they meet online and still maintain anonymity.

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BattleTags will be optional, but those who do use them will have a single identifier across all of Blizzard's games, forums, and community sites. The system is now getting a test run in the Diablo III beta, and there is no word yet on when it will be ready for prime time. For more details, check out the official BattleTag FAQ.