Over 1 million inactive Gamertags will be made available to the public.

These account names will be up for grabs as of 18 May at 20:00 South African time.

These Gamertags are from accounts abandoned from the original Xbox era, similar to the wave of Gamertags released in 2011. These accounts never migrated to Xbox 360 and as a result they have been inactive for quite some time –  you don’t have to worry about losing any of your games or someone kicking you out of your current account .

While it may be challenging to find the exact Gamertag you want, keep trying, as there are many great Gamertags that will be released. Although we can’t share the actual list, we can tell you that many of the available Gamertags are in the following categories:

• 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

Is there a special Gamertag you have in mind that you hope to nab? Let us know in the comments below and in our forums.

ADSL gaming traffic growth in South Africa

Massive Xbox Live price increase in South Africa

The fight for the heart and soul of competitive gaming in South Africa