diff --git a/src/client/render/gl/RenderSettings.ts b/src/client/render/gl/RenderSettings.ts
index 3adfb9096..09ac2964e 100644
--- a/src/client/render/gl/RenderSettings.ts
+++ b/src/client/render/gl/RenderSettings.ts
@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ export interface RenderSettings {
     outlineB: number;
     outlineUsePlayerColor: boolean;
     fillUsePlayerColor: boolean;
+    /** Name fill grayscale shade by player type (0 = black). Human is always 0. */
+    nameShadeNation: number;
+    nameShadeBot: number;
     emojiRowOffset: number;
     statusRowOffset: number;
   };
diff --git a/src/client/render/gl/passes/name-pass/index.ts b/src/client/render/gl/passes/name-pass/index.ts
index fd5210e28..f8ec4844b 100644
--- a/src/client/render/gl/passes/name-pass/index.ts
+++ b/src/client/render/gl/passes/name-pass/index.ts
@@ -499,10 +499,18 @@ export class NamePass {
     d[off + 10] = color[2];
     d[off + 11] = 1.0;
 
-    // Column 3: nameLen, troopLen, isHuman, nameHalfWidth
+    // Column 3: nameLen, troopLen, nameShade, nameHalfWidth
+    // Name fill darkens by type: human black, nation a bit gray, bot greyer.
+    const ns = this.settings.name;
+    let nameShade = 0.0;
+    if (slot.static.playerType === PlayerTypeEnum.Nation) {
+      nameShade = ns.nameShadeNation;
+    } else if (slot.static.playerType === PlayerTypeEnum.Bot) {
+      nameShade = ns.nameShadeBot;
+    }
     d[off + 12] = slot.nameLen;
     d[off + 13] = slot.troopLen;
-    d[off + 14] = slot.static.playerType === PlayerTypeEnum.Human ? 1.0 : 0.0;
+    d[off + 14] = nameShade;
     d[off + 15] = slot.nameHalfWidth;
 
     // Column 4: flagLayerIdx, emojiAtlasIdx, [free], [free]
diff --git a/src/client/render/gl/render-settings.json b/src/client/render/gl/render-settings.json
index d9e85f4d6..392b44346 100644
--- a/src/client/render/gl/render-settings.json
+++ b/src/client/render/gl/render-settings.json
@@ -202,6 +202,8 @@
     "outlineB": 0.0,
     "outlineUsePlayerColor": true,
     "fillUsePlayerColor": false,
+    "nameShadeNation": 0.3,
+    "nameShadeBot": 0.4,
     "emojiRowOffset": 1.4,
     "statusRowOffset": 1.4
   },
diff --git a/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.frag.glsl b/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.frag.glsl
index b2524f8b5..2b9727482 100644
--- a/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.frag.glsl
+++ b/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.frag.glsl
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ uniform float uFillUsePlayerColor;
 
 in vec2 vUV;
 in vec4 vPlayerColor;   // player territory color (rgb) + alpha
-in float vIsHuman;      // 1.0 = human, 0.0 = bot/nation
+in float vNameShade;      // name fill grayscale shade (0.0 = black)
 out vec4 fragColor;
 
 float median(float r, float g, float b) {
@@ -22,15 +22,14 @@ void main() {
   // Degenerate fragment — skip
   if (vPlayerColor.a <= 0.0) discard;
 
-  // Stagger fill/border curves so they never share the same gray.
-  // t² for border (stays dark longer, snaps white late) and √t for fill (inverse).
-  // At midpoint t=0.5: border=0.25 (dark), fill=0.71 (light) — always distinct.
+  // Border darkens with night: t² stays dark longer, snaps toward the
+  // outline color late in the day cycle.
   float t = 1.0 - uNightAmbient;
   float borderT = t * t;
-  float fillT = sqrt(t);
 
-  // Compute fill color: player color, or cycle-aware white↔black (inverse of border)
-  vec3 defaultFill = mix(uOutlineColor, vec3(0.0), fillT);
+  // Compute fill color: player color, or per-type grayscale shade
+  // (black for human, grayer for nation/bot). Applies in day and night.
+  vec3 defaultFill = vec3(vNameShade);
   vec3 fillColor = mix(defaultFill, vPlayerColor.rgb, uFillUsePlayerColor);
 
   vec3 msd = texture(uAtlas, vUV).rgb;
diff --git a/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.vert.glsl b/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.vert.glsl
index eb0a9ee44..eeb38b35b 100644
--- a/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.vert.glsl
+++ b/src/client/render/gl/shaders/name/name.vert.glsl
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ uniform float uHighlightOwnerID;
 
 out vec2 vUV;
 out vec4 vPlayerColor;  // player territory color (rgb) + alpha
-out float vIsHuman;     // 1.0 for human, 0.0 for bot/nation
+out float vNameShade;     // name fill grayscale shade (0.0 = black)
 
 void main() {
   // 1. Decode instance ID → playerIdx, lineIdx, charPos
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void main() {
   vec4 pd0 = texelFetch(uPlayerData, ivec2(0, playerIdx), 0); // srcX, srcY, srcScale, startTime
   vec4 pd1 = texelFetch(uPlayerData, ivec2(1, playerIdx), 0); // tgtX, tgtY, tgtScale, alive
   vec4 pd2 = texelFetch(uPlayerData, ivec2(2, playerIdx), 0); // r, g, b, a
-  vec4 pd3 = texelFetch(uPlayerData, ivec2(3, playerIdx), 0); // nameLen, troopLen, isHuman, 0
+  vec4 pd3 = texelFetch(uPlayerData, ivec2(3, playerIdx), 0); // nameLen, troopLen, nameShade, nameHalfWidth
   vec4 pd4 = texelFetch(uPlayerData, ivec2(4, playerIdx), 0); // flagLayerIdx, emojiAtlasIdx, smallID, 0
   float smallID = pd4.z;
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ void main() {
     gl_Position = vec4(0.0);
     vUV = vec2(0.0);
     vPlayerColor = vec4(0.0);
-    vIsHuman = 0.0;
+    vNameShade = 0.0;
     return;
   }
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void main() {
     gl_Position = vec4(0.0);
     vUV = vec2(0.0);
     vPlayerColor = vec4(0.0);
-    vIsHuman = 0.0;
+    vNameShade = 0.0;
     return;
   }
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void main() {
     gl_Position = vec4(0.0);
     vUV = vec2(0.0);
     vPlayerColor = vec4(0.0);
-    vIsHuman = 0.0;
+    vNameShade = 0.0;
     return;
   }
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ void main() {
     gl_Position = vec4(0.0);
     vUV = vec2(0.0);
     vPlayerColor = vec4(0.0);
-    vIsHuman = 0.0;
+    vNameShade = 0.0;
     return;
   }
 
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ void main() {
     gl_Position = vec4(0.0);
     vUV = vec2(0.0);
     vPlayerColor = vec4(0.0);
-    vIsHuman = 0.0;
+    vNameShade = 0.0;
     return;
   }
 
@@ -158,5 +158,5 @@ void main() {
   // 10. UV interpolation across quad
   vUV = vec2(mix(u0, u1, aPos.x), mix(v0, v1, aPos.y));
   vPlayerColor = pd2;       // player territory color (rgb) + alpha
-  vIsHuman = pd3.z;         // 1.0 = human, 0.0 = bot/nation
+  vNameShade = pd3.z;         // name fill grayscale shade (0.0 = black)
 }