diff --git a/docs/api/createSlice.md b/docs/api/createSlice.md
index 19f0b0657f..735c8a4d6f 100644
--- a/docs/api/createSlice.md
+++ b/docs/api/createSlice.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ hide_title: true
 
 # `createSlice`
 
-A function that accepts an initial state, an object full of reducer functions, and optionally a "slice name",
+A function that accepts an initial state, an object full of reducer functions, and a "slice name",
 and automatically generates action creators and action types that correspond to the reducers and state.
 
 ## Parameters
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ function createSlice({
     reducers: Object<string, ReducerFunction>
     // The initial state for the reducer
     initialState: any,
-    // An optional name, used in action types
-    slice?: string,
+    // A name, used in action types
+    name: string,
     // An additional object of "case reducers". Keys should be other action types.
     extraReducers?: Object<string, ReducerFunction>
 })
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ state they are given.
 
 The initial state value for this slice of state.
 
-### `slice`
+### `name`
 
-An optional string name for this slice of state. Generated action type constants will use this as a prefix.
+A string name for this slice of state. Generated action type constants will use this as a prefix.
 
 ### `extraReducers`
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ to force the TS compiler to accept the computed property.)
 
 ```ts
 {
-    slice : string,
+    name : string,
     reducer : ReducerFunction,
     actions : Object<string, ActionCreator},
 }
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ import { createSlice } from 'redux-starter-kit'
 import { createStore, combineReducers } from 'redux'
 
 const counter = createSlice({
-  slice: 'counter', // slice is optional, and could be blank ''
+  name: 'counter',
   initialState: 0,
   reducers: {
     increment: state => state + 1,
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ const counter = createSlice({
 })
 
 const user = createSlice({
-  slice: 'user',
+  name: 'user',
   initialState: { name: '', age: 20 },
   reducers: {
     setUserName: (state, action) => {
diff --git a/src/createSlice.test.ts b/src/createSlice.test.ts
index 05166924ff..77df847f00 100644
--- a/src/createSlice.test.ts
+++ b/src/createSlice.test.ts
@@ -2,46 +2,35 @@ import { createSlice } from './createSlice'
 import { createAction, PayloadAction } from './createAction'
 
 describe('createSlice', () => {
-  describe('when slice is empty', () => {
-    const { actions, reducer } = createSlice({
-      reducers: {
-        increment: state => state + 1,
-        multiply: (state, action: PayloadAction<number>) =>
-          state * action.payload
-      },
-      initialState: 0
-    })
-
-    it('should create increment action', () => {
-      expect(actions.hasOwnProperty('increment')).toBe(true)
-    })
-
-    it('should create multiply action', () => {
-      expect(actions.hasOwnProperty('multiply')).toBe(true)
-    })
-
-    it('should have the correct action for increment', () => {
-      expect(actions.increment()).toEqual({
-        type: 'increment',
-        payload: undefined
-      })
-    })
-
-    it('should have the correct action for multiply', () => {
-      expect(actions.multiply(3)).toEqual({
-        type: 'multiply',
-        payload: 3
-      })
+  describe('when slice is undefined', () => {
+    it('should throw an error', () => {
+      expect(() =>
+        // @ts-ignore
+        createSlice({
+          reducers: {
+            increment: state => state + 1,
+            multiply: (state, action: PayloadAction<number>) =>
+              state * action.payload
+          },
+          initialState: 0
+        })
+      ).toThrowError()
     })
+  })
 
-    describe('when using reducer', () => {
-      it('should return the correct value from reducer with increment', () => {
-        expect(reducer(undefined, actions.increment())).toEqual(1)
-      })
-
-      it('should return the correct value from reducer with multiply', () => {
-        expect(reducer(2, actions.multiply(3))).toEqual(6)
-      })
+  describe('when slice is an empty string', () => {
+    it('should throw an error', () => {
+      expect(() =>
+        createSlice({
+          name: '',
+          reducers: {
+            increment: state => state + 1,
+            multiply: (state, action: PayloadAction<number>) =>
+              state * action.payload
+          },
+          initialState: 0
+        })
+      ).toThrowError()
     })
   })
 
@@ -51,7 +40,7 @@ describe('createSlice', () => {
         increment: state => state + 1
       },
       initialState: 0,
-      slice: 'cool'
+      name: 'cool'
     })
 
     it('should create increment action', () => {
@@ -80,7 +69,7 @@ describe('createSlice', () => {
         }
       },
       initialState,
-      slice: 'user'
+      name: 'user'
     })
 
     it('should set the username', () => {
@@ -94,6 +83,7 @@ describe('createSlice', () => {
     const addMore = createAction('ADD_MORE')
 
     const { reducer } = createSlice({
+      name: 'test',
       reducers: {
         increment: state => state + 1,
         multiply: (state, action) => state * action.payload
@@ -116,7 +106,7 @@ describe('createSlice', () => {
       const prepare = jest.fn((payload, somethingElse) => ({ payload }))
 
       const testSlice = createSlice({
-        slice: 'test',
+        name: 'test',
         initialState: 0,
         reducers: {
           testReducer: {
@@ -137,7 +127,7 @@ describe('createSlice', () => {
       const reducer = jest.fn()
 
       const testSlice = createSlice({
-        slice: 'test',
+        name: 'test',
         initialState: 0,
         reducers: {
           testReducer: {
diff --git a/src/createSlice.ts b/src/createSlice.ts
index 09499d393e..dc1210d6d3 100644
--- a/src/createSlice.ts
+++ b/src/createSlice.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export interface Slice<
   /**
    * The slice name.
    */
-  slice: string
+  name: string
 
   /**
    * The slice's reducer.
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export interface CreateSliceOptions<
   /**
    * The slice's name. Used to namespace the generated action types.
    */
-  slice?: string
+  name: string
 
   /**
    * The initial state to be returned by the slice reducer.
@@ -140,12 +140,12 @@ type RestrictEnhancedReducersToMatchReducerAndPrepare<
 > = { reducers: SliceCaseReducersCheck<S, NoInfer<CR>> }
 
 function getType(slice: string, actionKey: string): string {
-  return slice ? `${slice}/${actionKey}` : actionKey
+  return `${slice}/${actionKey}`
 }
 
 /**
  * A function that accepts an initial state, an object full of reducer
- * functions, and optionally a "slice name", and automatically generates
+ * functions, and a "slice name", and automatically generates
  * action creators and action types that correspond to the
  * reducers and state.
  *
@@ -166,14 +166,17 @@ export function createSlice<
 >(
   options: CreateSliceOptions<State, CaseReducers>
 ): Slice<State, CaseReducerActions<CaseReducers>> {
-  const { slice = '', initialState } = options
+  const { name, initialState } = options
+  if (!name) {
+    throw new Error('`name` is a required option for createSlice')
+  }
   const reducers = options.reducers || {}
   const extraReducers = options.extraReducers || {}
   const actionKeys = Object.keys(reducers)
 
   const reducerMap = actionKeys.reduce((map, actionKey) => {
     let maybeEnhancedReducer = reducers[actionKey]
-    map[getType(slice, actionKey)] =
+    map[getType(name, actionKey)] =
       typeof maybeEnhancedReducer === 'function'
         ? maybeEnhancedReducer
         : maybeEnhancedReducer.reducer
@@ -185,7 +188,7 @@ export function createSlice<
   const actionMap = actionKeys.reduce(
     (map, action) => {
       let maybeEnhancedReducer = reducers[action]
-      const type = getType(slice, action)
+      const type = getType(name, action)
       map[action] =
         typeof maybeEnhancedReducer === 'function'
           ? createAction(type)
@@ -196,7 +199,7 @@ export function createSlice<
   )
 
   return {
-    slice,
+    name,
     reducer,
     actions: actionMap
   }
diff --git a/type-tests/files/createSlice.typetest.ts b/type-tests/files/createSlice.typetest.ts
index d741a0f822..63686c8052 100644
--- a/type-tests/files/createSlice.typetest.ts
+++ b/type-tests/files/createSlice.typetest.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ function expectType<T>(t: T) {
   const firstAction = createAction<{ count: number }>('FIRST_ACTION')
 
   const slice = createSlice({
-    slice: 'counter',
+    name: 'counter',
     initialState: 0,
     reducers: {
       increment: (state: number, action) => state + action.payload,
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ function expectType<T>(t: T) {
  */
 {
   const counter = createSlice({
-    slice: 'counter',
+    name: 'counter',
     initialState: 0,
     reducers: {
       increment: state => state + 1,
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ function expectType<T>(t: T) {
  */
 {
   const counter = createSlice({
-    slice: 'counter',
+    name: 'counter',
     initialState: 0,
     reducers: {
       increment: state => state + 1,
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ function expectType<T>(t: T) {
  */
 {
   const counter = createSlice({
-    slice: 'test',
+    name: 'test',
     initialState: { counter: 0, concat: '' },
     reducers: {
       incrementByStrLen: {
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ function expectType<T>(t: T) {
 {
   // typings:expect-error
   const counter = createSlice({
-    slice: 'counter',
+    name: 'counter',
     initialState: { counter: 0 },
     reducers: {
       increment: {