VPNs are an important part of any gamer's toolkit – no, seriously! Typically, folks use their VPNs to give their digital private a boost and access geo-restricted content, but more and more of us are using them alongside our PCs and consoles. Why? Well, they can protect you against DDoS attacks, reduce ISP throttling, and even lower the in-game stakes and guarantee easier lobbies Warzone.
All of today's best VPNs are solid picks for Warzone players looking for new ways to secure a big W. The game uses skill-based match-making (SBMM) to connect players to their opponents. So, as you rack up more wins, you could face more challenging matches – and things only get harder the more you play. Using a Warzone VPN puts the control back in your hands, letting you determine your own opponents, and giving you more options (and easier battles).
That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of gaming VPNs, however. Keep reading, and I'll dig into my top recommendations for Warzone players – and how to secure those easy lobbies.
The three best Warzone VPN services:
Recent updates
We just completed our most recent round of testing, and NordVPN has retained its top spot in our rankings. So, while the order of today's top Warzone VPNs hasn't shifted, I've updated the stats, figures, and other important details.
Why you should use a VPN when playing Warzone
Bored with your current matchmaking? Frustrated at your losses? A Warzone VPN could be the answer to your problems. While not directly confirmed by Activision, it's assumed by most players that your CoD lobby is based on a SBMM algorithm, alongside ping and wait time. This means your matches will nearly always be against other players on a similar skill level to you. Usually, this is a great system as it keeps the competition fair and balanced, but if you're having a hard time winning, you may want to explore options for making your games a bit easier.
Of course, it does also come down to time zone and, subsequently, location; otherwise players would find themselves waiting around for a fair fight if players that fit the right criteria weren't already online. By using a VPN to spoof your device's location, you can trick Warzone's servers into thinking you're elsewhere and enter easier lobbies at quieter times.
How a Warzone VPN works:
Many VPN providers have a network of servers in the thousands, and these servers are based in a number of locations around the world. This is great news for those after a Warzone VPN, as more locations means more places to connect to Warzone's servers from.
As the game is typically busiest in the evenings, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in a country with a different time zone and play where it's the morning or early afternoon, meaning fewer players will be online. By joining a server situated in that country, and you'll likely be entered into a lobby with far fewer skilled players.
Those in the US playing in the evening are best placed joining a server in the UK, Europe, or Africa where it's early morning. It also might be an idea to find out what countries have the least number of gamers playing Warzone, as this could also throw up a smaller pool of potential opponents.
What makes the best Warzone VPN?
Above all else, when it comes to the best Warzone VPN, you want one that hosts a number of servers across the globe for you to hop to and from, as well as reliable connection speeds. Of course, you'll also want one that proves secure, too. Our top recommendation is NordVPN, which also sits at the top of the list when it comes to a VPN for gaming.
Not only does it offer a router app if you're looking to set up a router VPN for console gamers (a necessity if you're playing Warzone on PS4 or Xbox One), but it also means there should be little to no increase in ping. While Surfshark is our current reigning speed demon, NordVPN is no slouch, clocking in at over 950 Mbps while using its WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol.
Good security also means you'll be less vulnerable to DDoS attacks from bad losers, or bandwidth throttling from your ISP. This is where your provider can reduce bandwidth and cause lag when detecting high-download tasks like streaming and gaming—something you certainly don't want to experience when opening fire on some noobs.
Can you get banned for using a VPN in Warzone?
While the use of a VPN to play Warzone in this way could be deemed cheating by some, it shouldn't get you in hot water. In fact, according to the CoD Warzone Security and Enforcement Policy, it's pretty commonplace to use a VPN to reduce lag. While this might not strictly be the reason you might be hopping onto a VPN, we'd hazard a guess it would be hard to determine either way.
Still, as ever, it's important to err on the side of caution and assess the risk, especially if you're a high-profile gamer.
Does a Warzone VPN improve ping?
It's unlikely a VPN will decrease your ping, as a VPN service tends to run slower than your own network's peak speed. That said, there are ways a VPN can improve your connection.
Firstly, ensure you're getting the strongest VPN connection possible, by choosing a server based nearby. It's also worth taking a moment to run trial and error to see which server offers the best speeds. In turn, this can offer a more reliable performance throughout your gaming session, ensuring you maintain consistent speeds.
The alternative is relying on your own network, which may at times be faster, but could quickly deplete in the event you're throttled.
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