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The Best VPNs for Warzone: A Quick Overview

The best VPN for Warzone helps you access easy lobbies and game without lagging. We rolled up our sleeves to do speed tests and figure out which VPNs can do that easily, and this is our top five:

  1. NordVPN: The best VPN for Warzone
  2. PIA: The largest server network
  3. CyberGhost: Warzone VPN with dedicated gaming servers
  4. Surfshark: Affordable pick for easy lobbies
  5. ExpressVPN: Best VPN for Warzone for those that play gaming on consoles

NordVPN is the best choice you can make if you need a Warzone VPN. Even if you’re not after easy lobbies, you can still use NordVPN to prevent ISP throttling, play anonymously, and defend yourself from DDoS attacks while streaming Warzone.

Keep reading to find out why all of these options make our best Warzone VPN list.

Call of Duty: Warzone is one of the most popular games of this generation. Activision nailed its entry into the Battle Royale genre, leveraging Call of Duty’s brand recognition and Modern Warfare’s excellent gunplay. Warzone 2 expanded on the formula and made CoD a staple of the genre.

VPN Icon covering up IP addresses

Warzone is played by millions of people around the globe. Activision uses skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) to assign players to matches with people of a similar skill level. But you can game that system by using a VPN.

With a VPN, you can avoid SBMM, boost your K/D ratio, and rack up some easy wins. If you aren’t in the mood for intense matchups, using a VPN is a great way to get around skill-based matchmaking. Conversely, you can use a VPN to connect to competitive servers and work on your skills against the best in the world.

We tested 50+ VPNs to find the best VPN for Warzone. If you’re in a hurry, we recommend you pick NordVPN, thanks to its lightning-fast speeds and security features that will help protect you against DDoS attacks.

The Top 5 VPNs for Warzone

Based on our research and testing, NordVPN is the best VPN for Warzone 2 and the original Warzone game. However, it’s got a lot of competition. Here’s a brief comparison showing the top five Warzone VPNs and how they stack against each other.

FeaturesNordVPNPIACyberGhostSurfsharkExpressVPN
Number of servers6000+thousands of11500+3200+thousands of servers
Number of countries6191100100105
Ping (ms) on nearby servers5-1030-506-127-145-11
ProtocolsOpenVPN, IKEv2, NordLynxOpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP/IPsec, PPTPOpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuardOpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuardOpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, Lightway
Price/month$ 2.99$ 2.03$ 2.03$ 1.99$ 6.67
Get it hereGet NordVPNGet PIAGet CyberGhostGet SurfsharkGet ExpressVPN

If you want to know what makes each of these options great, read on. We’ll outline the pros and cons of all Warzone VPN providers.

1. NordVPN: The best Warzone VPN overall

Screenshot of NordVPN website homepage with added logo in the corner
  • Very low ping (5-10ms) on nearby servers
  • 6000+ servers across 61 countries
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Robust security features
  • OpenVPN, IKEv2, and NordLynx protocols

NordVPN is the best VPN for Warzone. It’s one of the best gaming VPNs right now and performs exceptionally well with Warzone.

When we tested NordVPN’s speeds, we maintained 90-99% of our original connection speed after connecting to nearby servers. And the distant servers performed good as well. We played Warzone with NordVPN and had no problem when connected to nearby or faraway servers.

A screenshot of CoD: Warzone with NordVPN running in the background

With more than 6000+ servers across 61 countries, you won’t have any trouble finding Warzone bot lobbies. The server choice, the great speeds, and the support for fast VPN protocols, like their proprietary NordLynx, all make NordVPN the best choice in our book.

Not to mention, NordVPN has an amazing security suite. If you’re streaming Call of Duty Warzone 2, you won’t have to worry about DDoS attacks with NordVPN.

If you’re not sold on it, you can try NordVPN’s free trial, which lets you use it for 30 days and get your money back if you’re dissatisfied. Learn more in our NordVPN review.


2. PIA: Warzone VPN with excellent server choice

PIA website homepage with logo
  • Ping under 80ms
  • Over thousands of servers in 91 countries
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Reliable protection against DDoS attacks
  • OpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP protocols

PIA ranks second on our best VPN for Warzone list because of its extensive server network and its admirable performance with Warzone. Based on our testing with the game, we got pings between 30 and 50ms. Your gameplay might suffer on slower connections, but it shouldn’t be an issue for most gamers.

If your internet connection is good enough (at least 100 Mbps), then PIA is a great choice. It has thousands of servers in 91 countries. So, no matter where you live, you’ll find the best VPN server for Warzone with not much hassle.

This can help you unlock bot lobbies and have a relaxed game. PIA also has a very good security infrastructure. It helped us hide our IP address and kept us anonymous while we joined games, chatted over Discord, or browsed Warzone 2 subreddits.

And the best part? It’s very cheap. You can get PIA for $ 2.03 per month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and 83% off with our link.

If you want to learn more about Private Internet Access, check out our PIA VPN review.


3. CyberGhost: Reliable Warzone VPN with dedicated gaming servers

Screenshot of Cyberghost provider website homepage with logo added in the corner
  • Very low ping (6-12ms)
  • 11500+ servers in 100 countries
  • 10 Gbps servers with no bandwidth limits
  • Supports split tunneling
  • OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols

CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for Warzone. We were impressed with its dedicated gaming servers, which are specifically designed for fast-paced shooters like Warzone 2, Valorant, or Overwatch 2.

Unfortunately, gaming-optimized servers are only located in Frankfurt, Paris, London, and New York, so if you’re connecting from a distant country, you might notice some speed drops. But Germany is known for great bot lobbies, so if you’re looking for the best VPN server for Warzone, then this will probably be your best bet.

Plus, CyberGhost has standard servers in 100 countries. Their standard servers are fairly good, too, especially if you have a fast connection. And don’t worry, you won’t have to dig deep into your pocket for this one. You can get CyberGhost for as little as $ 2.03 per month, and it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost’s free trial is great if you want to try it risk-free. Check our full CyberGhost review to get more information about this excellent VPN.


4. Surfshark: Affordable Warzone VPN with fast servers

Screenshot of Surfshark VPN provider website homepage
  • Low ping (7-14ms)
  • 3200+ servers in 100 countries
  • Excellent protection from DDoS attacks and other cyber threats
  • Protects against bandwidth throttling
  • Offers OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2

If you’re looking for the best VPN for Warzone at an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with Surfshark. It’s cheap, and it comes with a slew of excellent features, such as split tunneling, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection, all of which will help keep you anonymous online.

We tested its connection speed on dozens of servers while playing Warzone and its most recent version, Warzone 2, and the results were really good. We only had 7-14 ms of ping on nearby servers.

Even on faraway servers, we maintained speeds of over 70 Mbps (our base speed was 100 Mbps). You only need about 35-50 Mbps to play games online without a hitch, so Surfshark is an excellent VPN for Warzone.

Surfshark is also a good pick for streamers. It can protect you against DDoS attacks and other online dangers. For just $ 1.99 per month, and with a 30-day money-back guarantee, this is one of the best deals on the market.

Interested in learning more about this VPN? Check out our full Surfshark review. You can also get a student discount for Surfshark and other top VPNs for students.


5. ExpressVPN: The best option for playing Warzone on consoles

Screenshot of ExpressVPN website page with added logo in the bottom right corner
  • Minimal impact on latency (5-11ms)
  • thousands of servers across 105 countries
  • No bandwidth restrictions
  • Military-grade AES 256-bit encryption
  • Offers OpenVPN IKEv2, WireGuard, and Lightway protocols

ExpressVPN performed really well in our speed tests with Warzone. When connected to nearby servers, we only experienced 5-11ms of ping, which means the impact on your gameplay experience will be marginal.

But that’s not even ExpressVPN’s biggest advantage. It’s also the easiest VPN to install on routers. You’ll want to do that since installing a VPN on consoles is nearly impossible. Instead, you can install a VPN on your Wi-Fi router and then connect to your console to play.

And that’s not all. ExpressVPN also has a huge VPN server network spread across $ 6.67 countries and military-grade encryption to keep you safe online.

The only disadvantage is its steep price, and that’s why it’s so low on our best Warzone VPN list. ExpressVPN will set you back $ 6.67 per month. Still, if you can afford it and you want to play on consoles, it’s a solid pick.

For more information, check out our ExpressVPN review. You can also get a 30-day free trial for ExpressVPN and try it without any restrictions.


How We Picked the Best VPNs for Warzone

Infographic showing what to take into account when choosing a VPN

Call of Duty Warzone is a competitive online FPS. So, right off the bat, speed is the most important thing when looking for a VPN. Playing Warzone is no fun if you’re lagging and can’t react in time to enemy movements.

But that’s not the only thing we looked at in our research and tests. Here are the key factors we considered for our best VPN for Warzone list apart from speed:

  • Server network: If you’re looking for a Call of Duty Warzone VPN, you most likely want a quick fix to get into bot lobbies. So, we only chose VPNs that have a large server network. This way, no matter where you live, you can find a nearby server and avoid skill-based matchmaking.
  • DDoS protection: If you engage with communities on Discord or Reddit, dozens of third parties see your IP address. This exposure is one of the reasons that gaming streamers get DDoSed or even doxxed. We only picked VPNs that offer DDoS protection and other security-enhancing features.
  • Price and service: Good VPNs stand out with more than just security features. For this list, we only picked VPNs that offer excellent value for money and provide a money-back guarantee.

Of course, the VPNs on our list also work well for other Call of Duty games, like Modern Warfare 3. If you’d like to read more about the best ways to unblock lobbies for the latest CoD release, have a look at our best MW3V VPNs.

How to Install a Warzone VPN

If this is your first time using a VPN, you might be confused by all the technical terms. But don’t worry. Using a VPN is quite simple. To help you get started, we’ve created guides on how to install the best Warzone VPNs on your device.

How to install a VPN on your Windows PC

Infographic showing how to install a VPN to play Warzone on your Windows PC

If you use a Windows PC to play Call of Duty Warzone, you’re in luck. It’s really easy to get started, and you’ll be joining bot lobbies in no time. Here’s how to install a VPN for Warzone on your PC:

  1. Subscribe to a VPN. We recommend NordVPN thanks to its high speeds and extensive server network.

    The NordVPN homepage, showing a current deal of 68% off, plus three months extra.
  2. Download the VPN app from your provider’s site. The Windows download link is available in your account dashboard.
  3. Double-click on the .exe file you just downloaded. It should be in the default “Downloads” folder of your PC.
  4. Go through the installation process. You will be prompted with explanations every time you need to click “Next” or “Finish.”

    NordVPN isntaller showing a progress bar
  5. Open NordVPN. You’re now ready to play the game.

How to install a Call of Duty Warzone VPN on consoles

VPN on a gaming console

Installation on consoles is a bit more complicated. In fact, unless your PS or Xbox is jailbroken, you won’t be able to install a VPN application on it.

Instead, you’ll need to either install the VPN on your router (the hard way) or turn another device into a router (the easy way). Here’s how to turn your PC into a virtual router:

  1. Connect your PC to the internet via a LAN cable.
  2. Connect to the VPN service of your choice. We recommend NordVPN.
  3. Open Command Prompt. Type “cmd” in the search bar to pull it up quickly.
  4. Copy this line: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=XXXXX key=YYYY.
  5. Change the “XXXXX” to a network name and the YYYY to a password.
  6. Paste this into Command Prompt and hit enter. Your new connection is now set up.
  7. In the “Command Prompt,” type “netsh wlan start hostednetwork” and press “Enter.”
  8. Connect your console to the new network.

How to Get Bot Lobbies With a Warzone VPN

Is this your first time using a VPN? Don’t worry, we got you covered. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting bot lobbies in Warzone with a VPN:

  1. Subscribe to NordVPN. This is our go-to app for Warzone thanks to its fast speeds, affordable price, and large server network.

    The NordVPN homepage, showing a current deal of 68% off, plus three months extra.
  2. Download and install NordVPN on your favorite gaming device. Check our installation guides above for more details.
  3. Connect to a server from a country known for a bot lobby. Hawaii, Argentina, Egypt, and Sri Lanka are good options, but you can pick whichever country’s currently in the early morning, and you should get easier opponents.

    NordVPN connected to a server in Argentina
  4. Open Warzone and enjoy easier lobbies!

Best VPN Locations for Bot Lobbies in Warzone

Army of robots soldiers icon

To ensure a balanced match, COD: Warzone uses SBMM (Skill-Based Match Making). This bundles players together based on their online shooter chops.

But what happens when there aren’t enough similarly skilled players on a server at a given time to create a match? COD replaces potential players with bots or weaker players. That’s where the name “bot lobbies” comes from.

Warzone is popular in places like the US or China. If you live there, you probably won’t get into bot lobbies. However, there are places where Warzone isn’t as popular, like:

  • Hawaii
  • Egypt
  • Argentina
  • Sri Lanka
  • Singapore

If you connect to a server in one of these regions, you have a much higher chance of getting an easy lobby. However, manipulating SBMM and finding bot lobbies isn’t an exact science. It’s really down to you to experiment and see which servers are near your location and feature easy lobbies.

Is NoLag a Good VPN for Warzone?

Pros and cons icon

NoLag is a popular VPN for Warzone. It’s specifically designed to help you find bot lobbies, and it’s pretty easy to use. But you’d be selling yourself short if you spent your money on NoLag.

First, because it’s really expensive. NoLag VPN will set you back $4.90 per month for an annual subscription. NordVPN is only $ 2.99, and it’s much faster than NoLag. In fact, NordVPN is the fastest VPN we have tested.

Not to mention, NordVPN has a ton more features, like advanced encryption, an ad blocker, and protection against malware. Plus, if you get it with our link, you can get 69% off on long-term subscriptions.

VPNs to Avoid

While researching and testing the best VPN for Warzone, we found a few VPN apps that we don’t recommend. Not all of these are outright bad, but they just don’t work well with Call of Duty Warzone.

In the table below, you can see some of the VPN providers we recommend stirring clear of if you want to play Warzone with a VPN.

VPN ProviderWhy You Should Avoid It
BeetVPNSlow connection speeds and logs data
NoLagVPNCollects user data and sells to third parties and has been known to infect devices with malware
Betternet VPNUnreliable speeds and gathers a considerable amount of user data
Hola VPNLogs online activity and doesn’t encrypt your connection
Trust.ZonePromises several VPN protocols but only offers one
Free VPNs to avoid icon

A free VPN can be attractive if you don’t want to spend any money on VPNs. But a free VPN won’t do much to help you play Warzone. Free VPNs have very few servers, so they can’t maintain reliable speeds.

You’ll just struggle with ping for a few minutes before giving up. Even a fast internet connection isn’t enough to overcome this, so regardless of your internet service provider, you’ll have a hard time with free VPNs.

Plus, you don’t get any useful features like DNS leak protection, gaming-optimized servers, or your choice of server location.

Conclusion: The Best Warzone VPNs

Best VPN icon

Warzone is an amazing game. The thrill of clutching a round and besting your opponents is unique. But sometimes, you don’t want to challenge yourself. and you just want a chilled game in an easy lobby.

And that’s what a VPN can get you. Just connect to a server where COD: Warzone isn’t popular and enjoy being matchmade with bots or weaker players.

NordVPN is the best VPN for Warzone and playing free games. And it can do way more for you. It will keep your ping low, protect you from DDoS attacks, and help you enjoy tons of geo-blocked content online. Get it today for as much as 69% off:

If you want to make the most out of your games, don’t forget to also check out:

The Best VPNs for Warzone: Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s some frequently asked questions to help clear any doubts you might have.

What is the best VPN location for Warzone?

Any place where COD isn’t popular is a good VPN location for Warzone. The closer it is to you, the lower your ping will be too. We recommend Hawaii, Argentina, and Singapore, but try several countries and see what works for you.

Which VPN is best for gaming?

The best gaming VPN is NordVPN. Its speed, reliability, and easy installation on routers make it the best option for gamers. It’s also one of the best VPNs for playing Warzone.

Will a VPN get me banned from Warzone?

There’s no mention in Activision’s terms of service about the use of a VPN. So it’s not directly banned. And we haven’t heard any stories of “shadow banning.” So yes, you can use a VPN on Warzone.

How do I get a VPN to work in Warzone?

If you get a premium VPN service, you just need to install it, choose a server in any country you want and press “Connect.” If you keep having issues with Warzone, contact your VPN’s customer support team.

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