Lower ping to specific servers, DDoS protection during competitive play, and account security when you're logging into marketplaces across our directory.
A more direct network route to a specific game server can reduce latency, especially useful for competitive shooters and extraction games where timing matters.
Masking your real IP address reduces exposure to DDoS attacks, a real concern in competitive lobbies and extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov.
Encrypts your connection when logging into vendor marketplaces, adding a layer of protection on top of the practices in our safety guide.
Scores reflect our editorial assessment of speed, server network size, DDoS protection and ease of setup for gaming use — not individually verified customer reviews. We do not recommend using a VPN to circumvent regional pricing restrictions.
| VPN | Servers | Devices | Kill Switch | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 6,000+ | 10 | Yes | — |
| ExpressVPN | 3,000+ | 8 | Yes | — |
| Surfshark | 3,200+ | Unlimited | Yes | — |
| ProtonVPN | 2,900+ | 10 | Yes | Yes |
| CyberGhost | 9,000+ | 7 | Yes | — |
Sometimes — a VPN can occasionally find a more direct network route to a specific game server than your default ISP path, but it can also add latency by routing through an extra server. Results depend on your location, your ISP, and the specific server you're connecting to.
We'd steer you away from that use case specifically — most publishers' terms of service treat regional price circumvention as a violation, similar to the real-money trading risks covered throughout this site. This page focuses on VPNs for latency, security and DDoS protection instead.
A VPN is most valuable for competitive or extraction-based games where DDoS attacks and account security carry higher stakes. Casual play generally sees less benefit, though general browsing security is still a reasonable everyday use case.