To play with less experienced CoD players and enhance your skills, you need a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN hides your IP address when you’re connected to its servers playing Warzone, allowing you to find easy bot lobbies and boost your stats. After testing over 30 VPNs, I found that ExpressVPN is the best Warzone VPN due to its blazing-fast speeds. You can get ExpressVPN risk-free as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied, you can easily request a refund. Play Warzone with ExpressVPN
Quick Guide: The Best COD Warzone VPNs in 2023
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Why You Need a VPN When Playing Call of Duty: Warzone
Although game developers often deny its existence, many believe that online multiplayer games, including Warzone and Warzone 2.0, use skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) to match you against similarly-skilled opponents. The downside of this is that, as your gaming skills improve, your lobbies become more difficult. This makes it harder to win, move up the ranks, and generally have fun while playing Warzone online. However, your location and the time of day can heavily influence who you’re matched with while playing Warzone. This is online at certain times of day (usually in the morning and late at night), so the matchmaking algorithm struggles to match you with players of a similar level. You can stay connected to easy bot lobbies even when you travel out of your country if you use one of the top VPNs on the market. A quality VPN virtually changes your location and hides your IP address, enabling you to connect to a favorable lobby to increase your chances of winning. Not only that, you can reduce ISP bandwidth throttling with a VPN. This is when your Internet Service Provider limits your use of bandwidth-heavy activities like downloading or streaming. A quality VPN such as ExpressVPN stops this by masking your activity with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption and IP protection. You can buy ExpressVPN with confidence as it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If the service doesn’t meet your expectations, it’s easy to claim a refund. Access better Warzone lobbies with ExpressVPN
The Best VPNs for Call of Duty: Warzone
1. ExpressVPN — Superfast Speeds for Lag-Free Call of Duty: Warzone Games
Key Features: ExpressVPN provides ultra-fast speeds that allow you to play Call of Duty: Warzone and Warzone 2.0 without lag. I experienced exceptional speeds of over 200Mbps — only a 7% drop from my baseline speed and a far cry from the 3Mbps minimum recommended for online gaming. This means you’ll be able to play Warzone without interruptions and download large updates without delays. With 3,000+ servers in over 94 countries giving you access to Warzone lobbies, ExpressVPN allows you to play against your friends back home while traveling abroad. After testing many of ExpressVPN’s local and long-distance servers, I found that you can access bot lobbies no matter where you are in the world. Based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), ExpressVPN is under no obligation to share your data with governmental organizations and will keep your information safe and secure at all times. Being outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliance combined with a strict no-logs policy makes ExpressVPN one of the best VPNs you can buy, ensuring that you are completely anonymous while playing Call of Duty: Warzone. ExpressVPN has the following security features that ensure you stay protected while playing Warzone:
256-bit encryption disguises your data so it can’t be read by third parties Independently-audited no-logs policy ensures none of your activity is stored Kill switch to cut your connection in case of an accidental VPN termination Proprietary Lightway Protocol delivers maximum protection and lightning-fast speeds IP masking protects against DDoS attacks and ISP throttling
You’ll be able to play Call of Duty: Warzone on up to 5 devices simultaneously with ExpressVPN, including your laptop, consoles, and PC. Using ExpressVPN’s router app, you can easily play Warzone on your Xbox (One, One S, One X, and Series S) and PlayStation (4 & 5). These premium features make ExpressVPN slightly more expensive than other VPNs at $6.67/month, but it’s still a great deal as you’re getting 49% off of the annual subscription (+3 months free). You can buy ExpressVPN in confidence since it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. To verify this policy, I sent ExpressVPN’s customer service team a direct message through its 24/7 live chat. I received a response within minutes confirming the refund. I received the money back 3 days later. Play Warzone with ExpressVPN
2. CyberGhost — Optimized Gaming Servers Reduce Latency While Playing Warzone
Key Features: CyberGhost has many optimized gaming servers around the world, including the US and the UK, for you to use when playing Warzone. Changing your IP can help you to find lower-skilled bot lobby players and reduce the latency you experience. Each of its servers is organized by ping, meaning that you can choose CyberGhost’s best servers for lag-free Warzone 1 & 2 gaming without having to scroll down the list and find one yourself. I had ping as low as 12ms, resulting in a smooth gaming experience with no noticeable lag. 9.500+ servers in over 91 countries enable you to access bot lobbies without congestion caused by overcrowded servers. During tests, I had excellent ping on local CyberGhost servers, and the more distant servers that were tested. Each server gave reliable connections and allowed hours of interruption-free gaming. Note that if you attempt to access a bot lobby on an especially distant server, you may experience significant speed drops, leading to laggy play. CyberGhost gives a smooth Warzone experience thanks to its stellar security protections such as:
IP masking to protect against DDoS attacks Audited no-logs policy so your traffic is never saved AES 256-bit military-grade encryption to ensure your personal data is unreadable to hackers Always-on kill switch prevents data leaks if your server connection is lost IKEv2, Open VPN, and WireGuard protocols so you can choose the connections that work best for your needs.
You can use CyberGhost on up to 7 devices simultaneously, letting you play Warzone on your PC and consoles. While testing CyberGhost, I connected my Windows PC, an Android phone, iOS phone, and a PS4 to CyberGhost’s servers without issues or lag. The only minor con I identified is that CyberGhost’s short-term plans are more expensive than other top VPNs. However, its long-term plans are much cheaper and come with a 45-day money-back guarantee — the longest on this list. You can get CyberGhost for as little as $2.11/month, which is a great price considering that it provides gaming-optimized servers. You can download CyberGhost risk-free using its 45-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied, getting a refund is no problem. I messaged CyberGhost’s 24/7 live chat to see if you can get your money back as easily as promoted. In less than 10 minutes, I received a response stating that my refund was being processed with no questions asked and had the money back 4 days later. Play Warzone with CyberGhost
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — A Vast Network of Servers Enable Bot Lobbies From Anywhere
Key Features: Private Internet Access has 35,000 servers in over 84 countries, the largest network of servers on this list. This allows you to connect to various locations in CoD: Warzone countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Brazil, and Germany. Due to its vast network, PIA is one of the best VPNs for reducing the chance of overcrowded servers and finding the best bot lobbies to improve your rankings. This VPN makes heavy use of virtual servers, which can bring added performance benefits during gaming as it offers you a wider range of available servers. When I tested PIA with servers a few hours behind my timezone, I was happy to see that my ping remained below 70ms. This means that, even if you travel outside your usual country, you can connect to a server in a favorable timezone and play uninterrupted Warzone battles. PIA lets you customize the following security options to perfectly tailor your Warzone experience:
256-bit military-grade encryption safeguards your connection An audited no-logs policy ensures your activity is never monitored or stored A toggleable kill switch prevents data leakage in case of a connection drop OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IPSec protocols provide strong speed and security, depending on your preferences.
For as little as $2.11/month, you can play Call of Duty: Warzone on up to Unlimited devices simultaneously. PIA allows you to join lobbies with your family and friends at a fraction of the cost without compromising your privacy, security, or accessibility. Unfortunately, PIA’s interface is a bit complicated for VPN novices due to a variety of customization options and advanced features. However, PIA provides extensive installation guides for all compatible devices to make it easier for you to access its servers and play Warzone. If you are a user who is comfortable with VPN tech, PIA may be the perfect choice for you, as it’s great to have more control over your settings. Get PIA using its 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your PIA subscription, you can easily get a full refund. To see if you can get your money back, I emailed PIA using its email support service requesting a refund. My refund request was processed within an hour with no questions asked, and I had the money back 6 working days later. Play Warzone with PIA
4. NordVPN — Unique Meshnet Feature Lets You Play CoD: Warzone Gameplay From Anywhere
Key Features: NordVPN’s Meshnet feature provides quick access to local CoD: Warzone lobbies when abroad. With Meshnet, you can create a secure network, linking your devices together to connect from anywhere. This made it easy to connect to my Windows PC when abroad to play on local servers, and it only took a couple of minutes to set up.
I found it satisfying to discover that NordVPN’s network speeds consistently remain fast, with an average decrease of only 13% from the internet service provider’s speed of 68Mbps. Even on a slower connection, the speeds were sufficiently rapid to ensure seamless online gaming without any delays or disruptions. To ensure you have secure connections when playing CoD: Warzone, NordVPN has a range of top-tier features that include:
AES-256-bit encryption — keeps your data and online activity secure at all times, so no prying eyes can spy on your connection. DDoS protection — stops DDoS attacks from disgruntled opponents from reaching your network to interrupt your connection. Fast and secure protocols — including the proprietary NordLynx protocol, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec. Threat Protection — blocks malicious downloads, ads, and trackers from reaching your devices. Zero-logs policy — third-party audits confirm NordVPN won’t log or store your data when you’re connected to its servers.
With more than 5700 servers worldwide, you won’t experience user congestion or have issues connecting with NordVPN. It took less than 15 seconds to establish a connection, and I could play without interruption at any time of the day. My issue with NordVPN is its price — while its long-term deals are affordable for such comprehensive protection ($3.49/month for a 2-year plan), renewal prices dramatically increase after the initial subscription. This is worth considering as you may need to switch plans if you’re on a budget. Fortunately, all NordVPN subscriptions are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test the service risk-free. If you change your mind, just reach out to customer service for a refund. It took a couple of minutes to process my refund using the 24/7 live chat, and I had the full amount returned within a week. Play Warzone with NordVPN
5. Surfshark — NoBorders Mode Avoids Restrictions that Block CoD: Warzone Gaming
Key Features: Surfshark’s NoBorders feature lets you access CoD: Warzone on restrictive networks, letting you connect to your favorite lobbies from anywhere. NoBorders obfuscates your traffic, hiding your VPN use so you can make easy connections on networks that block online gaming or proxies. Plus, during tests, the extra security didn’t impact my speeds.
I found choosing a low ping and load server means Surfshark’s speeds are reliably fast — especially on local connections. Nearby servers had a tiny speed drop of just 15%, with long-distance connections causing a slowdown of 20% on average. I made sure to use the WireGuard protocol to ensure I always had the fastest connection speeds for gaming. You can rest assured your CoD: Warzone online gaming is protected, as Surfshark has the following top-tier security and privacy features:
Military-grade encryption — tunnels all traffic securely, avoiding the threat of DDoS attacks. Auto-connect — when using an unknown network, Surfshark automatically connects to a server so you can game online safely. Smart DNS — lets you access global locations for CoD: Warzone on devices that don’t support a VPN app, like PlayStation and Xbox. Audited zero-log policy — Surfshark has been proven to adhere to a strict zero-log policy through third-party audits.
Unfortunately, Surfshark struggles to keep ping low over long distances, so it’s not ideal for CoD: Warzone lobbies more than 5,000km away. Some connections caused ping to jump more than 300%, making it impossible to keep up with my teammates. For consistently low ping servers worldwide, I recommend ExpressVPN. I found Surfshark has subscriptions starting at $2.39/month, making it a low-cost option for a long-term plan. Plus, each plan has a 30-day guarantee so you can get a refund if you change your mind. I contacted the 24/7 live chat to request a refund, which was processed promptly. I had my money back quickly, in just 4 days. Play Warzone with Surfshark
Comparison Table: 2023’s Best Warzone VPNs
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How I Tested and Ranked the Best VPNs for Call of Duty: Warzone
Although there are several VPNs that have perfected streaming Netflix US and other services, VPNs that are good for gaming are few and far between. The following are some of the main factors I used to see which VPNs are best for finding easier lobbies in Call of Duty: Warzone and Warzone 2.0:
Fast speeds: You need lightning-fast speeds to play Call of Duty without losing your game due to connection issues and lag. Low ping: Ping is the latency (or lag) you encounter while playing online — the lower, the better. Connecting to a VPN generally introduces a little extra latency, but the best VPNs for gaming have developed server infrastructure that keeps it to a minimum (depending on the distance to the server you’re connected to). Variety of servers: Wide server availability ensures you can play Warzone with reliable connectivity no matter where you’re located. Security: Advanced features like AES 256-bit encryption and IP masking reduce the risk of DDoS attacks while playing Warzone online. Privacy: RAM-based servers, IP & DNS leak protection, and strict no-logs policies ensure you remain anonymous and can play Warzone risk-free. Device compatibility: Warzone can be played on your Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, so you need a VPN that is compatible with all of these devices. You should also be able to set up a connection on your router or via a PC hotspot in case you want to connect your console to a VPN. Simultaneous connections: So you can play Warzone on all your devices.
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How to Use a Warzone VPN in 3 Simple Steps
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How to Choose the Best VPN for Warzone
Here is a list of features you should consider when searching for a Warzone VPN to find bot lobbies and avoid SBMM:
DDoS protection: Choosing a VPN with DDoS protection like ExpressVPN is essential in 2023 as without DDoS protection, you’re more susceptible to cyber attacks that often occur while gaming. DDoS attacks can outright crash your game, denying you access to Warzone and its servers for hours at a time. Low ping rate/latency: When choosing a VPN, it’s important to find servers that are fast and ordered by ping. This will save you a lot of time when connecting to a Warzone VPN, as you won’t have to search through lists of hundreds of servers to acquire fast speeds for uninterrupted gaming. Smart DNS or Router configuration: If you want to play Warzone on a gaming console (including Xbox and PlayStation), you need a VPN that either allows Smart DNS connections or has its own router app. Good price: A VPN subscription can get very expensive depending on the VPN you choose. However, all VPNs on this list are among the best monthly VPNs and can be acquired for just a few dollars per month. Reliable money-back guarantee: In the event that the VPN you choose can’t consistently access Warzone or Warzone 2.0 in your country, you need to be able to get your money back quickly. Fortunately, every VPN on this list has a tested money-back guarantee.
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How to Play CoD: Warzone on Any of Your Devices
Since it works on a variety of devices, there are multiple ways to access Call of Duty: Warzone and find easy lobbies, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Mac (with an Intel Chip using BootCamp). However, you can’t get Warzone on mobile yet because this version is in active development (supposedly launching in May 2023). Play Call of Duty with ExpressVPN
Play Call of Duty: Warzone With a VPN
Due to Warzone’s suspected SBMM algorithm, you’ll often find yourself placed in frustrating matches with highly-skilled players, which can make it difficult to get a win. With a VPN, you can change your real IP and connect to a server in a country of your choice to access easy Warzone bot lobbies. SBMM is skill-based matchmaking, which means that you will only usually be pitted against players of a skill set that is similar or greater than your own. Although the creators of Call of Duty: Warzone and Warzone 2.0 have never officially confirmed the existence of SBMM, it’s hard to dispute its existence. There has been plenty of testing online that proves players are consistently placed in lobbies with others of the same or greater skill level. Splitting playlists between a ranked mode with SBMM active and a casual mode without SBMM is a compromise that many players would like to see happen. However, there’s no word from the developers on whether this might happen. If you live in a country known for easy bot lobbies (such as Argentina, Hawaii, or Egypt), you can even access these bot lobbies when you travel outside your country with a VPN. Since a VPN disguises your true identity, the SBMM algorithm will have a tough time matching you with players of a similar skill level. Just connect to a server in the location you need and start your battle! The same concept applies to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, as well as many other modern shooters, meaning a VPN can be an invaluable tool in all your favorite online multiplayer games. Note that using a VPN to access bot lobbies in a country outside of your residence may breach Activision’s Terms of Use. I do not condone using a VPN for any illegal activities. To increase the likelihood of getting a low ping rate, there are 3 options: Be aware that if your internet speed is slow before using a VPN, it could get slower and make it more difficult to access Warzone. This is because some VPNs can cause a speed reduction when rerouting your connection through its servers. However, Warzone’s Security and Enforcement Policy states that using any software to gain an unfair advantage over other players or to improve their stats is against its rules and could lead to a ban. If you’re a high-profile gamer or a professional player, I recommend you assess this risk and reach out to Warzone support for extra clarification to ensure you don’t get banned. Warzone Mobile is also still in development for Android and iPhone, allegedly due to launch in May 2023. However, if this doesn’t solve the problem, can:
Update your VPN. Uninstall the VPN and reinstall it on your device. Contact customer support for help. Download a trustworthy and reliable VPN, such as ExpressVPN.
A configuration of the OpenVPN protocol, NoLogVPN was designed specifically for Warzone players and their needs. However, you will not be able to access streaming platforms or get any advanced security features, such as military-grade encryption, ad & malware blockers, kill switches, or split tunneling. If you purchase a NoLogVPN subscription, you will be paying the same, if not more, than you would when using one of the best Warzone VPNs — without any benefits. But not only that, free VPNs often sell user data for additional profit. They’re also often unable to overcome Warzone’s anti-cheat system and tampering software – which could cause you to get banned and lose access to Call of Duty: Warzone completely. After testing over 30 VPNs, I found that ExpressVPN’s superfast speeds and Lightway protocol make it the best VPN for playing Warzone. Download ExpressVPN risk-free as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re unhappy with your subscription, you can get a full refund by messaging its customer service team. Play Warzone with ExpressVPN
