Best VPNs for Valorant in 2022
Valorant is a vibrant and widely popular FPS game developed by Riot Games. It attracted around 3 million players worldwide with just the beta version.
But despite being loved and played, the game has certain issues. Voice chat blocks, IP bans, high ping issues or even DDoS attacks, as well as not being able to play on servers that aren’t in your region of residence are just some of the problems that players face.
Luckily, it’s something that can be easily fixed with a quality VPN for Valorant. That’s because by changing your IP address and virtual location, these issues can be avoided.
Still, there are many VPNs to choose from. Lucky for you, we’ve done the research and tested numerous VPN providers. Take a look at our list of the best VPNs for Valorant in 2022 and choose your favorite.
Top 5 best Valorant VPNs:
- NordVPN – the best VPN for Valorant
- Surfshark – Valorant VPN with excellent speeds
- IPVanish – affordable Valorant VPN
- PrivateVPN – VPN with customizable security
- PureVPN – VPN for Valorant with a wide country selection
Why do I need a VPN for Valorant?
Here's why you should consider getting a Valorant VPN:
- Play with people from different regions. As of right now, you can only play on those Valorant servers which are available for your region of residence, or ‘shard’. So if you’re based in the US, you’ll be able to play only with players who are also on the North America shard. Because Riot changes the shard based on your physical location, you’ll need a VPN if you’re not planning to move any time soon.
- Access the voice chat. The voice chat function in Valorant is extremely important for communicating with your team. Unfortunately, voice chat is banned in certain countries and regions, for example, Egypt. If VoIP in Valorant is not working in your country, you need a VPN to change your virtual location.
- Avoid DDoS attacks. If you and/or your team are highly skilled players, chances are that some bitter losers will try to DDoS you. You can easily avoid this by changing your IP address with a reliable VPN.
- Avoid ISP speed throttling. While aforementioned shards exist for low ping and lag reduction reasons, a VPN can be helpful in the case of your ISP throttling your internet speed. Internet Service Providers tend to do that when they detect activities that require quick operation, such as gaming or streaming. A VPN that has excellent speed, such as NordVPN, can help avoid ISP speed throttling and reduce ping in Valorant.
- Get around an IP ban. If you have been banned from playing the game for some reason, it’s likely that your IP address got blocked. A VPN will get you a new IP address and allow you to play the game again. However, it’s important to note that a VPN can’t help with a HWID ban, because that’s a device and not an IP block.
Best VPNs for Valorant – our detailed list:
While any VPN would probably work with Valorant, we don’t want you choosing whatever and calling it a day. Color us concerned for your gaming experience and security, if you will. So for your convenience, here’s the detailed list of the five best Valorant VPNs:
1. NordVPN – the best Valorant VPN
| Based in: | Panama |
| Servers/countries: | 5400 servers in 60 countries |
| Unblocks Netflix: | Yes |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get NordVPN with 60% OFF! 🔥 |
NordVPN is the best VPN for Valorant, and here’s why: it has servers all over the world, probably the fastest speeds, and very advanced security and privacy features.
NordVPN has 5400 servers in 60 countries worldwide, which grants you opportunities to choose the best server for gaming no matter where you are.
As for speed, NordVPN certainly doesn’t disappoint. It has a custom NordLynx protocol which is generally regarded as the fastest VPN protocol as of yet. And not without reason either – naturally, VPNs tend to slow down your internet speed, but NordVPN retains 80-90% of the original baseline, so the difference will probably be barely noticeable when playing Valorant.
In terms of security, NordVPN uses the military-grade AES encryption and additional authentication processing with hash functions. It also has features for safe browsing, such as CyberSec, which blocks ads and malicious websites. There is also a functional kill switch in case a secure connection is lost.
And the pricing isn’t too bad either. NordVPNs deals start at $3.29/month, and they also offer a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If you’d like to know more, check out our NordVPN review.
- Excellent speeds
- Advanced security features
- Affordable pricin
- Free trial
- Ad-blocking feature
- No router app
2. Surfshark – freakishly fast VPN for Valorant
| Based in: | The Netherlands |
| Servers/countries: | 3200 servers in 65 countries |
| Unblocks Netflix: | Yes |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get up to 82% OFF Surfshark + 2 months FREE! 🔥 |
Here’s another near perfect Valorant VPN. Based in the Netherlands, Surfshark is the one provider known to be extremely fast and affordable. Its pricing starts at $2.30/month and makes Surfshark one of the best VPNs for those who have a tight budget but still want a fast VPN.
As for speed, Surfshark has a very good WireGuard implementation. The speed drops are minimal, and chances are, you won’t even feel much of a difference when playing Valorant. Especially if you connect to a location that’s close to you.
Surfshark has 3200 servers in 3200 countries in various corners of the world. So it doesn’t matter where you yourself reside – you’ll be able to virtually travel anywhere, and play Valorant with people from all over the world.
Security is also one of those things that Surfshark takes very seriously. Military-grade encryption, a reliable kill switch, and features for safe browsing – it’s all in there, available at all times. Your gaming experience will be much safer, and online presence anonymous and protected.
And aside from being good for gaming, Surfshark also has superb unblocking abilities - Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, you name it. When you get tired of shooting, you can start watching all of the shows you wanted to catch up on.
For more information, read our Surfshark review.
- Strong security features
- Excellent WireGuard performance
- Advanced extra features
- Good price and quality ratio
- No split tunneling on iOS
3. IPVanish – user-friendly and affordable Valorant VPN
| Based in: | US |
| Servers/countries: | 2000 servers in 50 countries |
| Unblocks Netflix: | Yes |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get up to 63% OFF IPVanish + an Antivirus! 🔥 |
This US-based VPN provider is extremely user-friendly for all kinds of Valorant players. Not only that, IPVanish also has servers in plenty of locations worldwide, usually with several cities in one country. You’ll have plenty of options to choose from if your IP gets banned.
IPVanish is also decent when it comes to unblocking entertainment other than gaming. Streaming libraries of the US and neighboring countries, as well as the Asian Pacific region will be at your fingertips.
And if you’re worried about lag - don’t be. IPVanish has speeds that are perfectly suitable for quick-paced gameplay. Naturally, ping will be a little higher due to encryption layers, but the latency probably won’t be very noticeable. Especially if you connect to a location close to you.
When it comes to security features, IPVanish uses the industry standard AES encryption, and it also offers obfuscation and auto-connect features. You won’t have to worry about your real IP address leaking, or someone finding out what you do online.
The pricing starts at $3.99/month. You can also try IPVanish risk-free with their 7-day free trial and a 30-day money back guarantee.
If you want to know more, read our IPVanish review.
- Geographically diverse servers
- Ulimited connections
- Good speeds
- Price increases after a year
- Lacks extra features
4. PrivateVPN – advanced security options
| Based in: | Sweden |
| Servers/countries: | 200 servers in 63 countries |
| Unblocks Netflix: | Yes |
| Current deal: | Get PrivateVPN, now 85% OFF! |
PrivateVPN is another pretty good VPN for Valorant. Customizable encryption levels make it especially attractive to those with more technical knowledge. Setting the encryption level to lowest may increase your speed and will still keep you relatively secure while gaming.
And now that we’re talking about speed, it must be noted that PrivateVPN doesn’t have WireGuard, unfortunately. But if you’re gonna connect to the closest location to you, it shouldn’t be too bad.
The server count of this provider is sadly not as impressive as some of the others on our list - only 200 servers in 63 countries. Nevertheless, it should be enough both for choosing the best Valorant server, and unblocking some of the most popular streaming libraries worldwide.
And when it comes to pricing, PrivateVPN’s subscriptions start at $2.00/month. You can also take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee if you end up not liking the service after all.
For more details, read our PrivateVPN review.
- Great for torrenting
- Customizable encryption
- Free trial
- Okay speed
- No split tunneling
- Small server fleet
- No WireGuard
5. PureVPN – plenty of locations for Valorant
| Based in: | British Virgin Islands |
| Servers/countries: | 6500 servers in 78 countries |
| Unblocks Netflix: | Yes |
| Current deal: | Get PureVPN 82% OFF + 3 months FREE! |
A decent VPN for Valorant, PureVPN is the one provider that has servers in the most locations - the country count is more than 78. Apart from that, PureVPN is also pretty good at unblocking streaming services, so you shouldn't have trouble with the Valorant voice chat either.
As for features, PureVPN might not have some extremely advanced ones, but they’re still perfectly functional. For example, a kill switch to shut off access to the internet in case your connection becomes insecure. And it also supports port forwarding, which can be useful if you want to create your own gaming servers.
When it comes to speed, PureVPN may not be the fastest VPN, so if you’re looking to play with people from the other side of the world, maybe look for a faster provider. But despite that, PureVPN has the WireGuard protocol available on Windows and Android, so the speed won’t be excruciatingly slow – just not the best for hardcore gaming.
As for price, PureVPN’s plans start at $1.99/month, and there is also a 31-day money-back guarantee.
For more information, take a look at our PureVPN review.
- 31-day money-back guarantee
- Supports port forwarding
- Good speeds
- Connection issues
- Some features don't work with WireGuard
How we selected and tested these VPNs
Testing VPNs for gaming includes all kinds of trials, but the most important factors that we looked at for Valorant VPNs are these:
- Locations. The more varied locations a VPN has servers in, the more options to choose from. You can choose the one closest to you for better ping, or the one where your teammates reside for better sync.
- Speed. Because a VPN will inevitably slow down your internet connection speed, we looked for the ones which are very fast, so the ping and lag will be minimal. Besides, good speeds are not only important for gaming, but also for streaming.
- Security. Staying safe while gaming or simply browsing should be among your top priorities. We chose VPNs that have only the most advanced security features to offer.
- Price. While it is worth investing in a quality VPN for all kinds of purposes and not only gaming, you definitely don’t want to overpay, or not get what you paid for. So in our list, we included only the VPNs that are of good quality and don’t cost a fortune.
How to play Valorant in different regions
Here's a short and easy guide on how to play Valorant with a VPN in different regions:
- Choose a VPN. NordVPN is our top choice
- Install the VPN on your computer
- Connect to a server in your desired location
- Create a Riot account in that region. Your shard will be set according to the location of your IP address
- The Region of Residence should be the same as your chosen VPN location:
- Download the game and get to playing
Can VPN reduce ping in Valorant?
Yes, a VPN can reduce ping in Valorant, especially if you're being throttled by your ISP. While a VPN will help with ISP speed throttling, it will still slow down your internet connection a little bit, so be sure to connect to the closest VPN server available to you. If you connect to a location that's very far away, the ping might even increase.
Can I use a free VPN for Valorant?
Yes, you can use a free VPN for Valorant, but we don’t recommend that.
Free VPNs simply cannot offer the same quality of service as paid VPNs. They often have very slow speeds which are unsuitable for gaming, as well as very few locations to choose from. Besides, the security features may be lacking.
Free VPNs also tend to collect and sell user data to third parties as a means of maintaining the service.
But if you really want a free VPN for Valorant, we suggest you look into VPNs with free trials. For example, you can get your NordVPN free trial right now, or try Surfshark for 7 days for free. IPVanish also offers a week-long free trial for their potential users.
More VPN guides from CyberNews:
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Best VPNs for Apex Legends: fix your Apex Legends lag
Best VPNs for Lost Ark: play the Korean Lost Ark version from anywhere
Best VPNs for CS GO: change your region for a better matchmaking
FAQ
What's the best VPN for Valorant?
NordVPN is the best VPN for Valorant. Not only does it have a high number of servers all over the world, but it also is one of the fastest VPNs for gaming. Besides, it also has advanced security features to keep you secure and protected at all times.
Is NordVPN good for Valorant?
Yes, NordVPN is a good VPN for Valorant. It has excellent speeds for the best gaming experience, as well as advanced security features such as anti-malware protection, ad-blocking, and others.
Is it legal to use a VPN with Valorant?
Yes, it is legal to use a VPN for Valorant for security and privacy purposes. Riot games won’t ban you for using a VPN with Valorant or any other of their games, unless you use it for cheating or otherwise infringing their Terms of Service.
Can I get banned for using a VPN for Valorant?
No, Valorant or Riot probably won’t ban you for using a VPN for security or ping reduction reasons. However, if you use a VPN to cheat or harass other players, you might get banned with either an IP address ban, or a HWID ban.
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