Best VPNs for Warzone (COD) in 2023

Playing Call of Duty: Warzone (and newly released Warzone 2) against people that have similar skill and Kill/Death averages can be pretty fun and challenging. There’s nothing more satisfying than besting a skilled player and earning that sweet victory for your team.

But the skill-based matchmaking (SBMM for short), which pairs you with players of the same level, gets old really quickly. Sometimes, you just want to relax and shoot some easy targets, all the while climbing your way up the leaderboard.

However, getting bot lobbies outside of training matches and avoiding SBMM is not something the game just allows you to do. But the good news is that it’s easier with a VPN. That’s right, the best VPN can help you get around COD's SBMM and get bot lobbies for easy gameplay. To add to that, it will also protect you from any potential DDoS and might even reduce ping.

But with so many VPNs to choose from, it can get a little tedious. Worry not, though, because I went ahead and did some testing on your behalf. Here’s the result: a list of the best VPNs for Warzone. And to go with that, I wrote a comprehensive and easy to follow guide on how to use a VPN to get easier lobbies. Take a look.

Best Warzone VPNs to get easy lobbies:

1. NordVPN – the best VPN for Warzone
2. Surfshark – a fast but cheap VPN option to get around Warzone matchmaking
3. IPVanish – a VPN with servers in 50 countries
4. ExpressVPN – impressive speeds for lag-free gaming
5. CyberGhost – a VPN with gaming-optimized servers

How to use a VPN for Warzone

1. Choose and download a VPN. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Create an account and login.
3. Choose the optimal server based on your location and speed.
4. Open the game and get to shooting in Verdansk.

For a more detailed how-to about easy bot lobbies in Warzone, you can jump straight to this guide.

Best VPNs for Warzone – our detailed list:

Get to know the best VPNs for Warzone better. Here’s the detailed list of every provider I recommend:

1. NordVPN – the ultimate VPN for Warzone

Visit NordVPN

NordVPN is the best VPN for Warzone, and for gaming overall. Countless other reviews and lists of VPNs for Warzone cite NordVPN as the most suitable for playing this ruthless shooter game. And it’s not without reason, too.

It is the fastest VPN on the market right now. Sure, plenty of good VPNs employ the WireGuard protocol to ensure as fast an Internet connection as possible, and NordVPN is not an exception.

However, NordVPN has made a few changes to WireGuard and creaed the Nordlynx protocol, which makes your Internet speed fly through the roof, resulting in average drops in speed no higher than 13%. This is ideal for playing such games as Warzone.

Together with excellent speeds goes an excellent selection of servers and locations worldwide. NordVPN has more than 5500 servers in 60 countries all over the world. You will always find the best Warzone location to play in.

On top of everything else, NordVPN has new-generation encryption together with a kill switch and split tunneling options to make your connection that much safer. Pair that with a great, constantly discounted price and you’ve got the best deal before your eyes.

For more details, read our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark – fast and reliable VPN for Warzone

Visit Surfshark VPN

Here’s another near perfect VPN for Warzone. Based in the Netherlands, Surfshark has the ultimate cheap + fast combination under its belt. With prices starting just at $2.30/month, Surfshark is the perfect solution for people with a tighter budget.

As for speed, the famous WireGuard protocol does wonders. The average speed drop in most countries is mere 23%, and in Europe it is as small as just 6%. This is virtually nothing when you really think about it, especially compared to a 50% drop if using other protocols.

Surfshark’s encryption game is also strong. They use the AES-256-GCM cipher, which is not far from the military-grade AES-256. Pair that with split tunneling and an excellent kill switch for securing your data in case of unsecure connection, and you’ve got a pretty good deal.

And that’s not all. Surfshark has more than 3200 servers in 100 countries. That’s a pretty wide selection of servers and locations if I do say so myself. You’ll have no trouble finding the best country for Warzone bot lobbies.

For more info, check out our Surfshark review.

3. IPVanish – the widest range of server locations

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This US-based VPN provider is one of the most affordable options for Warzone out there.

IPVanish’s speeds also don’t disappoint. With WireGuard, you can expect to retain 80-90% of the original speed, ensuring a smooth Warzone match without significant lagging. And this is all while getting the ultimate protection, too.

Military grade 256-bit AES encryption is what makes IPVanish so secure. On top of that, any authentication is additionally processed using the SHA-512 hash functions. This ensures that no bare and vulnerable info will be left alone to fend for itself. IPVanish truly offers the highest tier of online security.

In terms of servers and locations – IPVanish has servers in 50 countries, which is the ultimate number of Warzone bot lobby locations to choose from. No matter the time of day, you will always be able to find the best virtual place to play Warzone in.

To learn more, take a look at our IPVanish review.

4. ExpressVPN – ensures a lag-free Warzone gaming

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Another provider on our list that will improve your Call of Duty: Warzone gameplay is ExpressVPN.

This British Virgin Islands-based VPN won’t slow you down. When testing the provider, we enjoyed completely lag-free gaming and witnessed impressive speeds. This means there will be no delays when downloading huge updates, and a smooth gaming experience is guaranteed.

ExpressVPN prioritizes security and privacy as well. It comes with the AES 256-GCM cipher, a kill switch, proprietary Lightway Protocol, and an independently audited and court-proven no-logs policy. Apart from this, it uses split tunneling that allows you to choose to send only the gaming traffic through the VPN tunnel.

ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries, meaning you won’t have any issues choosing the best server location for finding the bot lobbies and will be able to play against your friends while traveling abroad.

The only problem is that ExpressVPN is on the pricier side. However, you can find some pretty amazing deals that will spare your wallet, especially when signing up for the long-term plan.

For more information, check our ExpressVPN review.

5. CyberGhost – a VPN with dedicated gaming servers

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For those who want to find the perfect server for Warzone easily, CyberGhost is one of the recommended options. The provider comes with gaming-optimized servers, which are ideal for shooters like Warzone.

CyberGhost makes things easier by listing the recommended servers in the “For Gaming” category. To find the fastest location and improve your gaming experience, you can sort the servers based on ping and distance. The only drawback is that if there are no such servers near you, the speed drop could be huge.

To protect you from any threats while playing, CyberGhost offers AES-256 encryption, an automatic kill switch, and IP/DNS leak protection. It also has an audited no-logs policy for your peace of mind.

What’s impressive is that you get to pick from more than 9700 servers in 91 countries worldwide. That said, you can easily get bot lobbies and avoid overcrowded servers.

CyberGhost is super affordable as well. Prices start from only $2.19/month when picking the long-term plan. A 45-day money-back guarantee is included.

Read our CyberGhost review to learn more.

6. PrivateVPN – choose your own security level

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PrivateVPN is another amazing VPN for Warzone. Even though it has a smaller server count than other providers on this list, they’re spread out across 63 countries, which is not so bad. You'll be able to find the best VPN locations for Warzone anyway. And together with superb security features and good speeds, PrivateVPN makes a fair contender.

Even though PrivateVPN doesn’t have the WireGuard protocol, it doesn’t mean that its speeds are not good enough for Warzone. The drops in speed aren’t so significant as to disrupt your smooth gaming experience, so there’s that.

Encryption is also up to par with the best VPN providers on the market. In fact, PrivateVPN lets you customize the encryption levels. You can choose from as many as four encryption ciphers. This is not like anything that other providers offer.

And to add to the security game, Private VPN has quite a lot of protocols to choose from. Variety is always good.

For more information, read our PrivateVPN review.

7. PureVPN – fast VPN for Warzone

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One more option for a fast VPN for Warzone is PureVPN. There are several tunneling protocols for you to choose from, including the fastest and safest WireGuard and OpenVPN. So not only will you get great speeds, but your data security will be ensured.

Speaking of security, with this provider your data will be encrypted with the industry standard AES-256 encryption. So you can safely enjoy your anonymity and not fear your real data leaking. Additional security measures include a reliable kill switch and an audited no-logs policy.

Another great feature of PureVPN is the extensive list of server locations you can pick from. This provider covers 78 countries, so there won’t be any issue finding the best server location for Warzone.

Check our PureVPN review for more information.

8. Ivacy VPN – VPN with reliable security

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Ivacy VPN is another great provider for Warzone. With this VPN you will have no issues finding the best server location in different countries and time zones. You can access more than 5700+ servers in 68 locations, so you won’t struggle with empty lobbies or slow connections due to overcrowded servers.

Moving to the speed performance, IvacyVPN won’t blow you away, but it does have reliable and good speeds. However, there’s no WireGuard protocol, so the next best option is OpenVPN.

Another important point is security. With Ivacy VPN you get AES-256 encryption, so your data is uncrackable for hackers and successfully made anonymous online. Additionally, the no-logs policy ensures that your data isn’t collected and a reliable kill switch will prevent accidental data leaks.

Learn more about this provider in our Ivacy VPN review.

9. VyprVPN – a secure VPN for Warzone

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Often included in lists of the best VPNs, VyprVPN is a Switzerland-based provider that offers excellent speeds, fair prices and strong security features. It is one of the best VPNs for Warzone.

The WireGuard protocol is what allows VyprVPN to not sacrifice performance for the sake of security. When connecting to US servers, for example, the average drop in speed was no greater than 11%. Safe to say, your Warzone game definitely won’t lag that much with VyprVPN and WireGuard.

VyprVPN’s security features don’t disappoint, either. Equipped with AES-256 encryption and extensive measures to prevent IP and DNS leaks, VyprVPN will ensure the safest online browsing or gaming experience. On top of that, it has an independently audited no-logs policy which just further adds to VyprVPN’s credibility.

As for locations, you definitely won’t fall short. 700 servers in 64 countries all over the world speak of an abundance of the best playing locations for Warzone no matter where you are.

If you want to know more, read our VyprVPN review.

How these Warzone VPNs were selected and tested

All VPNs might be good, but not all of them are good for this particular game. I want you to only have to choose from the best, and here’s what the best VPN for Warzone should have:

• High speed. Because high speed and low ping are crucial for playing Warzone, I tested them extensively. Only the VPNs with the best results made it onto the list.
• High number of servers and locations. You need to be able to choose a server in a location that’s best for your gaming needs. So, the more, the merrier.
• Top tier security. Not something you think of when looking for a VPN to play Warzone with, but important nonetheless. Top-tier encryption and DNS leak prevention are crucial in evading DDoS from tech savvy sore losers that figure out you’re using a VPN
• Good price. You want the best for less, it’s that simple.

Why do I need a VPN for Warzone?

You could be saying, “I can play Warzone without a VPN just fine, so why should I want one?” Well, there are a couple of reasons for that. Take a look:

1. Lower ping. If your Internet connection is being throttled by your ISP for whatever reason, it might result in very high ping, which is not that good for playing Warzone. It results in lags an makes the game virtually unplayable, But using a VPN can get you help get around the speed throttling by connecting you to a nearby location and freeing your connection from the claws of your ISP.
2. Avoid DDoS attacks. Distributed denial-of-service attacks can occur if some tech savvy but salty player wants revenge. I won’t get into much detail on how they precisely work, but the goal is to cripple your Internet connection to the point of impossible lag. Using a VPN to hide your IP address and therefore avoid getting an overload of traffic directed to it can help you get out of the way of DDoS attacks.
3. Get bot lobbies and avoid SBMM. SBMM can be good if you want to play against people that are on the same level as you, but a variety of skill is more interesting. Using a VPN to connect to different locations with different time zones helps you get noob or bot lobbies on Warzone, and thus easier kills. If you want to rise in leaderboards quickly and without pain, NordVPN will help you do that.

What are bot lobbies and SBMM?

A bot lobby is essentially a game lobby full of players who are unskilled. They're usually people who are playing the game for the first time and don’t really know the mechanics of it yet.

These so-called bots have very low kill/death averages, which allows a more skilled players to spot and kill them easily and help you gain experience. Bot lobbies are sought after the players who want to quickly rise on the leader board with minimal effort. By contrast, playing with people who match your skill level might be more difficult.

Talking about player matching based on skill, or skill-based matchmaking (SBMM for short), Activision (creators of Call of Duty) officially state that the game doesn’t use skill as a basis to match players. Instead, they claim that it all depends on ping, wait time, and location.

However, players have noticed that more often than not they get put in a lobby with players that have similar K/D averages to them, which is how SBMM algorithms usually work. On the one hand, this can be good if you want to play against your peers. On the other, most players prefer variety (or even easier lobbies) in levels of competence.

How to use a VPN to get easy lobbies in Warzone

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to use a VPN to get easy lobbies in Warzone:

1. Choose a VPN provider. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Create an account and login.
3. Do some research on where in the world it is morning/daytime, or countries where people don’t play Warzone that much - Germany or Egypt are just some of them.
4. Connect to a server in the optimal location based on your research.

5. Open the game and check if the location matches the one you chose on your VPN.

6. Check if the ping is good. Optimal ping for gaming is considered anywhere up to 100ms.

7. You’re all fired up and ready to go shoot some bots!

Other ways to get easy bot lobbies in Warzone

There are some other ways on how to get easy bot lobbies in Warzone besides using a VPN, you can try these methods:

• Play early in the day. If you tune in for a game early in the day, there might be less players, which means it's not going to be overcrowded and you can get easier lobbies.
• Research the location. Another way to get easy bot lobbies in Warzone is to change your location where players aren't too skilled and to check out the locations that don't have high-skilled players.
• Disable crossplay. If you're gaming on a console, FOV might come at your disadvantage. Players that are on PCs might not enjoy competing against a console player.
• Try playing with all 4 players. This method could also get easier lobbies. Especially, if you have a few players in the party with bad K/D (Kills/Deaths) ratio.

The best VPN locations for Warzone

You got your VPN downloaded and installed, but one question remains: what is the best VPN server location to connect to in order to get the best Warzone playing experience? You can’t just connect wherever. As a matter of fact, VPN locations that are closest to dedicated servers are best locations for Warzone. COD currently has a total of 29 dedicated servers around the world (majority of them being across the US, UK, and Europe, and the rest of the globe).

Luckily for you, the Cybernews team did some research. Here’s how to find the best VPN location for Warzone depending on where you are:

• Choose a location where it’s 5AM, or any other unreasonable time to play video games. Fewer players usually mean easier lobbies (though be reasonable and don’t expect easy kills in every 5AM lobby ever).
• Connect to a server that is not too far from you, but also not too close. The further away the server is from you, the higher the ping. However, the closest locations, while low in ping, will not necessarily get you easier lobbies. Look for that sweet middle ground.
• US servers are pretty good for Warzone. That is, if you yourself are not from the US. The ping usually does not go higher than 100ms, and the lag doesn’t disrupt the gameplay too much. Our favorite VPN for the US is NordVPN, because it has servers in 15 different cities there.
• Word on the street is that Egypt and Singapore are also pretty good Warzone locations. Egypt or Middle East and European locations will be good for players in the Americas, while for those in Europe, Singapore is your best bet.

Get best Warzone locations with NordVPN

One thing to take note of is that these methods of finding the best Warzone location don’t guarantee easy lobbies everytime. Your luck also depends on your kill/death ratio and Internet connection quality, among other things.

What about NoLag VPN for Warzone?

There is this magical VPN created specifically for playing CoD: Vanguard and Warzone. It’s called NoLag and it promises zero lag, low ping, and overall smoother gaming experience. Sounds like a dream come true, right?

But there’s a catch – NoLag is not a real VPN. It’s simply a configuration of the OpenVPN protocol, designed to specifically suit Warzone players’ needs. It doesn’t encrypt your traffic nor offer any kind of more advanced protection, because it only redirects a fraction of your connection. You can’t access streaming platforms with it, nor does it have advanced features such as a kill switch or split tunneling.

And yet NoLag costs the same, if not more, than a regular VPN. To pay money for a service that’s suitable for only one purpose seems a bit like throwing your money in the wind.

I don’t recommend NoLag as your go-to VPN for Warzone. Instead, I suggest you try any of the VPNs listed above, and if you want the best of the best – NordVPN is the one for you.

Can I use a free VPN for Warzone?

As with most cases where a VPN is required, I don’t recommend using a free VPN for Warzone.

Sure, it probably would do the job of changing your virtual location and helping you get bot lobbies. But the catch lies in the speed – most free VPNs have speeds that meet the bare minimum, and neither of them are suitable for gaming. Your ping will be high, and the lag will be unbearable.

To add to that, there is also the question of security. No free VPN is ever as secure as a paid one. In fact, they usually make profit by selling user data, which is generally a big no-no on the VPN market.

But if you’re hell-bent on using a free VPN, try ProtonVPN or AtlasVPN. They have fairly good speeds and also the option to upgrade to a paid version.

Video review: best Warzone VPNs

Final thoughts

Playing CoD: Warzone without a VPN is fine and dandy if SBMM doesn't faze you. But if you would like to get into bot lobbies from time to time, playing Warzone with a VPN might be your only way.

If you want to avoid SBMM, a VPN for Warzone is truly a game changer. By changing your location with a VPN, you will be able to get easy bot lobbies and increase your kill/death average. This in turn helps you carve your way up the leaderboards.

Some other benefits of using a VPN for Warzone include reduced ping and waiting time during rush hours. And in case someone gets salty over the fact that you changed your IP address, a VPN will protect you against DDoS attacks. For this reason, we recommend NordVPN.

To help you choose the best VPN for Warzone, I tested and made a list of the VPNs that are best suited for this purpose. On top resides NordVPN, with Surfshark following close behind and IPVanish in third place.

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