VPN for Esports: How to Get the Most Out of Your Gaming
Learn how to protect yourself in the online environment.
Once you invest in your gaming setup as an online gamer, it becomes crucial to safeguard and protect it. This holds especially true when playing online games on the same network as other computers in your household or office. When you're gaming and other computers are connected to the web, they too become susceptible to cyberattacks or online risks. One of the protection tools is a VPN for games. The good news is that the benefits of using a VPN go beyond just security. There are also several quite tangible and understandable advantages.
Benefits of Using a VPN for Gaming
#1 Gaming performance
A slow connection not only frustrates gameplay but also affects the successful completion of missions. In the past, online gamers avoided VPNs due to their negative impact on performance. However, VPNs have made significant advancements nowadays. Many VPNs now offer features to specifically enhance connection speed and overall performance. By using a VPN, gameplay can be greatly improved.
In particular, switching to a server closer to the game's main server reduces data transfer time, minimizing lag and other speed-related problems. Do VPNs help with ping? It all depends on the specific situation. Not all gamers will experience an increase in speed or a decrease in ping, but if the traffic was routed incorrectly or was slowed down by the ISP, you will see the effect.
#2 Unblocking games and servers
Online games often have servers spread across different regions, utilizing geoblocking technology to ensure players connect to servers in their respective regions. This is commonly implemented when games are not yet released worldwide, grouped by language, or require multiple servers to handle high traffic.
For instance, if you reside in the US, you would connect to a server located in the US. Similarly, if you're in the UK, you would connect to a server in the UK or Europe. However, this setup can pose challenges when you want to play with friends from another region.
If you need a game unblocker or a service to move freely between servers, this is the VeePN VPN. You can use a free gaming VPN or a premium product - the choice is yours, but the difference will be felt. A good VPN for gaming offers additional protection against IP address leaks, a kill switch function, more servers, and better bandwidth. VeePN has a good reputation among gaming VPNs. You can start testing there.
#3 Security
Online games these days typically operate on a subscription model, requiring users to create an online account, become part of an online community, or provide online verification. Whichever the case, sensitive data, including credit card details, is necessary for gameplay.
Regrettably, cyber criminals find online gaming accounts attractive targets due to the wealth of financial and personal information they contain. Moreover, these accounts are relatively easy to hack, especially when combined with an unsecured WiFi connection, essentially inviting hackers in.
A VPN encrypts your data and routes it through a secure private server, significantly increasing the difficulty for hackers to gain unauthorized access. Additionally, it offers protection against DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks.
#4 Avoid Bans
Epic Games' terms of service explicitly forbid users from engaging in illegal activities or using their services, including Fortnite, for purposes beyond their intended use, according to Epic's sole judgment. While the exact reasons for banning are not specified, users have reported being barred from accessing Fortnite due to the use of various cheats, such as AutoHotKey. A message stating "You were removed from the match due to your IP, VPN, machine, or cheating" is commonly received by those affected.
Unlike other games that employ cheat prevention software, Fortnite relies on banning suspected cheaters. The good news? There is a workaround for this ban. By utilizing a VPN, Fortnite players can log in again using a new IP address and create a new account, effectively bypassing any ban on their home IP. However, to fully enjoy Fortnite, a high-speed connection and unlimited bandwidth are indispensable, and the top VPNs can fulfill these requirements as well.
#5 Game on public Wi-Fi
If you want to game online while using public Wi-Fi, you can enhance your safety by utilizing a VPN. By using a VPN to access a public Wi-Fi network, you can safeguard the information on your computer from potential threats posed by individuals using the same network. Additionally, anonymous VPN for Mozilla helps protect against malware, spyware, and other cyber threats that may arise from someone who has access to your device while connected to the same network as you.
#6 Protection from stalking
Stalking incidents, although infrequent, have been reported, especially in multiplayer games, where enraged gamers resort to tracking other players. If an aggrieved player discovers your IP address, they may attempt to hack your social media accounts or trace your physical location for offline stalking. In rare instances, they resort to "swatting," a malicious act involving falsely alerting emergency services to someone's residence, leading to potential danger. Unfortunately, some cases have resulted in fatalities.
Conclusion
The benefits of a VPN for gamers are varied: security, bypassing restrictions, and free access to blocked servers or games. These arguments should have convinced you that VPN is important for all Internet users and especially for gamers. Consider whether you are willing to give up these benefits without any good reason.