What Gamers Actually Use VPNs For
Hint: it's not just "privacy" like the marketing says
Fair warning: Some of these techniques violate Terms of Service. We'll be clear about risks for each. Using a VPN isn't illegal, but getting your account banned is a real possibility with certain uses.
Example Price Differences
| Game Type | US Price | Argentina | Turkey | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA New Release | $69.99 | $24.99 | $34.99 | 50-64% |
| Season Pass | $39.99 | $14.99 | $19.99 | 50-62% |
| Indie Game | $19.99 | $7.99 | $9.99 | 50-60% |
- 1. Connect to VPN server in target country
- 2. Create new account (or change region in existing)
- 3. Use local payment method or gift cards
- 4. Purchase at regional price
- • Account ban (Steam, Epic actively detect this)
- • Games removed from library
- • Payment method doesn't match region
- • Gift card prices have adjusted
Reality check: Platforms have gotten much better at detecting this. Steam now requires local payment methods. Epic has banned accounts for region hopping. The savings aren't worth losing your entire game library.
When It Works
- Xbox games with global midnight releases
- Some PlayStation games (region-dependent)
- Games releasing at midnight local time per region
Example: Connect to New Zealand (UTC+12). When it's midnight in NZ, it's only 5 AM in New York. Play up to 17 hours earlier.
When It Doesn't Work
- Steam—releases at same time globally
- Games tied to server launches
- Online-only games waiting for server activation
Note: Even if the game unlocks, servers might not be live yet. Early access to a game with no servers is just a loading screen.
How to do it
- 1. Pre-purchase game normally in your region
- 2. On release day, connect to VPN in New Zealand or Australia
- 3. Launch your platform (Xbox, sometimes PlayStation)
- 4. Game should unlock if available in that region
- 5. Disconnect VPN once playing (if single-player)
Risk level: Low. You've legitimately purchased the game. You're just accessing it a few hours early. Platforms rarely ban for this, though it technically violates ToS.
Examples of Region-Locked Content
- • VPN with servers in target region
- • New account for that region's platform
- • Understanding of that version's language
- • Regional payment method (for purchases)
- • Progress doesn't transfer to main account
- • May need to maintain VPN while playing
- • Language barriers (menus, community)
- • Higher ping to regional servers
Common use case: Playing the Korean or Japanese version of an MMO before it launches in your region. You get to experience the content early, but you'll likely have to start over when it officially releases.
This Is the Best Use Case for Gaming VPNs
In peer-to-peer games (older Call of Duty titles, some fighting games, private game servers), other players can see your IP address. Malicious players use this to DDoS you—flooding your connection so you disconnect and lose the match.
How DDoS Attacks Work in Gaming
- 1IP Exposure: P2P games expose your IP to other players for direct connection
- 2Collection: Attacker grabs your IP from the game connection
- 3Attack: They send massive traffic to your IP, overwhelming your router
- 4Result: You disconnect, they win by default
How VPN Protects You
Attacker sees your real home IP → DDoS hits your router → Your entire internet goes down
Attacker sees VPN server IP → DDoS hits VPN infrastructure → VPN absorbs attack, you stay online
- • Older Call of Duty titles (P2P)
- • Fighting games (GGST, Tekken)
- • Private/custom game servers
- • High-stakes tournaments
- • Streaming (prevents stream snipers from grabbing IP)
- • Modern games with dedicated servers
- • Fortnite, Apex, Valorant (server-based)
- • Most MMOs
- • Casual/single-player games
Risk level: Very low. This is a completely legitimate defensive use. You're not exploiting anything—you're protecting yourself from attacks.
Works For
- Game server IP bans (Minecraft, game server hosts)
- Forum/community IP bans
- Regional blocks on game content
Doesn't Work For
- Account bans (tied to your account, not IP)
- Hardware bans (HWID bans track your PC components)
- Anti-cheat system bans
Consider why you were banned
If you were banned for legitimate reasons (cheating, toxicity), evading the ban is against ToS and often illegal in competitive contexts. If it was a mistake or overly harsh moderation on a private server, that's different.
How It Works
- 1. Connect to VPN (different server than before)
- 2. Get new IP address
- 3. Create new account (if account was also banned)
- 4. Access the server/service
Note: Many games now use hardware IDs and behavior analysis. Simply changing IP won't work if they've identified your system or play patterns.
Risk level: High. Ban evasion typically results in permanent bans across all your accounts if detected. Most platforms consider it a serious violation.
Wait, VPNs Usually Add Latency
This seems backwards. VPNs add an extra hop, so they should increase ping. But sometimes they help because your ISP's routing is bad.
You → ISP → Random hops → More hops → Game server
Result: 120ms ping
You → VPN (direct route) → Game server
Result: 80ms ping
- • Your ISP has poor peering with game servers
- • There's congestion on your normal route
- • Game servers are far but VPN has closer server
- • ISP throttles gaming traffic
- • Your ISP already has good routing
- • Game servers are physically far away
- • Your base internet speed is slow
- • WiFi is the bottleneck
How to Test
- 1. Check your current ping in-game (no VPN)
- 2. Connect to VPN server near the game server location
- 3. Check ping again
- 4. Try different VPN servers if first doesn't help
Reality: In most cases, VPN will add 5-20ms. Occasionally you'll find a magical route that saves 20-40ms. Worth testing, but don't expect miracles.
Risk level: None. This is just routing optimization. No ToS concerns.
What Game Companies Collect
- • Your real IP address
- • Approximate location
- • ISP identity
- • Network-level tracking
- • Account information
- • In-game behavior
- • Hardware IDs
- • Payment information
Is It Worth It?
For most gamers, probably not. You're logged into an account, so the company knows who you are anyway. The main benefit is preventing your ISP from seeing your gaming traffic and throttling it, and preventing location tracking.
If privacy is your main concern, being careful about what you say in chat matters more than hiding your IP.
Risk level: None. Using a VPN for privacy is completely legitimate.
VPN Myths vs. Reality
Marketing oversells VPNs. Here's what they actually can and can't do.
Expecting a VPN to erase bad routing like...via GIPHY
Bottom line: VPNs are useful tools for specific situations, not magic solutions. They work best for DDoS protection, privacy from ISPs, and accessing legitimately-purchased content early. They're not great for saving money (risky) or improving performance (usually worse).
What to Look for in a Gaming VPN
Low latency servers
Gaming needs speed. Look for VPNs with gaming-optimized or low-ping servers.
Server locations
Need servers near game servers and in regions you want to access.
Kill switch
Prevents IP leak if VPN disconnects mid-game.
Split tunneling
Route only game traffic through VPN, keep everything else on normal connection.
No bandwidth limits
Gaming uses data. Avoid VPNs with data caps.
DDoS protection
Some VPNs specifically market DDoS-protected servers for gaming.
VPNs Gamers Actually Use
Peer-to-peer routing hits niche game regions and dodges ISP throttling. Great for price arbitrage + streamer privacy.
Meshnet makes LAN-like sessions easy, and specialty servers include DDoS protection for ranked play.
Unlimited devices means every console + roommate is covered, and the GPS-spoofing helps mobile games.
Testing is essential. Every VPN will affect your ping differently depending on your location, ISP, and game servers. Use free trials to test before committing.