Have you ever been in a situation where you get into a heated argument in-game? Imagine if, all of a sudden, the player you’re arguing with reveals your IP address and starts launching DDoS attacks, crashing your internet connection entirely during crucial gameplay moments. You fall silent as you try to figure out how a random stranger on the internet got hold of that info.
Even if scenarios like this don’t happen often, the fear it brings is undeniable. It’s situations like these that make you realize that online privacy is often taken for granted by gamers. This is also a situation that can be solved by using a powerful tool you might have already heard of, a virtual private network, better known as a VPN.
In this article, we’ll give you four reasons why a VPN can be a game-changer for gaming enthusiasts and how it works.
Reason 1: Enhancing Online Privacy
In the scenario above, if you were using a VPN, the hacker would never see your real IP address. Instead, they would be seeing the VPN server’s IP. This means that if that person wanted to dox you further, they would be stopped dead in their tracks.
There are more instances where a VPN can safeguard your privacy and data. For example, let’s say you decided to take your gaming session to a coffee shop, and for internet access, you choose to connect to the cafe’s public Wi-Fi network. Even if you’re just gaming online, you’re still transmitting data that can be sniffed or intercepted by hackers who access the same network as you are on.
The VPN acts like your IRL mana shield, or if you play more agility-type characters, it acts as a stealth buff. While someone intercepting your data is not a common occurrence, if it does happen, at least you’ll have protection, and all they’ll steal is unreadable encrypted hogwash.
On a related note, if you’re gaming somewhere other than your home, consider using a VPN together with an eSIM. This convenient tech duo lets you use mobile data while staying completely secure and protected from potential hacking attempts. Serious gamers can often find a Nomad discount code that works for eSIM service subscriptions, making this security setup more affordable. Just make sure the eSIM plan you purchase is specifically for the country you’re in or traveling to.
Reason 2: Reducing Lag and Improving Gaming Performance
Another reason why using a VPN while gaming can be beneficial is that it improves your gaming experience. Network issues can be tilting when you’re playing an important ranked game or when you’re deep in a crucial boss fight.
Internet service providers (ISPs) sometimes deliberately slow down connections for high-bandwidth activities like gaming, which is a practice called throttling. By encrypting your data and rerouting it through a VPN server, the VPN hides your activity from the ISP, preventing slower connections.
While VPNs can help you avoid throttling, some may reduce your network speed simply by operating in the background during gameplay. To prevent speed loss, make sure to look into high-speed VPNs that are popular in the market in 2025.
Additionally, if a game server is far away, a VPN can help you connect to a server located closer to the game server, reducing the distance your data has to travel and lowering ping. This is why VPNs can help you get a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.
Reason 3: Accessing Geo-Restricted Content
There are times when you want to play a game that is about to come out, but the first people to get it are gamers living in a different area. This usually happens because publishers release things at different times to keep their servers from getting too busy or to see how well the market responds in certain areas before going global.
A VPN can get around these restrictions. It’s actually quite common for gamers to use VPNs to play early releases. It’s like the in-game travel waypoints or a teleportation spell, but for your computer.
However, note that for some games, it’s against the terms of service to use a VPN to bypass region locks, which is a one-way ticket to get your account banned. So, use this feature responsibly.
Reason 4: Protection Against DDoS Attacks
We already mentioned the potential DDoS attack that can happen because of your exposed IP address. But there are even more negative consequences that come with it, not just your internet connection crashing.
A DDoS attack can cause you to rank down, lose matchmaking rating, or fail a raid, when timed right – or wrong, depending on your or the perpetrator’s perspective. Since attackers require your IP address to launch this disruption, you already know how a VPN can prevent it. As we’ve mentioned earlier, they will never see your real IP address if you turn on a VPN before starting the game. So now you’ll be the one denying the denial of service!
Play Smarter, Play Safer
With a VPN protecting you from hackers and trolls, giving you better access to games, and improving your gaming experience, all you have to focus on is having fun.
Just make sure you do a lot of research on your VPN options before making a decision. If you make the wrong one, you could run into latency issues, server disconnections, or compatibility issues that could make you less competitive during crucial gaming moments. And you certainly don’t aim for that.
