How to Fix Overwatch Lag Spikes & Packet Loss in 2024

While some players may worry about all of the intense action in this online game, the biggest worry is actually maintaining the speeds and connectivity required to keep you in the game.

In fast-paced games like Overwatch, network latency (or lag) can be a death sentence, ruining your winning streak and wrecking your mood when you are wiped out by your enemy simply because of your unstable Internet connection.

Reasons Why People May Experience Packet Loss in Overwatch

Keep on reading as we share a few of the reasons why this loss may occur:

1. Your firewall:

If you are experiencing problems with your firewall, this could be the real culprit. If you install the Windows Firewall Troubleshooter, you can run a test to see if there is an issue with your firewall and find recommended fixes to this problem.

2. Internet traffic:

Do you share your Wifi with your family or with other players? If so, it is very likely that the lag you are experiencing with Overwatch is due to crowding on your home Internet network. Due to the huge amount of bandwidth needed for Overwatch, there is just not enough to go around. The solution to this is to tell other players in your house to take turns, not using the Internet at the same time for their MMOs, and to simply limit the data use on your Wifi while you are playing.

3. Old modems:

If your hardware is out of date, this could be the culprit. Upgrade your hardware to limit the issues with connectivity.

How a VPN Helps You Fix Lag Spikes

A VPN is a great tool to use any time you are accessing the Internet that will do much more than simply improve your Overwatch lag.

Users who are playing first-person shooters need a very large amount of data since they are accommodating intricate graphics with millions of other players across the Internet. The average users playing these shooters don’t have networks equipped for this number of players or for the huge amount of data required to deliver the flashy Overwatch effects.

Because of the inadequacy of the average home WiFi to support this kind of connection, users will be faced with lag as data travels across the Internet.

This lag when playing Overwatch will mean that players will find that they are unable to keep up with other members on the platform, finding themselves shot before their weapon has time to fire back.

A VPN can help fix the problem of lag since it conceals your activity from your service provider. Keep on reading to find out how a VPN can solve these issues and improve your Internet connection and speed in no time.

ISP Throttling & What It Has to Do with Overwatch

Because your Internet provider puts a cap on the amount of bandwidth it can distribute among its consumers, your ISP has to have a strategy to prevent all of its customers from using up its allotted bandwidth too quickly. To prevent this, your ISP will throttle your bandwidth if it sees that you are using a multiplayer game or visiting certain streaming sites.

If you connect to a reliable VPN, your IP address is hidden from your ISP and your online information and activity is encrypted. If your ISP can’t detect that you are playing a game online, it won‘t throttle your bandwidth.

3 Best VPNs for Fixing Issues with Latency & Ping in Overwatch 

After a review of over 2 dozen VPNs, here are the VPN services that worked best at improving lag and ping in Overwatch:

1. ExpressVPN

If you are trying to use Overwatch, ExpressVPN is a great VPN to use that will give you the fastest speeds and the most stable connections.

ExpressVPN has over 3,000 servers in more than 94 countries around the world and offers unlimited bandwidth and no data caps.

It offers users military-grade encryption, IP, and DNS leak protection, a no-logs policy, and a Kill Switch to ensure that your unencrypted information is never revealed online if your secure connection ever cuts out unexpectedly. ExpressVPN’s security also protects gamers from DDoS attacks.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN has over 5,200 servers in more than 59 countries and is a great option to help gamers get around any slowdowns online while using Overwatch.

NordVPN offers AES 256-bit military-grade encryption, a Kill Switch, a no-logs policy, and IP and DNS leak protection.

You can connect up to 6 devices simultaneously, which means that your family or friends can use this VPN’s protection alongside you while all of you are hidden from your service provider.

3. Surfshark

Surfshark is the most affordable of the top VPNs, offering unlimited simultaneous device connections so that as many gamers as you choose can connect to a single VPN account.

Surfshark has over 3,200 servers in over 65 countries and offers unlimited bandwidth and no data caps, as well as military-grade encryption, a Kill Switch, and a no-logs policy.

Other Ways to Fix Overwatch Packet Loss & Ping Spikes

Here are some steps you can take to improve your Internet connection when you play a game like Overwatch over the Internet:

 Shut any background apps: If you have too many other processes open at once, your computer or device will have slower speeds. When playing Overwatch, shut any apps or browsers that are not being used for your game.

 Assess the adequacy of your network: It could be that your ping spikes are due to the inadequacy of your network. Check with your ISP to see that you are allowed sufficient bandwidth for Overwatch, and if you aren’t, see if you can change to a plan that will give you at least 5 Mbps Internet connection speeds to support Overwatch.

 Try using Ethernet Cable: If you plug in a gaming device right to your modem, this will decrease your lag. Using this wired connection will give you better speeds and a more reliable connection than using WiFi.

 Evaluate your equipment: If your hardware is outdated or in bad shape, this can decrease your Internet connection speed. Replace any old routers or cables to upgrade your connection.

 Pick a new password: If your connection speeds are slow, this could indicate that other users are using your private network. Change your password so that no one without this code can use your network, which will give you more bandwidth.

 Remove unnecessary devices: If you have other devices on your network, like your phones, disconnect them to free up more space for your gaming.

 Change your settings: One way to improve your gaming is to adjust your settings. While these enhanced settings may make for a cooler visual effect while playing, turning them off or toning them down won’t affect your actual game. Settings like Anti-Aliasing, Vsync, and Triple Buffering do not need to be turned on for good gaming quality. On top of these, lowering your frames-per-second can also improve your speed (30 is fine!).

Using a VPN, like ExpressVPN, is the fastest and most surefire method of reducing your lag while using Overwatch. After connecting to a reputable VPN provider, if you find that your Internet connection still feels slow, check the above troubleshooting tips to see if there is another path to take to fix your lag.

FAQs

Conclusion

Overwatch is an action-packed addicting first-person shooter that places a lot of value on speed and precision.

To avoid slowdowns when playing Overwatch, use a reputable VPN, like ExpressVPN, to get rid of any spikes in lag.

Click here to save 49% on an ExpressVPN subscription today, and get a 30-day money-back guarantee!