The Best VPNs for Fortnite: Our Top 3 Picks

1. NordVPN - Best Latency

Editors Rating:

9.7 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	Yes
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

Fortnite is a game of reflex, but just as you need fast hands to win, you also need a fast network. Sometimes, however, ISP throttling and a number of other issues can slow down your network. It’s tough to win when you’re in that situation.

Fortunately, NordVPN can help. It can change your IP address by routing your traffic through one of its servers, essentially concealing you from your internet provider so it stops throttling your network speed. Without the limiters in place, you’ll have a much more enjoyable gaming experience.

Low-Latency Servers

Although NordVPN can help if you’re experiencing ISP throttling or when your connection to Fortnite servers are sub-optimal, using a VPN can actually cause your network latency to spike. A VPN inserts an additional stop for your online traffic – the VPN server – and because of that, it will take your data a few milliseconds longer to reach Fortnite servers than when you’re not connected to a VPN.

Epic Games recommends a 40- to 60-millisecond latency for the best gaming experience.1 When we compared the speed of VPNs, NordVPN ranked second in terms of latency with 78.3 milliseconds. That’s a little over the recommended range, but note that we conducted that test with a VPN server in Australia. The latency improves if you connect to a server closer to you, so it’s certainly possible to get a 40- to 60-millisecond latency with NordVPN.

2. Surfshark - Best DDoS Protection

Editors Rating:

9.5 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	Yes
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

In competitive online gaming, there’s a type of attack called DDoS (distributed denial of service) wherein the perpetrator uses bots to flood the victim’s IP address with junk traffic, causing the latter’s network to crash. That’s a particular concern for players of highly-competitive tournaments like the Fortnite World Cup, where the stakes can be as high as $3 million.

Fortunately, VPNs can prevent DDoS attacks, and Surfshark is especially equipped for this. It uses top-notch encryption and high-quality VPN protocols to hide your IP address from attackers. What they’ll likely see instead is one of Surfshark’s server IP addresses.

Even if the attackers turn their attention to the VPN servers, Surfshark can handle large influxes of traffic. Each server port has at least one Gbps bandwidth capacity, and the company is in the process of upgrading that to 10 Gbps. In short, it will take a whole lot of junk traffic to overwhelm Surfshark.

Surfshark for Non-Competitive Gamers

Surfshark isn’t just for competitive gamers, though. It also has features for casual Fortnite players, such as:

• Server relocation: You can choose from Surfshark’s menu of over 3,000 servers in 100 locations to connect to a different Fortnite server when, for instance, your usual server is under maintenance.
• Getting around restrictions: If Fortnite is blocked on your network, or if your government restricts online gaming such as in China3, Surfshark’s Camouflage Mode and NoBorders Mode can help you get around those restrictions.
• Earlier game releases: If you want early access to new updates or game titles, you can use Surfshark to change your IP location to where it’s already available, and gain earlier access than everyone else in your area.

Those are just some of the benefits of using Surfshark. As one of the best VPNs around, we also recommend using Surfshark outside of online gaming to protect your privacy and personal online data.

3. Private Internet Access VPN - Best Server Selection

Editors Rating:

9.4 /10

View Plans

How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	No
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

Our two previous picks address very specific issues Fortnite players encounter – ISP throttling, high latency, and DDoS attacks – but some players just want a reliable VPN they can use to play Fortnite to protect their privacy or change their virtual location. For that, we recommend Private Internet Access.

Private Internet Access offers similar benefits as NordVPN and Surfshark, but it has a couple of advantages. For starters, it has an expansive fleet of servers in over 80 locations around the world, all of which offer encryption and the ability to hide your IP address.

It gets even better if you’re in the U.S. Private Internet Access has at least one server in each of the 50 states. Remember, your distance to a VPN server matters in terms of speed and latency. With PIA, wherever in the U.S. you may be playing from, there’s always a nearby server for you.

Customizable VPN Connections

One other advantage of Private Internet Access is its customizability. You want to enjoy the best gaming experience, and sometimes, that calls for a little bit of tinkering. With PIA, you can adjust your VPN settings to an impressive degree to really fine-tune your experience.

For example, you can adjust the encryption and lower it down to 128-bit AES from 256-bit, or even forego encryption altogether. We don’t recommend doing that last one when you’re browsing, but when you’re just casually playing Fortnite, that would be a good way to speed up your network.

Lastly, Private Internet Access is affordable. It starts at just over $2 per month if you choose a long-term subscription or $3.33 per month if you pay every year.