World of Tanks, sometimes referred to as WoT, is an online multiplayer game developed by Wargaming. It features a variety of mid-20th century combat vehicles that players use to fight each other in 15 vs 15 team battles.
Despite improvements and regular updates, players often experience latency issues. These cause various glitches while playing the game, making WoT almost unplayable in extreme cases. Fortunately, you can solve this issue and secure yourself from other online threats with a VPN for World of Tanks.
How to fix WoT lag spikes in 4 steps
- Get an ultra-fast VPN. Our top recommendation is NordVPN, available for 68% off
- Install the VPN on your device
- Connect to the closest server for optimal connectivity
- Enjoy tank warfare without any lags or stuttering!
Check out the best VPNs for World of Tanks below!
Best VPNs for WoT: shortlist
- The best World of Tanks VPN9.7
- World of Tanks VPN with unlimited connections9.5
- Most affordable World of Tanks VPN9.1
Why do you need a VPN for World of Tanks?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a program that reroutes your internet connection through an encrypted server. During this process, all online activities are secured, ensuring no one else can monitor what you do online. Additionally, your actual location and IP address are hidden behind the VPN server.
Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. VPN software also breaks through geographical restrictions and even stops data throttling by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Online gaming can be data-intensive, and ISPs tend to limit bandwidth if they notice excessive gaming that’s straining the network.
Thankfully, if you connect to World of Tanks through a VPN, your ISP won’t see what you’re up to and will be unable to throttle your data. This will lead to improved ping, privacy, and even protection against DDoS attacks.
How to choose a VPN for World of Tanks
You might be asking yourself, “Will a VPN work on World of Tanks”? To which we will reply, “Absolutely!” However, you can’t just close your eyes and pick a gaming VPN at random. There are certain criteria that a provider should meet if you want to have a lag-free gaming experience:
- Speed. A VPN will only help if it’s capable of maintaining quality connections consistently. Otherwise, you’ll experience even more lagging than before. Ideally, you need a fast VPN provider with a modern tunneling protocol, such as WireGuard.
- Servers. To ensure the best possible performance, a VPN needs a large number of servers worldwide. That way, you will be able to choose from nearby servers for ideal connectivity. Furthermore, bare-metal servers perform better than virtual ones.
- Security. While you’re unlikely to run into any online threats while gaming, competitive gamers are still prone to DDoS attacks. A VPN will mitigate the risk of that happening with features meant to keep you hidden under wraps. These are AES-256 encryption, IP & DNS leak protection, and a kill switch.
- Compatibility. World of Tanks is available on multiple operating systems – Windows, mac, Android, iOS, Xbox, and PlayStation. And sadly, WoT lag issues abound on all of them from time to time. That’s why you should invest in a provider that supports all these platforms and has the option to manually configure the VPN on your router.
- Price. A good VPN shouldn’t cost a fortune. However, a free provider won’t do you any good either. When choosing a service, there needs to be a balance between the cost and offered features, plus performance.
The Best World of Tanks VPNs in 2023
Don’t fret if you don’t have comprehensive knowledge of all the best VPN services to make an informed decision. To make things easier for you, we went through the trouble of finding the three best VPN options for World of Tanks.
1. NordVPN – the ultimate World of Tanks VPN
60
5800
24/7 live chat, Email
- NordLynx-fuelled speeds
- Independently-audited and secure
- SmartPlay against geo-blocks
- No router app
The best VPN to fix WoT lag is NordVPN. It has several things going for it – a robust toolkit, a verified zero-logs policy, and some of the best speeds in the industry. Neither DDoS nor ISP throttling will be a threat to your online games with this provider.
The service offers 5800+ servers across 60+ countries, ensuring flawless connectivity in any part of the world. Additionally, the proprietary NordLynx tunneling protocol is by far the fastest option on the market right now. And if you’re especially wary of surveillance, you’ll be happy to know that all servers run exclusively on RAM modules.
NordVPN can also be used even when you’re done on the tank battlefield. With this provider, you’ll breeze through geo-blocks with ease, including such streaming platforms as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and more. And if you really want to download additional mods, do so extra fast via P2P-optimized servers.
Best of all, you can try out NordVPN by grabbing a 7-day free trial on the Google Play Store. After claiming it on your Android device, you can test out the VPN on six other devices simultaneously as well. After that, subscriptions start at $3.49/month, and all of them are protected with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
For a deeper investigation of NordVPN, read our NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark VPN – VPN for WoT with top-notch privacy
100
3200
24/7 live chat, FAQ
- Infinite connections
- Multiple features for low price
- Blazing-fast speeds
- Unaudited no-logs policy
An alternative companion to defeat WoT lag spikes is Surfshark VPN. Subscribers get unlimited simultaneous connections, plenty of handy tools such as Bypasser (split tunneling) or CleanWeb, and protection against DDoS attacks. Moreover, Smart DNS allows to effectively bypass geo-blocks on devices that don’t support VPNs, like consoles.
This provider has over 3200 RAM-only servers in 100+ countries, giving you excellent coverage worldwide. Furthermore, the WireGuard tunneling protocol is available for blazing-fast connection speeds. Low latency is also guaranteed thanks to Software Defined Networking (SDN), which routes all VPN traffic via one huge network.
Once the battle is over, use Surfshark to unlock more content on Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. On the other hand, you can utilize the service to unblock other video games that are typically restricted in your country. The cherry on top is that there are no restrictions on P2P traffic.
To see if Surfshark is the right fit for you, head over to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to grab a 7-day free trial. Once the VPN is at your disposal, you can use it on any other device. After the trial, subscriptions range from $2.30/month and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
For a deeper investigation of Surfshark VPN, read our Surfshark VPN review.
3. PrivateVPN – versatile World of Tanks VPN
63
200
24/7 live chat
- Owns all servers
- Excellent against geo-blocks
- Great price-to-feature ratio
- Mac and iOS have fewer features
WoT high ping is making the game virtually unplayable? Make this issue a thing of the past with PrivateVPN. The provider boasts versatile features, stable performance, and broad device compatibility to boot. You’ll even be able to break through the strictest firewalls, all thanks to Stealth VPN.
Don’t let the modest fleet of 200+ servers in 63+ countries scare you off. All hardware is optimized to deliver the best speeds and connectivity possible. Even the lack of WireGuard is barely noticeable, not when the combination of High Quality Network (HQN) and OpenVPN get the job done so well.
Those wanting to relax after an action-packed World of Tanks match can tap into foreign streaming services like BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, etc. PrivateVPN even allows torrenting on all servers, so feel free to spice up your games with mods. Just utilize port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxies for faster downloads.
Curious cats can test the service by getting the free 7-day trial version from the provider’s official website. Or commit risk-free from the get-go with the 30-day money-back guarantee. You don’t have to pay no more than $2.00/month, and all plans come with 10 simultaneous connections.
For a deeper investigation of PrivateVPN, read our PrivateVPN review.
The most likely issues that cause WoT to lag
If connecting to a VPN doesn’t remedy WoT lag spikes, some other options are worth exploring. After all, a VPN won’t solve your gaming issues if you’re trying to run World of Tanks on a toaster.
World of Tanks system requirements
Ensuring that your system can run the game should be the first thing to check when solving World of Tanks lag spikes.
Just remember that you may still experience various performance issues while meeting the minimum system requirements. Meanwhile, exceeding the recommended requirements will ensure that you don’t experience any lags or errors.
| Minimum | Recommended | |
| CPU | At least two physical cores supporting SSE2 | Intel Core i5-7400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500 X |
| RAM | 2 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce 8600 or ATI HD 4550 | Nvidia GeForce GTX1050Ti 4GB or AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB |
| Storage | 55 GB | 83 GB |
| OS | Windows 7/8/10 | 64-bit Windows 10 |
| Internet speed | 256 Kbps | 1024 Kbps |
Connection issues and optimization
If your system meets the minimum recommended requirements and you’re still experiencing lag during gameplay, your issue could be related to an unstable or poor network connection. Therefore, optimizing your network connection might be enough to boost your PC’s performance and solve the World of Tanks lag issue.
Changing settings such as opening ports and using port forwarding, as well as altering specific router settings, are a few simple ways that you can improve your game’s performance.
How to open ports for World of Tanks:
- Open Windows Defender Firewall and click on Advanced Settings
- Then go to Inbound Rules > New Rule > Port
- Select the Port rule, click Next, and select either TCP or UDP protocols
- Select Specific local ports and enter the required ports
- TCP protocols: 50010-50014, 80, 443, 5222, 5223
- UDP protocols: 32800-32900, 20010-20020, 42800-43000, 12000-29999 (for voice chat), 53, (5060, 5062, 3478, 3479, 3432, 30443 for voice chat)
- Click on Allow the connection, then Next, select a connection profile, then Next, and click Finish to save the changes
Another option is switching from wireless to wired. Wi-Fi creates an additional routing hop that increases latency, which we want to minimize. Ethernet, on the other hand, is built to utilize the maximum speed of your internet, resulting in better speeds and online game performance.
World of Tanks network lag
WoT lag spikes can also result from network congestion, the distance between your device and the game server, or simply poor routing by your ISP.
Therefore, using a dedicated gaming server such as Outfox or Kill Ping is an easy way to solve the issue. These programs work by bypassing the source of your lag and connecting your device directly to the game servers instead.
Using these programs is similar to using a VPN. However, they do not encrypt your data. While this could lead to better performance, it neglects security and privacy, making the software pointless while not gaming.
Update your system
It’s also essential to ensure that your graphics and network drivers are updated with the latest versions available.
Wrong or missing graphics card drivers can cause FPS (frames per second) drops, which will lead to stuttering and lag. At the same time, lousy network card drivers will result in slower connection speeds and potential disconnects.
How to update Windows:
- Press the Windows logo on the taskbar and navigate to Settings
- Select Updates & Security and then Windows Update
- Click Check for Updates. If there are any updates pending, download them.
- You can also select View optional updates and then Driver updates to see if any other drivers have an update
How to update graphics and networks drivers:
- Press the Windows logo, type in Device Manager, and open it
- Under the Display adapters tab, find your graphics card and, right-click it
- Select Update driver and press Search automatically for drivers. The system will look for the appropriate updates and download and install them
- You can also install the latest graphics card drivers yourself. Look up the appropriate drivers on the manufacturer’s website, download them, and follow the installation wizard to complete the setup.
- Repeat the same process to get the latest network drivers. You can find them under the Network adapters tab
Other potential fixes to reduce lag in World of Tanks
If you’ve tried everything we’ve discussed so far and are still experiencing lag spikes, there are still a few more things that you can try.
1. Restrict background usage
World of Tanks ping spikes can also be caused by background activity on your network. Therefore, we recommend stopping any file downloads that may currently be running, turn off all streaming services and close any background applications that you don’t need at the moment.
2. Set World of Tanks as High Priority
To reduce lag in World of Tanks, we suggest setting your game as a high-priority task so that it will be able to draw all the resources necessary to run smoothly.
To do this, open your Task Manager and select the Details tab. Here, you should be able to right-click on World of Tanks and change its priority to high.
Alternatively, you can allocate more resources to WoT by setting it to High Performance. Do so by following the steps below:
- Press the Windows logo, type in Graphics settings, and open it
- Select Classic app under the Choose an app to set preference option
- Click Browse and go to the folder where the World of Tanks.exe file is located. If you don’t do custom installations, you should find it in C:\Games\WorldofTanks\
- Once World of Tanks appears under the Graphics settings, press Options, then select High Performance and Save it
- Restart your computer and open World of Tanks
3. Optimize your PC’s performance
For World of Tanks to run optimally, we recommend ensuring that your computer is running in Game Mode. You’ll still be able to run WoT even if you’re not in Game Mode. However, you’re much more likely to experience issues with your game.
You can switch to Game Mode by finding your PC’s Gaming section in the Control Panel and toggling the button that says Enable Game Mode.
We also recommend that you adjust your PC’s performance by:
- Going into your Control Panel and clicking on System and Security.
- Select System and then Advanced System Settings.
- Under the Performance tab, you should see an option that says, “Adjust for Best Performance.” Select this and then click on “Apply” to implement your changes.
Finally, you can check on your power settings, which might be contributing to the lag you’ve been experiencing. By default, most systems are configured to either “Balanced” or “Power Saving” mode, which might not allow the game to draw the necessary resources to function correctly.
Therefore, make sure your power setting is on “High Performance” mode and then, check to see if you’re still experiencing WoT lag spikes.
4. Change the server
World of Tanks auto-connects players into appropriate servers by taking into account each one’s load capacity. Unfortunately, it does not always mean you’ll be getting a server close to you, which would ensure low ping.
Previously unavailable, you can pick a WoT server manually now. Follow the steps below:
- When the game is open and you’re in the Garage, click the Gear icon at the top left corner
- The menu screen will open. Click on Settings and navigate to the General tab.
- Scroll to the bottom until you find the Display server selection upon game launch option. Check the box and press Apply.
- Now, disconnect from the server. The login screen will appear, but now with the server selection option. Pick any and start WoT again.
5. Adjust in-game settings
Fortunately, the makers of World of Tanks have included a rather impressive array of settings that you can tweak to optimize your gaming experience.
Some of these may seem a bit overwhelming, but if you’re still experiencing lag after following all the steps outlined in this guide, customizing these settings may help solve your problem.
- Make sure your graphics mode is set to Standard, as opposed to Improved
- Turn off Triple Buffering and Vertical Synchronization
- Reduce Shadow Quality to the minimum setting
- On some systems, playing WoT in full-screen has been known to increase FPS and reduce lag in World of Tanks
- In Sniper Mode, turn off Grass and reduce Extra Effects to low or medium
- Reduce Post Processing and Flora Density settings
- Reduce Water Quality, Object LOD, Decal Quality, and Motion Blur settings
- Set Terrain Quality to low or medium
- Make sure Dynamic Change of Effects Quality and Foliage Transparency are set to On
6. Reinstall the game
Sometimes a fresh install fixes the lag in World of Tanks. This is especially true if, unbeknownst to you, some of the game files got corrupted. But do this only in the case all the other steps failed to solve the problem.
It’s also worth checking whether other services or games are experiencing performance issues, too. If everything else is stuttering to hell, reinstalling your OS and starting from scratch is the best choice.
How do I stop World of Tanks: Blitz from lagging?
World of Tanks: Blitz is a pocket version of the original title, but mobile-optimized and with shorter matches. It’s available on PC as well, but, naturally, here players tend to dive into battle on Android and iOS devices.
And just like the full game, WoT: Blitz is laggy from time to time, making the experience frustrating rather than enjoyable. Thankfully, there are things you can try to solve the problem:
- Lower the graphics. The game has 4 graphics level categories – LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, and MANUAL. If your phone isn’t as powerful, it’s recommended to switch to LOW to ensure better performance. Alternatively, you can tweak individual settings with MANUAL, and see what works for you via trial & error.
- Close background apps. Running several processes in the background while gaming wastes much-needed resources and bandwidth. Close every other application on the phone just in case. Better yet, delete all unused ones to free up some storage space for game processes.
- Disable Battery Saver mode. While useful for saving your battery, the mode is detrimental to resource-hungry applications like World of Tanks: Blitz. We suggest turning it off in the settings.
- Clean the App Cache. Some files are just taking up space in the cache, causing a noticeable drop in performance. Delete anything that you don’t need.
- Reinstall the game. Some WoT: Blitz enthusiasts have noticed that the game runs better when installed in internal storage rather than the SD card. So, delete the app, install it in internal storage, and make sure all updates get installed in the same storage as well.
- Do a factory reset. If nothing else helps, restoring your phone to its original factory settings might do the trick. Just make sure to back up any important files before doing it, as all data stored on the device will be wiped.
Conclusion
Competitive multiplayer games can be excruciatingly frustrating if you’re experiencing any kind of lag. That’s why it’s essential to optimize your PC’s performance in every possible way. This means upgrading your hardware, choosing the appropriate graphical settings for your game, and ensuring that other programs are not hogging crucial resources.
And if you suspect that your ISP is throttling your data, a VPN for World of Tanks is essential. With it, you can connect to a nearby server that hides your online activities and ensures top connection speeds while gaming.
What’s your favorite VPN for gaming? Let us know by leaving a comment!
You may also like to read:
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How to fix Overwatch lag
Best VPN for Apex Legends
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FAQ
Is World of Tanks free?
World of Tanks uses the freemium pricing model. That means that you can play the game for free, but there are also optional perks that you can unlock with money.
Why is my ping high in WoT?
High ping in WoT happens because of several reasons. Your network connection might be unstable, the game servers might be overcrowded, and the system might’ve connected you to a server that’s very far away from you.
How can I improve my ping in World of Tanks?
There are a few things you can do to fix high ping in WoT. Update your OS, drivers, and the game itself, then switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet, close any unnecessary processes running in the background, and lower the graphics settings in the game.
What is good ping for WoT?
World of Tanks runs pretty well on ping below 100 ms. Anything above this threshold will noticeably affect gameplay, so aim for lower numbers if possible.
Can I use a VPN while playing World of Tanks?
Yes, you are allowed, and even encouraged, to use a VPN while playing World of Tanks. By using a VPN, you can hide your IP address and potentially improve your ping while playing.
Which VPN is best for World of Tanks?
The best VPN for World of Tanks is NordVPN. It is exceptionally fast, has plenty of servers worldwide, and is quite affordable.
Why can't I connect to a server in World of Tanks?
The game could be undergoing technical maintenance. You can check that in the ‘Announcements’ in the top left corner of the page. Otherwise, try disabling Firewall as it could potentially be blocking the game. Another option is to connect to World of Tanks using a gaming VPN, like NordVPN.
My network connection is superb.
I still have sudden pings during battles that are extreme, stalling anything I do.
This obviously doesn’t happen to the other players in the same battle.
Sabotage? How?
“Changing settings such as opening ports and using port-forwarding, as well as altering certain router settings are a few simple ways that you can improve your game’s performance.”
How?
Hi, Geno Smolko. That’s a good question 🙂 We’ll be updating this page soon and hopefully will have all the answers ready.
I was looking for a solution to fix or reduce lag in World of Tanks and I came across this article. Thanks loads!
Updating your graphics card and network drivers is extremely important. You obviously also need good RAM to load the game quickly. In fact, these things are essential for any gaming enthusiast.
Using the Outfox game server fixed my problem completely. They offer a lot of really nice benefits, including improved speeds and I really like their interactive dashboard. They have a strong, worldwide network that makes for a fast traffic delivery.
The last time I had this problem it was the drivers that needed updating, and that worked fine. It’s been a while and it’s lagging again though. I’ve already got a VPN, so I was looking for other alternatives, and – how in the world did I not know about game mode? Like I consider myself a pretty serious gamer, been gaming on PC for a decade, and I have never even heard of this feature. My mind’s kinda blown.
Practical way I point out for reducing the lag is by the use of Kill Ping; there are also some specific ways that one can fix all by himself. However, This article explain some important word about this issue. Thanks.