Fix lag in Valorant
Updated 2026-11-07
Lag in Valorant starts in one of three places: your home, your line or the route to Riot Games's servers. Find out which before you change anything or pay for a "ping reducer".
In your home
Wi-Fi far from the router, other devices downloading, a busy PC or console, and strict NAT on the router. Test with the spike finder, then try a cable.
Find lag spikesOn your line
When someone uploads or streams, a queue builds in the router and your game waits behind it (bufferbloat). Smart Queue fixes it.
Fix bufferbloatBeyond your line
Distance to the server and your provider's route. Pick the closest region, and check the route for detours below.
Test server regionsHow Valorant picks a server
Your account's region decides the data centres you can play on. In custom games and some queues you can see the ping to each data centre and pick one.
Settings worth checking
- Settings → General → Network Buffering: Minimum, unless your connection has packet loss.
- Settings → Video → Stats: turn on Network RTT and Packet Loss to see lag as it happens.
- Close Discord's hardware acceleration and browser tabs that stream video while you play.
Riot's own network is short, so most Valorant lag starts in the home (Wi-Fi, downloads) or on the line (bufferbloat) rather than on the route.
Ping to nearby server regions
Riot Games doesn't publish test addresses for its game servers, so this measures the cloud regions where most online games and voice chat run. It shows the lowest ping your connection can reach in each area and whether your provider takes a detour.
Ping to game and call servers
Round trips to the cloud regions where most game, voice and video servers run. Distance sets a floor on your ping that no setting at home can lower, so pick the closest region when a game lets you.
Valorant ports
Forwarding these fixes connection problems such as strict NAT or voice chat that won't connect. It doesn't lower lag on its own. Most routers with UPnP turned on open them automatically.
| Protocol | Ports |
|---|---|
| TCP | 2099, 5222–5223, 8088, 8393–8400, 8443 |
| UDP | 7000–8000, 8180–8181 |
As listed by Riot Games; they can change, so check Riot Games support if something doesn't work. Test a forward with the port checker.
Valorant lag questions
What does Network Buffering do in Valorant?
It holds other players' movement updates a little longer before showing them, so movement looks smooth when packets arrive late or uneven. That costs a little extra delay. Keep it on Minimum on a steady connection; try Moderate only if jitter or packet loss you can't fix makes enemies stutter.
What causes jitter in Valorant?
Usually something at home: Wi-Fi far from the router, or another device downloading or uploading while you play, which makes your ping rise and fall. Try a cable, pause other downloads and run the speed test; if ping jumps during download or upload, Smart Queue on the router fixes it.
How do I test my ping for Valorant?
Riot doesn't publish test addresses for its game servers, so the region ping on this page measures nearby cloud regions as a stand-in. Inside the game, turn on Network RTT under Settings, Video, Stats to see your real ping to the match server, and check the data centre pings in a custom game.
Why does Valorant lag only when someone else is using the internet?
Their download or upload fills your line, and your game's small packets wait in the router's queue behind it (bufferbloat). Find which device it is in your router's app, then turn on Smart Queue so the queue stays short whoever is busy.
Do I need to forward ports for Valorant lag?
No. Forwarding the ports on this page fixes connection problems such as voice chat that won't connect or a strict NAT; it doesn't lower ping. Most routers open them automatically with UPnP.