If you are a fan of the multiplayer battle royale game Fortnite – but it is currently blocked for you – then you need a Fortnite VPN. VPNs change your IP address and encrypt your internet connection; a combination that allows you to unblock Fortnite from anywhere.
Banned IPs, slow connectivity, and even erroneously being suspected of cheating have all been reported by disgruntled players as causes for disrupted gameplay. Using a VPN for Fortnite can help to solve all these problems.
In this article, we list the best Fortnite VPNs and give you some top tips on how to unblock Fortnite from anywhere.
What is the best way to unblock Fortnite
The best way to unblock Fortnite is to use a VPN. We have listed the best Fortnite VPN services below. If you need more information, keep scrolling for an in-depth analysis of our suggested providers.
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for Fortnite. It's consistently one of the fastest VPNs we test, unblocks almost everything, and great extra features.
- CyberGhost VPN - An easy to use VPN for Fortnite. It has excellent apps for popular platforms, fast servers, and it's great value for money.
- Private Internet Access - A secure VPN that unblocks Fortnite. It has excellent security features, which allow you to bypass Fortnite blocks easily.
- Surfshark - The cheapest Fortnite VPN. It's packed with features, has lots of servers, and love by it's users because of the quality of service.
- VyprVPN - A great all-round Fortnite VPN. One of the only VPNs that owns it's whole server network making it fast, reliable, and secure.
To ensure that you can unblock Fortnite from anywhere, all the VPNs above with the following features:
- Fast servers
- Easy to set up
- Ability to bypass censorship
- Apps for popular devices
The best Fortnite VPNs – In-depth Analysis
We take a closer look at the best Fornite VPN services below. All these services will allow you unblock Fornite, however, if you want more information about their individual features, check out our detailed VPN reviews.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Fortnite. It's one of the fastest VPNs you can buy, has extra features such as a Smart DNS which is great for games consoles, and strong security features. ExpressVPN is a well-known provider that consistently emerges as one of the fastest VPNs in the world. This makes it perfect for unblocking Fortnite servers; no matter where you happen to live. It provides connectivity to thousands of servers in 148 cities in 94 countries, which means you can easily fine-tune your Fortnite experience by “dialing it in” to the servers that perform best for you. Where privacy is concerned, this VPN is perfect thanks to its no-logs policy. It also has robust apps with advanced features such as a kill-switch, OpenVPN encryption, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. This makes it suitable for bypassing government censorship and accessing services that are blocked in your country (or in school or at work) – such as Fortnite. We love that this VPN has 24/7 live chat support, and that it allows users to install the VPN on up to 5 devices simultaneously. Plus this VPN is amazing at unblocking not just Fortnite, but also PUBG, social media sites like Facebook, and streaming services like Netflix US, Hulu, and iPlayer. We think this VPN represents great value money, despite being slightly pricier than some of the other options - because it truly has everything you need to get the most out of your VPN subscription. CyberGhost is an easy to use Fortnite VPN. It has great apps for Android, Windows, and Mac, as well as router support for consoles. It's great value for money and has cheap plans. CyberGhost VPN is a provider that is lightning fast; perfect for playing Fortnite and other games. It is a no-logs provider with servers in over 90 countries, and it has plenty of servers in countries where Fortnite has game servers. This ensures that you can always find people to play with – no matter what time of day it is. And, you can use it to get games with people who speak a different language, if that is your preference. CyberGhost VPN has secure apps for all platforms, it works to unblock Netflix US and other popular services, and it will give you digital privacy both at home and when on public WiFi. This makes it ideal for bypassing government restrictions without ever being monitored. Plus, this VPN lets you install and use the VPN on 7 devices at the same time, which is great. Finally, we love that this VPN has live chat support, and that it lets you trial its service risk-free for 45 days. A cheap VPN that is well worth considering for Fortnite. Private Internet Access is a secure VPN that unblocks Fortnite. It has excellent security features and a no-logs policy, both of which are great for bypassing government blocks. Private Internet Access is a VPN provider from the USA. It is a highly reliable service that is often praised by Reddit users. It is a zero-logs service that has proven its claims in court numerous times. And, PIA has apps for all platforms that come with advanced privacy features such as a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, OpenVPN encryption, obfuscation, port forwarding, split tunneling, and a SOCKS5 proxy. This makes the VPN extremely versatile, and means that you can use it not only for playing Fortnite privately, but for streaming, torrenting, and bypassing government censorship safely. PIA has VPN servers in over 74 countries, including a number of servers in the US (and many other countries with Fortnite servers). And all those servers provide lightning-fast speeds for gaming and streaming in HD – which is great. Plus, this VPN works to unblock popular services like Netflix US. We love that this VPN has apps that come with more advanced features than any other VPN on this list. A superb VPN that is well worth testing yourself using its 30-day money-back guarantee. Surfshark is the cheapest Fortnite VPN. Loved by users, not only for it's price. It's packed with features including a Smart DNS so you can unblock Fortnite on xbox and PS4 with ease. Surfshark is a service that customers come back to time and time again. It is a no-logs VPN with apps for all platforms, and it lets subscribers install the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. This makes the VPN truly excellent value for money, and means that this VPN is great for playing Fortnite on any device. We enjoy using Surfshark on all of our devices, and the apps are fully featured with a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. This makes it ideal for gaining privacy both at home and on public WiFi. Surfshark also has a no-logs policy, which means that your privacy will be assured if anybody comes knocking. Surshark also has strong OpenVPN encryption and reliable apps, which means you can unblock Fortnite (or anything else) without ever being monitored. And it is super-fast so that you can game without lagging. We think this VPN is hard to beat, especially if you are low on cash – but want a reliable VPN. It even has amazing 24/7 live chat support, so that you can ask questions at any time of day. Well worth testing using its 30-day money-back guarantee. VyprVPN is a great Fortnite VPN service. It's one of the only VPN services that owns all of it's severs making it reliable and fast. It has a fantastic knowledge-base on how to unblock games. VyprVPN is another option for Fortnite that we highly recommend. It has a wide choice of servers, multiple encryption protocols, and configuration choices that can optimize your speeds for gaming. Plus, it has IPs in all countries where Fortnite has servers – including Brazil, Japan, and South Korea. With average/max download speeds of 31.3/126.9 Mbps and VPN connection times of 3.6 seconds, VyprVPN is definitely going to provide what you need to game without lagging. Though admittedly this is the slowest VPN we have recommended in this guide (which is pretty nuts considering how fast it is). VyprVPN has reliable apps for all platforms, excellent customer support, and an unprecedented commitment to providing secure access to a wide range of international services. It is also a no-logs provider that has had a full third party audit of its apps and infrastructure. As a result, you can trust it not only for unblocking Fortnite, Netflix, social media sites – and anything else you desire - but also for gaining watertight digital privacy both at home and on public WiFi. You can test it risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
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How to remove Fortnite IP ban with a VPN step by step
Although it is unclear what mechanisms Epic Games uses to determine if someone is violating their terms of service, what is clear is the method by which players are reprimanded. The IP address of the offending player is blacklisted or banned, either for a specific period of time (several hours or days) or in some cases indefinitely.
This means that any attempt at connecting from a banned IP address will result in an error message. In such cases, a VPN can act as a middle-man between you and Fortnite's servers, which will conceal your IP address even if it is banned. If you have been banned by Fortnite for some reason, follow the steps below:
- Choose a VPN from this guide and follow the link provided to subscribe.
- Download and Install the VPN, then log in using your credentials.
- Select a VPN server location from the list and click connect. To gain better speeds for playing Fortnite we recommend that you pick a server that is situated closer to you geographically.
- Launch Fortnite and play the game using your new VPN-provided IP address.
Please bear in mind that if you are logged into a banned Fortnite account this may also result in an inability to play. Thus, if you have been banned you may want to create a new account in order to play the game with your fresh IP address.
How to unblock Fortnite with a VPN step by step
If you want to use a VPN for Fortnite, the first thing you must do is choose a VPN provider. All of the VPNs we have listed in this article have VPN free trials or money-back guarantees so you can test them before committing. Once set up, all you need to do is choose a VPN server location in a country where Fortnite is openly available, ensure that you have any necessary privacy settings activated, and hit connect!
Please note that the VPN software cannot be installed directly on game consoles like the PS4 or Xbox. However, you can create a virtual router on your computer to unblock Fortnite on your console. Check out our how to set up a VPN on Xbox or how to set up a VPN on PS4 guides for more details about how to do this.
Alternatively, if you aren't able to install a VPN directly onto your device, you can use a Smart DNS. |ExpressVPN offers a great Smart DNS service called Media Streamer which will allow you to easily spoof your location to unblock Fortnite if it's blocked in your region.
Can I use a free VPN with Fortnite?
Although free VPN services do exist, the vast majority are cowboy services that will put your data at risk. Most free services have invasive privacy policies that let them harvest your data and sell it to third parties. They also have weak encryption, critical leaks, and unreliable apps that have been found to contain malware. These free VPNs must be avoided at all costs.
The good news is that there are some reliable free VPN services for Fortnite that will not put you at risk. Those free plans are there to let subscribers get a trial of how the VPN works. However, they are extremely restrictive – which will generally make them unsuitable for playing Fortnite.
Safe free plans have the following restrictions to make people graduate onto their paid plans:
- Few server locations to choose from
- Speed restrictions to make people subscribe to a premium account
- Monthly usage limits – to ensure you can only use the free plan a little bit each month
Please follow the link above to find out more about safe free VPNs, and to gain access to a free service that will not put your data at risk. However, if you want to trial a full unrestricted VPN for free, we recommend that you use one of the VPNs in this article – because they all have a money-back guarantee. There are also plenty of cheap VPN services that offer great security features and will allow you to unblock games. Before purchasing a VPN we would recommend that you do your research to make sure that it works with Fortnite.
Will I get banned for using a VPN with Fortnite?
Some people have reported being banned for using a VPN on Fortnite. However, these kinds of bans are usually the result of using a VPN IP address that has been previously blocked by Epic (due to the fact that it was previously used by a cheat or another player that was banned).
In addition, if you do abuse the service or violate Fortnite’s terms of service while connected to the VPN, you could cause the VPN to become banned.
The listed VPN services in this article have all affirmed that their services can be used to successfully and effectively connect to Fortnite servers, which indicates that their servers are indeed allowed IPs on the game’s network infrastructure. What's more, they have hundreds if not thousands of IPs to choose from.
Thus, using one of the VPNs in this guide should not result in a ban. And, even if you do happen to be blocked while using a VPN server – you should be able to connect to a different server in order to regain access.
It is worth remembering that, while VPNs have reportedly caused some people to be banned by Fornite, a VPN is still the best way to regain access if you do happen to become banned.
Is using a Fornite VPN allowed in the game?
According to Epic Games’ Terms of Service, any use of its services, including playing Fortnite, in a way or for “purpose[s] that [are] illegal or beyond the scope of the Services’ intended use” is prohibited. This means Epic has mechanisms in place that can detect so-called prohibited purposes. This is believed to include VPN use (though it isn't explicitly mentioned); which is technically in breach of the ToS because of licensing agreements.
“Epic also has the right to terminate your access to all or part of the Services for any or no reason, including, without limitation, any violation of these Terms.” Thus, if for whatever reason you are blocked from playing Fortnite, there is no obligatory need for transparency on Epic’s part.
This has led to more than one occasion where users have been banned for seemingly unknown reasons, including VPN use.
What makes a VPN good to use with Fortnite?
All the services in the list above have been chosen because they have the ability to unblock Fortnite. However, we have also taken the following things into account to ensure that you can unblock Fortnite and get the most out of your gaming experience.
Server Speeds
When playing games like Fortnite where innumerable players around the world connect and battle it out, milliseconds could be the difference between winning and losing, this is why you need a fast VPN.
Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that although raw speed is significant, it is not as crucial as low latency. If a VPN service provides fast upload and download speeds, that’s awesome, but it should also offer low network lag as well.
Raw speed depends on the VPN provider (and the speed of your connection to the ISP of course), however, latency is greatly influenced by how you configure your VPN connection.
Server Locations
Your choice of VPN server is vital. You should select a VPN server that is geographically close to the Fortnite server that you connect to. Fortnite has a website called Fortnite Server Status, which displays the status of the available servers. Before connecting to your VPN, it is always a good idea to consult this site to find the best server to use.
As shown in the image above, depending on where in the world you are, different servers will appear as the best choice.
Now Fortnite does not disclose the specific location of its servers, as many users have asked on the forum without getting an answer. Nonetheless, they are hosted by Amazon Web Services in North America, supposedly on the east coast of the United States according to rumors (possibly Virginia).
In each case, you may experiment with various VPN server locations and reopen the Fortnite Server Status page to see what kind of results you get. With a little bit of experimentation, you can optimize your connectivity speed to get the best playing experience possible.
Security and Encryption
For most players, security and encryption over the VPN connection when playing games like Fortnite are not so much of a concern. However, some VPN encryption protocols will provide better speeds for playing Fortnite which means that they are still worth considering.
What protocol should you choose?
In order to get the best possible speeds for playing Fortnite, we recommend that you stick to either OpenVPN UDP or IKEv2. These fast VPN protocols are available with all of the VPNs recommended in this article. If your VPN also provides WireGuard or PPTP connections, it is also worth trying these protocols (though please bear in mind that they will not guarantee the privacy you get with OpenVPN or IKEv2).
For more information about VPN encryption protocols and how they affect connection speeds, take a look at our Complete Guide to VPN Encryption.
How does a VPN unblock Fortnite?
A VPN allows you to connect to the Internet via an intermediary VPN server. All your traffic is directed through this server before it travels into cyberspace, which allows you to pretend to be in a different location.
In addition, a VPN can potentially decrease the network lag you experience that causes you to be kicked from matches. And, it can help with your connection speeds if your ISP is engaging in bandwidth throttling.
Why do I need a VPN for Fortnite?
One of the most cited reasons for connectivity problems to Fortnite is an error message that pops up stating: “You were removed from the match due to your IP, VPN, machine, or cheating. We recommend not utilizing VPN or proxy services while attempting to play Fortnite.”
For Fortnite players, this invokes similar emotional responses to those experienced by Windows users when they see the Blue Screen of Death. Having experienced this myself, it is not a very enjoyable experience.
Fortnite’s publisher suggests that this error appears under several conditions. The most common is having your IP address blacklisted because of cheating or other prohibited activities, or having an unacceptably high network lag. A VPN can help to solve both situations.
Will a VPN help with lag in Fortnite?
Fortnite players need to be aware that VPNs are not always a solution for decreasing latency and lag. A VPN makes your traffic travel further: which causes your net to slow down a small percentage (even when you use the best VPNs in the world).
The slower your net is, to begin with, the more a VPN can affect your internet speed. That is why it is so vital for you to choose a fast VPN in the first place. Sadly, most VPNs are not fast. That is why you must stick to one of the recommended servers in this article.
Sometimes, ISPs engage in traffic shaping when people are doing data-intensive tasks like watching HD videos or gaming. Under these specific circumstances, a VPN can improve your internet speeds. A VPN's encryption conceals what you are doing online from your ISP, which prevents them from throttling your bandwidth when you play Fortnite.
By using a fast VPN service from this guide, you may be able to decrease latency and improve your gameplay experience. This is something you will need to test from your location and is where money-back guarantees come in useful.
Remember: a VPN will only improve your speed in these specific circumstances. Thus, you will need to test a VPN on a case-by-case basis to see if it can help you. We recommend trying a few different VPN server locations to see if you can find one that helps. What to do if your Fortnite VPN isn't working
If your VPN isn't working, there are a few things that you can try. Most of the time, if your VPN isn't working the problem is the VPN itself. That is why it is essential to get a subscription with a VPN that actually works.
What to do if your Fortnite VPN isn't working
If you are currently subscribed to a VPN that isn't recommended in this article, you may need to get a new subscription with a better VPN service. However, you can try the tips below to try and get your current VPN up and running first:
- Restart your machine and relaunch the VPN software.
- Connect to a different VPN server (check with your VPN's customer support to check whether they recommend a specific server for Fortnite).
- Delete Fortnite and reinstall it.
- If you believe you were previously banned From Fortnite for some reason, create a new account while connected to the VPN.
- Subscribe to a different VPN that is known to work with Fortnite.
VPN for Fortnite: Conclusion
Fortnite is a fast-paced Battle Royale game. If you’re experiencing connectivity problems due to your IP address being banned or due to problematic latency issues, a VPN is the best solution.
To maintain an optimum gameplay experience, the proper VPN servers should be chosen, and the appropriate encryption configuration and server locations should be selected.
Ultimately, Fortnite is about gameplay, excitement, awesome online experiences and just having fun. Using our recommended VPNs, and our detailed analysis of how VPNs can benefit you, you will be able to continue playing and enjoying the game to the fullest!
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for Fortnite. It's consistently one of the fastest VPNs we test, unblocks almost everything, and great extra features.
- CyberGhost VPN - An easy to use VPN for Fortnite. It has excellent apps for popular platforms, fast servers, and it's great value for money.
- Private Internet Access - A secure VPN that unblocks Fortnite. It has excellent security features, which allow you to bypass Fortnite blocks easily.
- Surfshark - The cheapest Fortnite VPN. It's packed with features, has lots of servers, and love by it's users because of the quality of service.
- VyprVPN - A great all-round Fortnite VPN. One of the only VPNs that owns it's whole server network making it fast, reliable, and secure.
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