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. In this article, we list the best VPNs for Fortnite gaming and give you some top tips on how to unblock Fortnite from anywhere.
What are the best VPNs to unblock Fortnite?
These are the VPNs we recommend using to unblock Fortnite:
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for Fortnite. It's consistently one of the fastest VPNs we test, unblocks almost everything, and great extra features.
- NordVPN - Large brand with very good value, and a budget price
- 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.
If you're wondering how it works, it's simple. VPNs change your IP address and encrypt your internet connection; a powerful combination that allows players to unblock Fortnite from anywhere.
If you've experienced an IP ban, slow connectivity, or you've been suspected of cheating, then a VPN for Fortnite can help to solve all these problems.
We get into how it all works further into this guide. But first, to ensure that you can unblock Fortnite from anywhere, you must make sure that your chosen VPN is armed with the following features:
- Fast servers for lag free gaming
- Easy to set up so you can get back to the action
- Ability to bypass censorship to bypass pesky blocks
- Apps for popular devices that also support Fortnite
Only services that can offer all of these things are eligible for our recommended VPNs for Fortnite list. Now, let's take a look at who made the cut.
The best Fortnite VPNs to use in 2021
Here's a full list of our recommended Fortnite VPNs to unblock & beat an IP ban:
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. NordVPN is a no-logs VPN provider based in Panama. This year NordVPN scooped the most coveted prize of them all - our Best Overall VPN award. The ProPrivacy.com Awards have quickly become the industry gold standard, with all the providers battling for a top spot. Keep reading our NordVPN review to find out why NordVPN was crowned the best of the Bunch this year. NordVPN has a no logs policy, fantastic security features and the ability to unblock content. All of which makes it one of the best VPN choices out there. It has features such as double VPN, VPN over Tor, DNS-based malware protection, Smart DNS, and more, all part of the very reasonably priced package. 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.
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The fastest Fortnite VPNs in 2021
Our recommended VPNs for Fortnite are all fast enough to support fast-paced online gaming. Check out our speed test results below:
Place
Provider
Average Speed
Max Speed
Visit Site
1.
NordVPN
64.08
Mbit/s
81.82
Mbit/s
Visit Site
2.
ExpressVPN
60.56
Mbit/s
76.83
Mbit/s
Visit Site
3.
Surfshark
56.24
Mbit/s
77.29
Mbit/s
Visit Site
4.
Private Internet Access
44.74
Mbit/s
68.74
Mbit/s
Visit Site
5.
CyberGhost VPN
44.53
Mbit/s
65.06
Mbit/s
Visit Site
For information about how we test VPN speeds, check out our speed testing methodology page.
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).
Also, the slower your internet speed is to begin with, the more a VPN can affect your connection speeds. That is why it's so vital for you to choose a fast VPN in the first place.
When a VPN can help with lag
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.
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.
Why do I need a VPN for Fortnite?
One of the most cited reasons for connectivity problems in 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.
Having experienced this personally, 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.
Does Fortnite IP ban?
Yes. 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.
How to unblock Fortnite (remove IP ban) with a VPN
If you have been banned by Fortnite for some reason, follow the steps below to bypass:
- 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. For better speeds, when 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 note: 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.
Installing a VPN for console gaming
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 spoof your location easily to unblock Fortnite if it's blocked in your region.
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.
Can I use a free VPN with Fortnite?
Unfortunately not. Playing Fortnite, or any other online gaming for that matter, requires a huge amount of data throughput, and a free VPN service will simply not be able to keep up.
Performance aside, the vast majority of free services are cowboy services that put your data at risk. Most free plans come with the following restrictions:
- Invasive privacy policies that let them harvest your data and sell it to third parties.
- Weak encryption and sometimes even no encryption whatsoever!
- Critical leaks of your IP, WebRTC and DNS.
- Unreliable apps that offer little functionality.
- Malware such as spyware and adware to help them turn you into a cash cow.
The good news is that there are some reliable free services 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:
- Fewer 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 each month.
If you are still interested in exploring what free services have to offer, check out our best free VPN list for 2021, to learn more. 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 as well as offering VPN free trials. There are also plenty of cheap VPN services that offer great security features and will allow you to unblock games – just be sure that it works with Fortnite first.
Will I get banned for using a VPN with Fortnite?
Technically no. There are some reports of players 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).
Likewise, if you connect to Fortnite through a VPN and then violate Fortnite’s terms of service, you could also cause that VPN IP to become banned.
The listed VPN services in this article have all confirmed that their services can be used to connect to Fortnite servers, which indicates that their services offer IPs that are allowed IPs on the game’s network infrastructure. What's more, they have hundreds if not thousands of IPs to choose from – so if you run into an issue, just connect to a new IP.
Thus, using one of the VPNs in this guide should not result in a ban. 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 Fortnite, a VPN is still the best way to regain access if you do happen to get banned.
Is using a Fortnite 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 "purposes 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.
Which means, 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 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 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.
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 to 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.
- NordVPN - Large brand with very good value, and a budget price
- 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.
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