Updated on: September 6, 2024
Only 3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Change Your Valorant Region in 2024:
- Download and install a VPN. ExpressVPN is a great choice as it’s easy to set up and use and has servers in 105 countries.
- Connect to a VPN server. Choose a server in a country from the appropriate Valorant region and connect to it before creating a new Valorant account. Your new account will be locked to that region.
- Log into your new Valorant account. You can now play Valorant in that region.
When you have the wrong Valorant region, it causes many issues, including lag while gaming, seeing the wrong currencies, and not being able to queue up with your friends.
Fortunately, you can change your Valorant region with a VPN. VPNs have servers all over the world, allowing you to mask your real IP behind an IP address from another country. This can trick Valorant into thinking you live in a different region, which lets you bypass region locking when creating an account.
However, not all VPNs are great for gaming. Many give you high or unstable ping, resulting in huge delays and lag spikes, which is unacceptable for a fast-paced shooter game like Valorant.
After extensive research and testing, I found the 5 best VPNs for Valorant. ExpressVPN is my top choice, as it maintains fast speeds and has excellent security features, including the ability to protect you from Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
How to Change Your Valorant Region
1. Pick a good gaming VPN.
I personally recommend ExpressVPN — it has servers in 105 countries, it maintains the fastest gaming speeds on the market, it’s extremely easy to use, and it provides high-end security and privacy for gaming.
2. Download the VPN app onto your device.
Get the VPN client from the VPN provider’s website or your device’s app store. Then, just follow the on-screen instructions to install and set up the VPN app (it only takes a couple minutes).
3. Set up a new Valorant account via the VPN.
Run the VPN app and connect to a server that matches the Valorant region you prefer. Then, create a new Valorant account (basically, a new Riot Games account). And you’re done — you can now game in your chosen region on your new account.
Best VPNs for Changing Your Valorant Region in 2024
Quick summary of the best VPNs for changing your Valorant region in 2024:
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for changing your Valorant region (with fast gaming speeds).
- 🥈2. Private Internet Access — Secure VPN for Valorant with bonus features for gamers.
- 🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated gaming servers for Valorant & great automation tool.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Changing Your Valorant Region in 2024
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for switching my Valorant region in 2024. It’s easy to use, maintains the fastest speeds on the market, and has industry-leading security features. Plus, it’s our #1 ranked VPN for gaming.
Changing my Valorant region using ExpressVPN was a breeze. It took me less than 5 minutes to download and install the app and successfully create an account tied to the NA region (I’m based in Taiwan). And ExpressVPN has servers located in 105 countries, which easily covers all of Valorant’s regions.
ExpressVPN conceals your real IP address so hackers and other gamers can’t target you with DDoS attacks, which can cause network slowdowns or even disconnect you from your game. And since all of ExpressVPN’s servers have anti-DDoS protection, even if someone attempts a DDoS attack, it will get blocked.
ExpressVPN’s plans start from $4.99 / month. It also backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Advanced Security + Great Extras for Gaming
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a fast and secure VPN for changing your Valorant region. It also includes a lot of useful features that can enhance your gaming experience and has servers in 91 countries — I connected to my desired server in only a few seconds, and I love how you can establish up to 6 quick-connect server locations for instant access.
One of my favorite things about PIA is that you can customize security settings to suit your needs. It offers you multiple encryption options — 256-bit AES encryption for maximum security, or 128-bit AES encryption for really good security and slightly faster gaming speeds.
PIA comes with some excellent bonus features for gaming. For example, Identity Guard checks if your email has been leaked on the dark web, which helps protect your Valorant account.
Private Internet Access’s plans are very affordable, starting from $2.03 / month, and it backs all subscriptions with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated Gaming Servers
Cyberghost VPN provides dedicated gaming servers optimized to provide the lowest possible ping for online multiplayer games like Valorant. However, these dedicated servers only exist in a limited number of locations: Germany, the UK, the US, and France. If you want to connect to a Valorant region that’s not the US or Europe, CyberGhost still has you covered with its massive server network that spans 100 countries.
I’m also a big fan of its Smart Rules feature, which lets you set up some really convenient automation. For example, you can have CyberGhost auto-connect to a server in your Valorant region and launch an app (like Valorant) as soon as you start it up.
CyberGhost includes some nice extra features. One of these features is Identity Guard, which alerts you if your email address and password have been compromised.
CyberGhost VPN is a very affordable option with plans starting from $2.03 / month. It backs all long-term plans with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee (the shortest plan only gets a 14-day money-back guarantee).
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
How to Choose the Best VPN for Changing Your Valorant Region
- Get a VPN with fast speeds. All VPNs will slow your connection speeds to some extent as it takes some extra time to encrypt your data. The VPNs on my list, however, maintain very fast speeds and low ping, which makes them the ideal choice for playing a fast-paced multiplayer shooter game like Valorant (ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN on the market).
- Get a VPN with strong security. I only recommend VPNs with industry-standard VPN security features like military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy (doesn’t keep data on your online activities), and a kill switch that disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops, preventing data leaks.
- Choose a VPN with good leak protection. All the VPNs I recommend protect you from IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks. This ensures that your real IP and DNS addresses are never leaked, which prevents Valorant from knowing your real geographic location.
- Ensure the VPN prevents DDoS attacks. Unscrupulous gamers sometimes commit DDoS attacks against rivals to gain an advantage in their matches. DDoS attacks can cause you to lag or even disconnect you from the game. The VPNs on this list are all able to protect you from DDoS attacks.
- Get a VPN that is user-friendly. A good VPN for Valorant should have a user-friendly Windows app. It should also have easy-to-navigate server menus and convenient automation, so you can quickly change your Valorant region and start gaming.
- Look for an affordable VPN. The VPNs I recommend allow a minimum of 5 connections (Private Internet Access and Surfshark allow unlimited connections), include useful extra features like split-tunneling, offer affordable pricing plans, and back all purchases with a money-back guarantee.
Why Change Your Region While Playing Valorant?
Valorant accounts are region-locked, and this affects which servers you’re able to play on. Your account is assigned a region, such as Europe (EU), North America (NA), or Latin America (LATAM), based on your physical location when you create it.
Cross-region play isn’t allowed, and Valorant doesn’t let you change your server region after account creation. Additionally, Valorant rejects all requests to transfer your account to a region you don’t reside in. As a result, you won’t be able to play Valorant with your friends if their accounts are tied to a different region.
There are also other reasons you might want to use a VPN to change your region. These include accessing the game in countries where it’s banned (like Iran) and accessing the in-game voice chat in countries where VoIP apps are banned, like China, Egypt, and the UAE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the region of my Valorant account?
Valorant doesn’t allow you to switch your account region. The servers you can access are decided based on the location of your IP address when you create your account. You can submit an account transfer request if you move to another region, but Valorant rejects requests to change your region to one that you’re not residing in.
However, a VPN (like ExpressVPN) can get around this restriction by changing your IP address. When you connect to a VPN server in another country, your real IP address will be hidden behind an IP address in that country. This will trick Valorant’s systems into thinking that you are located in that country. To change the region of your Valorant account using a VPN, all you have to do is follow 3 simple steps.
Can I play Valorant with someone from another country?
Yes, but only if their country is in the same region because Valorant bars cross-region play. Valorant’s regions are Southeast Asia/Asia-Pacific (AP), Europe (EU), Korea (KR), Brazil (BR), Latin America (LATAM), and North America (NA). Your Valorant account is automatically assigned to one of these regions based on your physical location at the time of creation.
The easiest way to play Valorant with someone from a different region is with a VPN. With a VPN, you can spoof your physical location and create a Valorant account assigned to a region that you don’t reside in — just follow this short and simple guide. I recommend using ExpressVPN as it’s easy to use, has servers in 105 countries, is very secure, and is the fastest VPN on the market, allowing you to maintain low ping while gaming.
Is using a VPN while playing Valorant bannable?
No, this isn’t against Valorant’s terms of service. That said, Riot Games, Valorant’s developer, has blocked some popular VPN services in order to cut down on issues with language barriers and lag spikes. But all of the VPNs I recommend work reliably with Valorant and are the best VPNs on the market for gaming.
Can using a VPN lower my ping while playing Valorant?
Generally, using a VPN will increase your ping. This is because your traffic is routed first through your chosen VPN server before being directed to its original destination. In addition, VPNs take some extra time to encrypt your traffic. That said, the fastest VPNs, like ExpressVPN, hardly increase your ping.
There are some situations where a VPN might actually lower your ping. Notably, if your internet service provider (ISP) throttles your bandwidth while gaming, a VPN can help you bypass that. Occasionally, a VPN can also send your traffic through a more optimal server than your ISP.
