Counter-Strike: Global Offensive produced by Valve is a classic. Originally coming out in 2012, CSGO is still going strong. It is an online team shooter game for PC and Mac. The free-to-play game is out on steam and it is quite competitive. A VPN can help you in CS: GO. A good VPN can reduce lag, improve ping times, protect against DDoS attacks, and help you get around geo-restrictions. Now let me show you the best VPNs for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
CSGO VPN Quickstart
Here is a quick guide to get you started playing CS: GO with a VPN.
- Sign up for ExpressVPN (includes a 30-day money back guarantee)
- Download the ExpressVPN app and connect to a server in the region you wish to play in.
- Console users can set up the ExpressVPN MediaStreamer feature to change your DNS location. Otherwise you can run the VPN through your router.
- Launch the game and enjoy!
Counter: Strike Global Offensive Game Info
Before I show you more about the best VPNs for gaming, let me tell you about the game. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a shooter that pits terrorist against anti-terrorists. There are many different modes to play on like deathmatch, competitive bomb/hostage, and arms race. Deathmatch pits two teams against each other in match for kills. In competitive your teams of five will compete against one another in a best of thirty match of bomb defussal or hostage recovery. Arms Race consists of killing a person with each gun. Once you have you will move to the next gun. The objective is to kill someone with the last weapon, a golden knife.
Weapons are a big part of the game. CSGO has melee weapons, pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, rifles, and machine guns. Each of these have multiple versions that shoot differently. Along with this there is also equipment that can be brought into battle with you. There are grenades, tactical shields, kevlar and helmet, C4, rescue and defussal kits, and a Zeus x27. Some of this equipment isn’t free. You will have to work at the game to earn it. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive there is an economy where you can buy and sell skins, equipment, and guns.
Game Server Locations
CSGO servers are hosted by Valve. This is helpful since leading VPNs have servers in the same locations. We suggest connecting to VPN servers in Atlanta, Los Angeles, or Seattle to game in the US. Other key gaming locations with equivalent VPN servers include Sao Paulo, London, Luxembourg, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sydney.
Here are the best VPNs to use with Counter-Strike Global Offense.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our pick for best VPN. One of the most important factors to playing online is the balance between fast game-play and a safe experience. ExpressVPN helps you improve both. First off, they give you access to server locations in 94 countries and unlimited access to as much bandwidth as you need. They also protect your information by masking your IP address. They will make it look like you are in a different location. ExpressVPN encrypts your traffic through a secure tunnel. They also use kill switch which protects you if the your VPN connection was to drop. ExpressVPN keeps you safe online.
We’re excited to share an exclusive discount on ExpressVPN for our readers. You can save up to 49% off a year of VPN and receive an extra 3 months of free VPN. Enjoy unlimited access to both their VPN network and MediaStreamer service. Save on your favorite games and reduce lag. Protect against DDoS attacks and unblock restrictions at school or work. ExpressVPN offers a 30 day money back guarantee so you will have a month to test their VPN and experience all the benefits of the service.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is another great choice for gamers. One of the core values of most VPN companies is privacy. NordVPN is dedicated to keep you safe online while gaming. They will mask your IP and encrypt your data. You also have an option to change your IP twice. This keeps you safer from DDoS attacks, which is where other gamers try to slow down your connection by sending traffic to your IP. NordVPN has a built in ad and malware blocker called CyberSec. For those playing games on Chrome or Firefox browsers, they have an extension to keep you more secure. NordVPN does not keep activity logs and is P2P friendly. They also have a kill switch that will keep you safe if your VPN was to drop. NordVPN values your privacy when gaming.
NordVPN can help decrease your ping and lag. It will help you get around geo-restrictions to unblock games. You can also find discounts on titles by connecting to different regions. While doing this, you will be safe as NordVPN does not log user activities when connected to their network. They mask your IP. When playing, we recommend not using double protection as this might decrease speed. NordVPN is a great service that you can try out with a 30 day money back guarantee.
3. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA) is our last pick for VPNs to use while gaming. They are a great company with a history of protecting users data. PIA is a secure VPN that is available to you for an affordable price. They do not have a Smart DNS service. This makes using PIA harder on consoles. It means you will have to run the VPN through a router. You will need technical background to do this. However, Private Internet Access has easy to use apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. They also have servers in 48 countries around the world. Private Internet Access is a reliable VPN that can help improve your gaming experience.
Private Internet Access is a United States based VPN company. They have great US and Canadian servers. PIA’s highest priority is your privacy. They do not log user activities, while using the service. Your IP is also cloaked and a VPN encrypts your data. This will increase your protection from DDoS attacks and help keep your identity anonymous. They can block ads and malware. PIA is a great VPN service for keeping gamers safe. They offer a 30 day money back guarantee that will let you test out the VPN service for a full month.
Why are Games Blocked at School or Work?
Most gamers have experienced the frustration of network restrictions. Whether it’s a firewall at school or work, you will find that popular game servers and social media sites are often blocked. A VPN will hide your traffic so that the network can not detect that you are playing a game or visiting your favorite sites like YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, etc. The VPN will encrypt your data which will stop it from being blocked by your network administrator.
Why is the Game Restricted by Region?
You will find that many games (and streaming sites like Netflix) have set restrictions based on the region of the world you are in. For example, Rainbow Six has servers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Players are restricted to playing in their own region. What if you want to play with friends in another country? The solution is to use a VPN. Simply connect to a VPN server in the region you wish to play in. Preferably as close to the game server as possible for the best performance. You can also use a VPN to buy and play games that are not otherwise available in your region.
Not All VPNs Support Fast Online Gaming
It doesn’t help to have a VPN that won’t place you in the proper geographic region or isn’t fast enough for gaming. There are literally hundreds of VPN services that won’t cut it for online gaming. There are very few that support the speeds necessary to fix lag issues and provide the proper IP location. The key is using a leading VPN and making a connection close to the game server you wish to play on. The difference in routing can boost your speed. We recommend using ExpressVPN for the best performance.
