How to Fix StarCraft 2 Lag

StarCraft 2StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty is a real-time strategy game developed by blizzard. The main story mode puts you in the middle of a war between three races in space. It can be played alone or in a co-op style. The Versus mode pits players against AI and real people. This can be played in a competitive ranked setting or a casual unranked. This game takes a lot of planning to defeat your enemy. If you start lagging, your commands will come out slower than your opponent. While some of the lag is caused by the game server, the rest is a result of your connection to the game. In this post we will teach you how to fix lag with a VPN. We will provide suggestions for PC and Mac.

How to Fix Lag Spikes in StarCraft 2

Here is the quickest way to improve Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty lag on PC or Mac 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.
  • Test to see if your ping has lowered from your normal response time.
  • Launch StarCraft 2 and enjoy!

Want to switch regions without a VPN? If so follow these instructions.

  1. Sign up for ExpressVPN (includes a 30-day money back guarantee)
  2. Log into Expressvpn.com and go to the “DNS Settings” tab.
  3. Click the button to register your IP address.
  4. You can also set dynamic DNS (more technical users)
  5. Click on the “Dashboard” tab
  6. Look for the “Set up on all your devices” section and click on the “see all devices” link.
  7. Click on the set up guide for your console. ExpressVPN MediaStreamer supports PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
  8. Make note of the IP address given in the set up box to the right of the screen.
  9. Set the DNS on your console to the IP given on the ExpressVPN site.

Get ExpressVPN

Why Does StarCraft 2 Lag?

The popularity of StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty is both a blessing and a curse. As we mentioned, you will compete against other players with differing Internet connection speeds. If you have performance issues when using the Internet in general then you can expect lag spikes when playing StarCraft 2. The two main considerations for lag are your Internet speed and hardware. PC gamers will want to focus on CPU, memory, and graphics card. Everyone needs a fast Internet connection.

More Tips to Fix Lag Spikes in StarCraft 2

For the fastest connection you will want to use a LAN cable. If that isn’t possible you may want to set a separate WiFi network for gaming or prioritize your traffic. Want to see if the battle.net servers are down or others are having issues? You can look at Downdetector to see if others are having issues connecting to battle.net servers and playing their games. For more specific news you can check out the StarCraft Twitter.

Let’s continue to look at the best way to increase your Internet speed and lower ping times. In doing so you can expect less lag and a better gaming experience. We recommend testing a VPN to improve ping and reduce your lag. The key is to find a better route between your system and the game server. Your ISP isn’t focused on this issue as much as VPN providers. They know that it’s a competitive advantage if they can offer you a faster router to key locations. Most of the game developers host regional game servers in the same locations. This allows VPNs to offer better routes and will give you a boost in performance.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Server Locations

Blizzard has not released the exact locations where StarCraft 2 is hosted. However, we were able to find some forums where people were theorizing the server locations. Based on this and other games we can recommend specific VPN servers locations based on the region you wish to play in.

Here are some key VPN servers locations for ExpressVPN.

  • United States – Dallas and Los Angeles
  • Europe – Paris and Sweden
  • Asia Pacific – Singapore and Seoul

System Requirements and Recommendations

This section is mainly for PC gamers. You will want to make sure you have the proper system specs for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The minimum requirements are often not enough to enjoy the game. You will want to come as close as possible (or above) these recommended system specs.

PC:

  • Operating system – Windows 10 (64-bit)
  • CPU – Intel Cor i5, AMD FX equivalent, or better
  • Video Card – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650, AMD Radeon HD 7790, or better
  • Memory – 4 GB RAM

Mac:

  • Operating system – MacOS 10.15 or newer
  • CPU – Intel Core i5 or better
  • Video Card – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M, AMD Radeon R9 M290X, or better
  • Memory – 8 GB RAM

Here is a little more information on using a VPN for gaming.


How to Play StarCraft 2 with ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN Logo

ExpressVPN is our pick for best VPN to reduce lag. It will allow you to improve your gaming experience on a variety of devices. You will be able to install an easy to use app for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch users can enhance their game play by using the ExpressVPN app on compatible routers or taking advantage of MediaStreamer. The MediaStreamer service is available for all ExpressVPN users and it works on many devices. It allows you to increase your speed even further. However, it does not give you the extra privacy protection a VPN will offer you. ExpressVPN will allow you to make your game faster on many devices.

ExpressVPN app

ExpressVPN is an excellent service to use when gaming. They help you gain discounts and early access to new titles. ExpressVPN provides extra protection against DDoS attacks and reduces lag. All our readers will be happy to learn that we have an exclusive discount for you to use. ExpressVPN will give you 49% off a year of VPN and receive another 3 months of VPN for free. This is coupled with their 30 day money back guarantee so you can test out the service for a month and see how it can improve your online experience.

Get ExpressVPN