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High VALORANT ping can come from your Wi-Fi or cabling, a proxy or VPN, DNS settings, firewall rules, or your router. Riot Games’ troubleshooting guide recommends checking these one at a time; it does not identify the cause for an individual player or guarantee that any single change will lower ping.
Start with your connection
Check that Wi-Fi is enabled and that you are connected to the intended network. If you use Ethernet, make sure the cable is firmly connected at both ends. When Wi-Fi seems unreliable, try playing over a wired connection. Riot describes Ethernet as generally faster and more stable, but whether it improves your connection depends on your home setup.
Change one condition at a time and compare how the connection behaves in a match. For example, compare Wi-Fi with Ethernet before changing other settings. A standard Ethernet cable can help you test a wired connection, but it cannot fix an issue elsewhere in the network path.
Test without a proxy or VPN
If you use a proxy or VPN, temporarily disconnect it and test VALORANT again. Riot warns that these services can cause connection problems. If the result is unchanged, restore your usual setup before moving on.
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Consider DNS as a troubleshooting test
Riot’s guide suggests trying a public DNS provider, such as Google or Cloudflare. Example IPv4 addresses are listed below. Changing DNS is a test, not a guaranteed way to reduce in-match ping: DNS resolves domain names, and Riot does not report measured latency improvements from these changes.
| Provider | Preferred IPv4 address | Alternate IPv4 address |
|---|---|---|
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 |
| Cloudflare DNS | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 |
Some internet providers may block third-party DNS. If changing DNS causes you to lose internet access, restore your original DNS settings. For platform-specific instructions, follow Riot’s network connection troubleshooting guide.
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Renew your IP address and flush the DNS cache
Riot also recommends renewing your IP address and flushing the DNS cache using Windows command-line steps. Follow the current commands and instructions in Riot’s guide rather than guessing at commands for a different operating system. After completing the steps, reconnect and check whether VALORANT’s connection has changed.
Check firewall and router settings
Make sure your firewall is not blocking VALORANT or Riot Vanguard. If the basic checks do not help and you suspect your router is preventing a server connection, use the port-forwarding instructions linked from Riot’s network troubleshooting guide. The cited guidance does not establish port numbers to apply universally, so use Riot’s detailed instructions for your setup instead of adding guessed rules.
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When to contact Riot Support
If these checks do not resolve the problem, submit a support request to Riot. High ping can involve conditions beyond your device or home network; the troubleshooting guide does not determine whether an individual issue lies with an ISP route, a game server, or another part of the connection.
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