Despite relying on VPNs for years, I’ve never specifically used them for gaming. That was, however, until I decided to test Marvel Rivals with NordVPN – and while I was worried it might be more trouble than it’s worth for multiplayer games, I came away pleasantly surprised.
After spending 60 hours battling it out in one of the best free PC games without a gaming VPN, I’m sorry to say I’ve found my fair share of unfriendly players in Marvel Rivals. Even though I usually prefer to stick to casual mode, I’ve still been on the receiving end of the odd insult or bit of bad behavior.
Admittedly, this is not a slight against Marvel Rivals. Toxic players can appear anywhere, and I’ve actually found the hero shooter to be good at dealing with player toxicity, with plenty of my reports being not only acknowledged but leading to bans and restrictions. Still, I feel more at ease since I started using a VPN.
Thanks to NordVPN, I have greater peace of mind knowing my IP address and location are effectively cloaked – but security is only one aspect of a VPN, and if the performance doesn’t match up, is it worth using?
Fortunately, I can say that my time using NordVPN has been mostly smooth. While my download speeds have dropped slightly, I can still play or download games while others in my household are streaming, downloading, using apps, etc. without any problems whatsoever. Most importantly, no matter which Marvel Rivals character I’m using, I’ve not experienced higher latency or server issues. That said, if your internet is already on the slow side, that small drop in download or upload times could be more evident.
Considering the other benefits of VPNs, like watching region-locked content on your favorite streaming service or avoiding throttling from your ISP, I’ve found it easy to justify the price. At the equivalent of $3.39 / £2.29 a month, you’ll get two years of access to one of the best VPNs out there.
So, if you’re enjoying the hectic action of Marvel Rivals, I’d recommend using a VPN – it’s been a great experience so far. Beyond Marvel Rivals, you can be sure a VPN could come in handy in some of the best FPS games where tensions do tend to flare.
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