What is that one thing that no gamer wants while playing Dota 2 online? It’s LAG! Having high ping and latency can cause massive lag, delay and packet loss during the game, making virtually impossible to last hit a creep, cast your spells or use your ultimate in crucial team fights.

Since the launch of Dota 2, lag has been a constant issue faced by many Dota 2 players from around the world. And, if you thought Valve would have fixed this issue after the release of Dota 2 Reborn then you would be wrong. Lag is still a major problem for many Dota 2 players.

You can blame your ISP and gaming servers for causing Dota 2 lag but there are various other factors that cause this problem. Faulty and poor performing hardware (router or switch), congested servers, software issues, and low performance systems can all cause lag while playing Dota 2. So how do you overcome this issue? You can use one of our reviewed and tested Best Gaming VPN 2017 and also follow this step by step guide for fixing Dota 2 packet loss and lag. Here’s our list of the top VPN providers you should use for Dota 2: 

Step 1: Optimize Network Connection For Better Pings

In order to fix Dota 2 packet loss and lag, you can optimize your network connection. Having a poorly configured network connection can lead to high ping and latency which results in lag and packet loss. However, you can improve your network connection and reduce Dota 2 lag by taking care of certain factors.

• Firstly, if you are connected via a wireless network connection (WiFi), it is recommended that you switch to a wired connection.
• Turn off Windows Update when you start your system. Also, close any other software updates, installations or downloads before playing Dota 2 online. This alone can improve pings by as much as 300% in some cases!
• Check your network devices such as a router, switch, or a firewall. At times, network devices cannot keep up with the traffic flow of your internet connection because their memory is maxed out, resulting in packet loss dota 2 and lag.
• Look for faulty hardware, especially network cables and ports. If any network component is malfunctioning then you could experience data packet loss and high pings as a result.
• Make sure that no one else is connected to the same network. For instance, if any member of your family downloads or streams a movie while you play Dota 2, then you are bound to experience lag and delay during gameplay.
• Turn off applications such as torrents, P2P file-sharing software, Skype, or any other program that would consume your bandwidth and create lag in Dota 2.

Apart from taking care of these elements, you can experience Dota 2 packet loss from the server side. This lag can be caused by heavy load on Dota 2 servers. Since your data has to travel through congested traffic from your system to the gaming server and back again, you experience lag and packet loss.

Using a VPN With Dota 2

In many countries using a VPN can fix your lag issues by routing traffic through a more optimal route instead of going through throttled ISPs. The Fastest VPN service with servers in varied continents/countries can help you get better pings to the game server. A few we have tested to be working with the current Dota 2 client:

In order to reduce packet loss Dota 2 and lag from the server side, you can use various tools that reroute your internet traffic. A gaming VPN can come into play here. You can also use software specifically designed to route your gaming data packets through uncongested pathway such as Kill Ping.

How to Reduce Ping in DOTA 2 Lag with KILLPING

Lag has been the archrival of every DOTA 2 gamer who has ever played the online strategy MOBA title. DOTA 2 gamers wonder if there will ever be a one click solution to end their latency worries, well fret no more fellow gamers we have a great prospect for you.

Kill Ping is a new innovative lag reduction app designed by a group of online gaming professionals who were faced with the same lagging dilemma. Established with its own server network, in-house developed app, expert gamer support 24/7/365 and more, KillPing has quickly matured into a leading solution to eliminate lag from online gameplay.

DOTA 2 gamers can subscribe to Kill Ping to experience lag reduction up to 60% (according to our tests, YMMV!). KillPing offers remedial gaming lag reduction features including:

• Optimized Gaming 100 + Servers in 30+ continents
• Expert Gamer Support for DOTA 2 24/7/365 days a year
• Support for over 100 MOBA & MMORPG gaming titles
• Custom Game Configuration available from support
• Access to All Kill Ping Servers with all Subscription plans
• Unlimited Server Switching allowed
• Server Selection Recommendations from the app
• 24/7 Live Tech Support & Assistance

Kill Ping employs its turbo speed leading edge servers around the world allowing online gamers to utilize servers closest to their regions. For instance, if a Japanese gamer desires to play DOTA 2 on the USA servers they can choose from a vast list of US East & West servers including New York, California, Seattle and many more (check out the official list of KillPing servers on the official website).

The KillPing website also provides real time server statistics to ensure you can connect to less congested servers. A brilliant FAQ and tutorials sections is available on the KillPing website for instant self-help, while expert tech supports representatives are always available on live chat. Their 1 year package is currently on offer.

Step 2: Fixing Frame Rates and Performance

Another angle towards bettering your Dota 2 experience is by optimizing your system to deliver the best performance. Frame rate has a big impact on responsiveness within the game so you need to make sure that any hiccups or lack of responsiveness isn’t your hardware’s fault. Your systems performance can be compromised by several factors such as applications taking up unnecessary CPU usage.

By optimizing your system, you can boost your frame rate as well as ping times when playing the game online.  Here are some steps that you can follow to achieve optimum system performance:

• Perform disk defragmentation at least once a month. This will improve your systems speed and hence allow better game performance (Frame rate, responsiveness).
• Close all unnecessary applications, services, and processes from Task Manager before playing Dota 2. This will reduce the workload on your main processor and free up CPU usage for Dota 2, hence reducing load time and frame rates.
• If you are running Windows, then switch your theme to ‘Windows Classic’. Sometimes Windows Aero desktop visuals can cause issues with the game’s performance when running in full screen mode.
• Integrated graphics: Increase memory allocation of your RAM or graphic card to get optimum performance. Also, if you can afford it, upgrade your RAM and graphic card.

Step 3: Optimize Your System’s Graphic Settings

Once you have fine-tuned your system and network connection, next you need to optimize the graphic settings as well. To optimize your graphic settings, you can follow these steps:

• Check the minimum graphic requirements of Dota 2 and see whether your system meets those requirements or not. Most of the time these requirements are met but due to inappropriate settings, you might experience lag in Dota 2.
• Make sure that the drivers are up to date. New graphic driver patches can fix all the bugs and improve your overall graphic performance while eliminating unwanted lag from Dota 2. Here’s the driver pages for both AMD and Nvidia
• If you don’t have a monster PC that can run the game on maximum specs, then you can lower your system’s screen resolution. Although it might make everything appear a bit bigger on screen, but your game will run faster, especially if your system is struggling to run Dota 2.
• You can also change your Direct X settings from DX9 to DX8 for better gaming performance. However, this option might not work if you are using a 64-bit operating system. Also, with new games coming in the market, you would have to upgrade your Direct X to higher version inevitably.

Step 4: Dota 2 Lag In-Game Optimization

After you have configured the graphic settings of your system, you can perform in-game optimization as part of Dota 2 lag fix guide and packet loss. There are various settings within Dota 2 that can help to increase FPS, reduce lag and help achieve better performance.

Don’t make the mistake that many gamers make while playing any game online. That is to run the game on maximum graphic settings. Unless you have a system with beast of a graphic card, substantial RAM, and a powerful process, you should focus your in-game settings more towards performance over quality. Here are some settings that you can perform in Dota 2 for overcoming lag and packet loss:

Dota 2 Launch Options & Dota 2 Console Commands

You can improve your Dota 2 experience right from the beginning by choosing different launch options and entering different console commands. If you have been playing Dota 2 for some time then you might already be using some of these commands. But if you are new to Dota 2 then might want to consider the following console commands:

• -console
• -high
• -novid
• -useforcedmparms
• -noforcemspd
• -noforcemaccel
• -dx 11
• -map dota

Video Settings

Dota 2 Reborn offers easy to use controls through which you can lower or increase your game’s video settings. For starters, we recommend that you set the ‘Resolution’ to ‘Use my monitor’s current resolution’. This will match your systems graphic settings with the game.

Next, under ‘Rendering’ you can choose between basic settings and advance settings. You can slide the bar towards ‘Fastest’ if you want to use basic settings. Dota 2 will automatically configure the graphics to deliver faster performance while eliminating lag and delay.

Alternatively, you can use advance settings and select different aspect of the games that you want switched ‘On’ or ‘Off’. For reducing lag and packet loss, you can lower the texture quality and shadow quality. Also, set the ‘Game Screen Render Quality’ to 50% so the less memory is consumed and your game runs smoothly.

Similarly, keep other settings such as Anti-Aliasing, VSync, World Lighting, High-Quality Water, Ambient Creatures and Specular off as well if you want higher FPS rate and fast game performance.

Network Settings

Another setting that you can perform in Dota 2 is selecting the quality of your network. This allows you to optimize your Dota 2 with your internet connection. If you internet connection is great and can handle large amounts of data, then you can leave the setting to ‘High’.  However, if your internet connection is slow then setting the Network Quality to ‘Low’ helps you to reduce lag.

Note: We are located in the South East Asia.

How to Increase FPS in Dota 2

When it comes to increasing FPS in Dota, users have plenty of tweaks available. Bear in mind though that what configurations may work for some, might not necessarily give a complete success rate to others. To begin with some basic FPS increasing tips, consider turning off Windows Theme and setting the power plan for “Best Performance”. Reduce the resolution of your screen and switch to 36-bit graphics rather than 64-bit. This works well for those users who have a slow running PC.

However, if you have a gaming PC that still induces a lag every time while playing Dota 2, you will have to opt for other methods. Start by turning off “Steam Overlay” and putting “-high” to launch options. If you have an Nvidia GPU, put “-gl” to the launch options. Another good option is to add the following code: “r_dota_disable_portrait_world_renderer 1” to the in-game console. If you are using DirectX 11 and still experiencing low FPS issues, consider reverting to version 9.

Dota 2 High Ping Test

Oftentimes, games may give ping issues, making it impossible to enjoy a streamlined experience. Dota 2 is prone to giving some similar problems. A good way to determine whether you have a Dota 2 Ping problem is to carry out a test. In order to do so, click the link here. Right click download at the top of the page and click on “Save Link As”. Name the file “Ping.bat” and hit the OK button. Mac and Linux users can test their Dota 2 ping by using this link.

Reddit Dota 2 Lag Review

Many threads on Reddit discuss the lagging issue with many searching for ping reducers for Dota 2. However, it seems like the problem does not seem to be with users themselves or their gaming computers/laptops. Many Redditors who are avid-gamers believe that the issue surrounds around the Valve. They have abandoned many games and this has resulted in a massive drop of ratings.

Dota 2’s reviews are now ‘Mixed’ on steam, and slowly going lower. from DotA2

Dota 2 Packet Loss Twitch Review

A common reason as to why players may be experiencing packet loss issue is a slow internet connection. The slower the speeds, the higher the packet losses. However, if your internet works completely fine and only induces packet loss upon playing Dota 2, you are not alone. Many gamers are coming out revealing issues of lag, ping, packet loss, and FPS with the Dota 2. A good solution might be to contact the support team at Valve, so that they can take the issue seriously!

Dota 2 Download Review

Downloading Dota 2 does not require any rocket science. All you have to do is visit the Steam Store and search for the game or simply click on this link here. Hit the install button and the game will begin downloading instantly. Since it is free, you do not have to pay a single penny. If you encounter any troubles during the download, consider connecting to a VPN.

Conclusion

To wrap everything up, high ping, latency, lag, delay, and packet loss are the ultimate destroyers of online gameplay and the last thing you want when playing Dota 2. In order to hit those combos with your teammates and cast your spells are the right time, you need uninterrupted and lag-free gameplay.

There are many reasons that cause lag and packet loss in Dota 2. They may arise from within your system or you might experience them from external sources, but with the help of our guide, you can overcome these issues.

By making certain changes to your system and perhaps upgrading certain components, by configuring different settings and optimizing your game, you can fix Dota 2 packet loss and  lag in no time.