How to Fix Packet Loss in Warzone and Valorant (2026 Guide)
You're shooting, the enemy is teleporting, your bullets aren't registering, and then — dead. Packet loss in Warzone and Valorant doesn't just feel bad, it makes you lose gunfights you should win. The frustrating part: most packet-loss guides throw generic tips at you without first helping you figure out what's actually wrong.
This guide does it differently. First, you'll learn how to read what each game is telling you — Warzone's orange "packet burst" warning means something very different from Valorant's packet-loss percentage. Then you'll get platform-specific fixes in order of effort, from five-minute wins to the deeper tweaks that actually move the needle.
Diagnose First: What the Game Is Actually Telling You
Before changing a single setting, figure out which problem you actually have. Packet loss, packet burst, and jitter are three different things, and they have different fixes.
Packet loss vs packet burst vs jitter
- Packet loss: some of the data packets traveling between you and the server never arrive. The game stutters, enemies teleport (rubber-banding), and shots don't register. Measured as a percentage — anything consistently above 1% is a real problem.
- Packet burst (Warzone): Warzone's specific warning — three orange squares in the top-left of your screen. Here's the twist: it is often not a network problem. A maxed-out CPU, full VRAM, or corrupted shader cache can produce the packet-burst warning on a perfectly healthy connection. Networking guides have long flagged this confusion — don't start swapping routers until you've ruled out your own hardware (see the Warzone section below).
- Jitter: your ping is fine on average but swings wildly (say, 25ms to 110ms). This usually points to Wi-Fi interference or bufferbloat, not true packet loss.
Read Warzone's warning
Warzone shows the orange packet-burst icon in the top-left corner of the screen when it detects a burst. The game also has a network info display — enable it in Settings → Interface so you can see loss percentages during the match. If the burst icon appears mostly during firefights or when moving through dense areas, suspect your GPU/CPU load before your network.
Read Valorant's stats
Valorant is much more transparent. Go to Settings → Video → Stats and enable Network RTT + Packet Loss (and the jitter graph while you're at it). These overlay on your screen during matches. If you see the loss percentage climbing in specific rounds or on specific sites, note the pattern — it often correlates with something else running on your network at that moment.
Once you know what you're dealing with, work through the fixes below in order.
Quick Fixes: 5-Minute Wins on Every Platform
- Check server status first. Before troubleshooting anything, confirm the game servers are healthy — check @CODUpdates on X and DownDetector. If the servers are having issues, no amount of tweaking will help.
- Plug in an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi is the single most common cause of packet loss in both games. One cable eliminates interference, jitter, and most loss in one move.
- Close everything in the background. Kill game launchers (Steam, Battle.net, Riot Client) that download patches silently, pause cloud backup syncing (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox), and stop any streams or downloads running on your network.
- Power-cycle your router and modem. Unplug both for a full 60 seconds, plug the modem back in first, wait for it to fully connect, then the router. This clears stale NAT entries and temporary routing issues.
- Play off-peak if you can. Evening hours (roughly 6–11 PM local) are peak congestion on most ISPs. If your loss vanishes at midnight, the network is overloaded — not broken.
If these didn't fix it, the deeper platform-specific fixes below are next.
Warzone Packet Loss & Packet Burst Fixes
Warzone's warning icon scares a lot of players into blaming their internet when the real culprit is their PC or console working too hard. Work through these in order — they go from most-reported fix to least obvious.
1. Turn off On-Demand Texture Streaming
This is the single biggest reported fix for Warzone packet-burst warnings. In Settings → Graphics → Quality, find On-Demand Texture Streaming and disable it. The game will use more local storage for textures, but it stops constantly downloading texture data mid-match — which both stresses your connection and can trigger the burst icon on otherwise healthy networks.
2. Lower the VRAM Scale Target
In Settings → Graphics → Display, set VRAM Scale Target to 70%. If you have a 6GB GPU, drop it to 60%. When Warzone runs out of VRAM, it starts stalling the render pipeline — and those stalls can surface as packet-burst warnings even though nothing is wrong with your network.
3. Delete the shader cache
A corrupted shader cache is a well-known packet-burst trigger. Delete it manually: go to Documents\Call of Duty\players\shadercache and delete the folder's contents (the game rebuilds it on the next launch). Then set your shader quality to Restart Shaders Preloading and let the game re-optimize.
4. Set RendererWorkerCount to your physical cores
Open adv_options.ini (in Documents\Call of Duty\players\) and set RendererWorkerCount to the number of physical CPU cores you have — not threads. If this was set too high, the game oversubscribes your CPU, which causes the hitching that Warzone reports as packet bursts.
5. Restart the game every 5–6 matches
Warzone has a long-standing memory leak: the longer a session runs, the more RAM it eats, and the more the burst icon appears. A full game restart every few matches is annoying but effective. If your RAM is climbing steadily in Task Manager while you play, this is your issue.
6. Try disabling crossplay
In Settings → Account & Network, turn off crossplay and test a few matches. This doesn't directly fix packet loss, but it changes the matchmaking pool and server distribution — some players report consistently better connections on console-only or PC-only lobbies.
A note on bandwidth: Call of Duty needs only about 3–5 Mbps to play. Upgrading from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps will do essentially nothing for packet loss — the problem is almost never raw speed.
Valorant Packet Loss Fixes
Valorant's netcode is efficient and its stats overlay is honest, which makes diagnosis easier. If you're seeing a packet-loss percentage here, it really is your network — run through these fixes.
1. Set Network Buffering to Moderate
In Valorant's settings, find Network Buffering and change it from Minimum to Moderate. Minimum buffering gives the lowest theoretical latency but makes the game far more sensitive to any packet that arrives late — Moderate smooths out minor hiccups without adding noticeable delay.
2. Flush DNS and switch to a better DNS server
Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. Then set your DNS to 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4 (Google). ISP DNS servers can be slow or misbehaving, and a faster DNS sometimes resolves routing to Riot's servers to a better path.
3. Update your network adapter drivers from the manufacturer
Don't trust Windows Update for this one — go to your motherboard or network adapter manufacturer's website and install the latest Ethernet/Wi-Fi drivers. Windows' default drivers lag behind and are a common source of micro-stutters and packet loss.
4. Test and tune your MTU
A wrong MTU (maximum transmission unit) forces packet fragmentation, which shows up as loss. Test yours: open Command Prompt and run ping google.com -f -l 1472. If you get "Packet needs to be fragmented but DF set," lower the number by 10 and retry until pings succeed — then add 28 to get your optimal MTU. Common values: 1492 for PPPoE connections, 1500 for most cable/fiber.
5. Try disabling IPv6
On some ISP routes, IPv6 paths to Riot's servers are poorly maintained. Go to your network adapter properties and uncheck IPv6 to force IPv4-only traffic, then test for a few matches. If nothing changes, re-enable it.
Also make sure you're queued on your lowest-ping region (shown on the login screen) — a wrong region selection amplifies every other problem. For the full rundown on ping specifically, see our guide on how to lower ping in Warzone and Valorant.
Console Fixes: Xbox & PS5
Console players have fewer knobs to turn, but the ones that exist matter. Start with the simplest.
Full power-off, not rest mode
Do a real power cycle: turn the console completely off, unplug it for 60 seconds, then plug it back in. Rest mode doesn't clear the network stack — a full power-off does. Many players report this alone clearing intermittent packet loss.
Xbox: clear the Alternate MAC Address
Go to Settings → General → Network Settings → Advanced Settings → Alternate MAC Address → Clear, then restart the console. This forces a fresh network handshake with your router and clears corrupted network state that can cause loss.
PS5: rebuild the database
Boot into Safe Mode (hold the power button until the second beep), select Rebuild Database. This cleans up corrupted system data that can interfere with networking — it doesn't delete your games or saves.
Get your NAT type to Open
In Warzone's Settings → Account & Network, check your NAT type. If it shows Moderate or Strict, enable UPnP on your router first — that fixes it for most people. Only forward ports manually if UPnP isn't available:
| Platform | TCP ports | UDP ports |
|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam) | 27015, 27036 | 3074, 27015, 27031–27036 |
| PlayStation | 3478–3480 | 3074, 3478–3479 |
| Xbox | 3074 | 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500 |
Need more on the NAT side? Our Xbox VPN guide and PS5 VPN guide cover low-ping console setups in detail.
Router-Level Fixes
Enable QoS and prioritize your gaming device
Log into your router's admin page (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), find QoS or traffic prioritization, and set your gaming PC or console as the highest-priority device. Some routers let you cap other devices — limiting everyone else to around 70% of total bandwidth leaves headroom so one Netflix stream can't spike your game.
Test for bufferbloat
If your latency spikes whenever anyone uploads or downloads anything, you likely have bufferbloat — your router queues packets badly under load. Test it: run a speed test while simultaneously uploading a large file. If ping jumps dramatically during the upload, that's bufferbloat. Fixes: enable QoS/SQM (Smart Queue Management) if your router supports it, or replace an old router — modern routers handle this far better.
Switch DNS on the router
Changing DNS at the router level fixes every device at once: set it to 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4 or 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1 instead of your ISP's defaults.
When It's Your ISP or the Servers
If you've worked through everything above and still see loss, it's time to consider that the problem isn't yours to fix.
- The 1% rule. Consistent packet loss above 1% that persists across games, devices, and times of day almost always means a line fault — a damaged cable, a bad splitter, or degraded wiring to your home. Call your ISP and say exactly that: "I have consistent packet loss above 1% on a wired connection." That phrase gets you past the scripted "restart your router" tier.
- Check server status before troubleshooting. This bears repeating: check @CODUpdates on X and DownDetector first. Game servers have bad days, and peak launch windows for new seasons are notorious.
- Peak hours (6–11 PM) are worse for everyone. If your loss follows a daily schedule, your ISP's local network is congested. This is a capacity problem — no setting on your end fixes it, and it's worth raising with your ISP if it's severe.
- Document it. Before calling your ISP, run a few ping tests (e.g.,
ping -n 100 8.8.8.8on Windows) and screenshot the packet-loss percentage. Timestamps of when loss occurs are the most persuasive evidence you can bring.
Does a VPN Fix Packet Loss?
Honest answer: usually not — and in Warzone specifically, be skeptical. Activision does not recommend VPNs for Warzone, and a large share of "VPN fixes packet loss" content online is published by VPN sellers themselves. A standard VPN adds an extra hop and encryption overhead, which normally increases packet loss slightly rather than reducing it.
There's one genuine exception: a gaming-optimized routing service (sometimes called a GPN) can help when your ISP's routing itself is the problem — for example, if your traffic takes a needlessly long path to the game server. This is a routing fix, not a packet-loss fix, and it only helps when you've confirmed bad routing is the cause.
Want the full honest breakdown of when gaming VPNs help and when they're a waste of money? Read our best VPN for gaming guide — it separates the real use cases from the marketing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between packet loss and packet burst in Warzone?
Packet loss means data packets between you and the server never arrive — it causes teleporting, rubber-banding, and missed hit registration. Packet burst is Warzone's specific warning (three orange squares) that fires when packets arrive in irregular bursts. Crucially, packet burst is often not a network problem — maxed CPU, full VRAM, RAM/memory leaks, and corrupted shader caches all trigger it on healthy connections. Always check your hardware load before blaming your internet.
Why does Warzone show packet burst when my internet is fine?
Because the burst icon reflects what Warzone's engine sees, not your connection quality. The most common non-network causes are On-Demand Texture Streaming being enabled (disable it in Graphics → Quality), VRAM Scale Target set too high (try 70%, or 60% on 6GB cards), a corrupted shader cache (delete Documents\Call of Duty\players\shadercache), or the game's memory leak after long sessions — restart Warzone every 5–6 matches.
How do I see packet loss in Valorant?
Go to Settings → Video → Stats and enable Network RTT + Packet Loss (and the jitter graph). These overlay on your screen during matches and show your real-time loss percentage. If you consistently see above 1%, work through the network fixes in this guide — starting with a wired connection, DNS flush, and updating your network adapter drivers from the manufacturer's site.
Is 1% packet loss bad?
Above 1% is where it starts mattering in competitive shooters — you'll notice rubber-banding and inconsistent hit registration. Below 1%, occasional lost packets are normal on any internet connection and the game's netcode compensates. If you're consistently above 1% on a wired connection across games and times of day, that's likely an ISP line fault, not something you can fix with settings.
Does a VPN fix packet loss?
Usually not. A standard VPN adds a hop and encryption overhead, which typically increases packet loss slightly. Activision does not recommend VPNs for Warzone, and much of the "VPN fixes lag" content online comes from VPN sellers. The one exception is a gaming-optimized routing service (GPN) when your ISP's routing path to the game server is genuinely bad — that's a routing problem, not a packet-loss problem.