How to Fix Packet Loss in Valorant and Finally Play Without Lag

If you are Googling how to fix packet loss in Valorant, you are definitely not alone. Packet loss is hands down one of the most annoying network problems in any competitive shooter.

You line up a perfect Sheriff headshot and suddenly your character stutters the server ignores your bullet and your enemy deletes you like you are a bot.

I remember one night during ranked when my ping looked fine but every fight felt delayed. Teammates sounded normal in voice chat but my shots and movement were lagging behind reality. That is the exact moment I searched the same thing you just did:

“Why do I have packet loss in Valorant and how do I fix it?”

Now that I have solved it I am breaking down every fix that actually works so you do not have to suffer through teleporting teammates missed hits and lag induced tilt.

What Causes Packet Loss in Valorant

Packet loss means data sent between your PC and the Riot servers is being dropped. Even if your ping looks okay packet loss can still ruin your gameplay.

Symptoms include:

• delayed bullets

• rubber band movement

• random freezes

• slow abilities

• weird audio or delayed comms

The usual causes are:

• weak WiFi connection

• ISP routing issues

• outdated network drivers

• DNS problems

• router congestion

• VPN interference

So let’s go step by step and actually fix packet loss in Valorant.

Fix 1 : Use Ethernet Instead of WiFi

If you truly want to fix packet loss in Valorant the number one solution is using a wired ethernet connection. WiFi drops packets like crazy especially if:

• there are walls between you and the router

• multiple devices are streaming

• you live in an apartment with crowded WiFi channels

If ethernet is not an option move closer to your router and switch to a 5GHz WiFi connection.

Fix 2: Close Anything Using Your Bandwidth

Packet loss happens when something else is hogging your internet.

Check these apps:

• Steam Epic Ubisoft launchers

• Windows Update

• Netflix or YouTube

• Cloud sync like OneDrive or Google Drive

• Discord streaming

Press Control Shift Escape and sort by Network use to spot the culprit.

Fix 3: Reset DNS and Network Stack

This fix alone helps many players.

Open Command Prompt as admin and enter:

ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Restart your computer afterward.

Fix 4: Change Your DNS

If you still want to know how to fix packet loss in Valorant without replacing hardware switching DNS helps a lot.

Use one of these:

Google
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

Cloudflare
1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1

You can change this in network adapter IPv4 settings.

Fix 5: Update Your Network Drivers

Old drivers create instability.

Go to:

• Device Manager

• Network Adapters

• Update driver

Users with Killer, Realtek or Intel network cards should check manufacturer websites for the latest firmware.

Fix 6: Turn On QoS in Your Router

QoS prioritizes gaming packets over other devices.

Look for settings like:

• Gaming mode

• Traffic prioritization

• Low latency mode

• WMM or QoS

Different routers use different names but the result is the same: Riot servers get priority.

Fix 7: Turn Off VPN or Proxy

Most VPNs worsen routing and can trigger Vanguard protections. If you are using any kind of proxy or VPN turn it off then relaunch Valorant.

Fix 8: Restart Your Router and Modem

Simple but effective especially if you have not rebooted in weeks.

Quick Fix Checklist

If you just want a fast solution follow this order:

1. Switch to ethernet

2. Close background downloads

3. Reset DNS and network

4. Change DNS server

5. Update drivers

6. Turn on router QoS

7. Restart router

One of these steps will fix packet loss for most players.

If you searched how to fix packet loss in Valorant, hopefully this guide already helped you stabilize your connection. Once packet loss is gone everything feels smoother from aim duels to abilities to movement.