How to Fix Overwatch Lag Spikes and High Ping

Overwatch lag spikes and high ping can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re in the middle of an intense match and suddenly your game starts stuttering or your shots don’t register.

Online gaming depends on stable connections, and even the slightest lag can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

In this guide, we’ll go through how to check for lag, different ways to fix it, and what might be causing these problems in the first place.

How Can I Check Overwatch Lag Spikes?

Before jumping into fixes, it’s important to determine if you’re actually experiencing lag spikes and high ping in Overwatch. Here’s how to check:

1. In-Game Network Stats – Overwatch has built-in network monitoring tools. Press Ctrl + Shift + N while in-game to bring up the network stats overlay. Look for indicators like high ping, packet loss, and sudden ping spikes.

Source: Arqade

2. Latency (Ping) Indicator – You can enable a real-time ping display by going to Options > Video > Display Performance Stats and checking Network Latency. This will show your ping at all times in the top-left corner.
3. Third-Party Tools – Websites like Speedtest.net or PingPlotter can help measure your internet speed and check for connection issues outside of the game.

If you notice that your ping jumps suddenly or goes way above normal, then you’re dealing with lag spikes.

10 Ways to Fix Overwatch Lag Spikes and High Ping

Now that we’ve identified the problem, let’s look at some ways to fix it. Since the causes can vary, it may take some trial and error to find the best solution.

1. Restart Your Router and Modem

A classic fix, but one that often works. Unplug your router and modem for about 30 seconds to a minute before plugging them back in. This can clear temporary network issues and refresh your connection.

Additionally, ensure that your router is placed in a well-ventilated area to prevent overheating, which can cause performance degradation over time.

2. Switch to a Wired Connection

Wi-Fi is convenient, but it’s prone to interference and instability. If possible, connect your PC or console directly to your router with an Ethernet cable.

This provides a more stable and faster connection. If running a long Ethernet cable isn’t an option, consider using a powerline adapter to extend your wired connection through your home’s electrical wiring.

3. Close Background Applications

Apps like Discord, Twitch, YouTube, and even Windows updates can eat up bandwidth. Close unnecessary applications or pause downloads while playing Overwatch.

You can also check your system’s Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc on Windows) to see what applications are consuming the most bandwidth and close them if necessary.

Source: MS.Codes

4. Change Your Overwatch Server

Overwatch automatically connects you to the best server, but sometimes switching manually can help. To do this, go to Options > Gameplay and change the preferred server in the region settings.

Experimenting with different regions may sometimes yield a better connection, especially if your current server is experiencing congestion.

Source: Reddit

5. Update Network Drivers

Outdated drivers can lead to connectivity issues. Make sure your network adapter drivers are up to date.

You can do this by going to the Device Manager in Windows, finding your network adapter, and checking for updates. If you’re using a gaming laptop or pre-built desktop, check the manufacturer’s website for the latest network drivers.

6. Optimize Your Router Settings

Routers have settings that can impact gaming performance. A few tweaks include:

• Enable QoS (Quality of Service) – Prioritizes gaming traffic over other network activities.
• Disable Bandwidth-Hogging Features – Features like “Smart Connect” or automatic updates can interfere with stable connections.
• Change DNS Settings – Using Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) may improve latency.
• Enable Port Forwarding – Manually forwarding Overwatch’s ports in your router settings can help stabilize your connection. You can find the required ports on Blizzard’s support page.
• Reduce Wi-Fi Interference – If you must use Wi-Fi, ensure that your router is positioned away from thick walls, microwaves, and other devices that can interfere with the signal.

7. Reduce Network Congestion

If multiple devices are streaming, downloading, or using a lot of bandwidth at the same time, your Overwatch connection can suffer.

Try playing during off-peak hours or asking others in your household to limit bandwidth usage. If you have a dual-band router, consider switching to the 5GHz band for gaming, as it generally experiences less interference compared to 2.4GHz.

8. Use NoPing

Sometimes, your ISP routes traffic inefficiently, causing lag spikes. A specialized software like NoPing can optimize your connection by finding a better route to the game servers.

NoPing also offers features like multi-route optimization, which ensures the fastest possible connection path for your gaming traffic.

Here’s how to use NoPing to fix lag spikes in Overwatch:

• Sign-up through the website and download NoPing (you can try it for free)
• Open NoPing and search for Overwatch inside the software

• Once you find Overwatch, click on it and, on the next screen, select “Choose automatic” or “Choose manual” and click “Continue”. We recommend choosing automatic, as NoPing’s technology analyzes all routes on a global scale and automatically selects the best option for you.

• On the next screen, click on “Optimize Game”.

• And that’s it, you can start playing Overwatch with optimized ping!

You can test different servers within NoPing to see which gives you the lowest latency.

9. Adjust In-Game Settings

Lowering certain network settings in Overwatch can help stabilize your connection. For example, disabling Dynamic Render Scale or lowering Limit Server Send Rate can help in some cases.

Additionally, turning off Reduce Buffering can sometimes improve performance if your system is experiencing frame pacing issues.

Source: Reddit

10. Contact Your ISP

If nothing works, your ISP might be throttling gaming traffic or experiencing issues on their end.

Call them and ask if there are any known problems or if they can optimize your connection for gaming. You may also want to inquire about upgrading to a higher-speed plan or switching to an ISP that provides lower latency for gaming.

What Can Cause Overwatch Lag Spikes and High Ping?

Now that we’ve gone through the fixes, let’s discuss what could be causing your lag in the first place.

1. Internet Speed and Stability – If your internet speed is slow or unstable, you’ll experience lag spikes. While Overwatch doesn’t require extremely fast speeds, a stable connection is crucial.
2. Wi-Fi Interference – If you’re using Wi-Fi, signals from other devices (like microwaves, smart TVs, or Bluetooth speakers) can cause interference and lag spikes.
3. Server-Side Issues – Sometimes, the problem isn’t on your end. Overwatch servers might be overloaded or experiencing temporary issues.
4. ISP Throttling – Some internet service providers throttle gaming traffic during peak hours, leading to lag.
5. Background Applications – Apps running in the background, such as downloads, updates, or streaming services, can eat up bandwidth and cause lag.
6. Network Congestion – If multiple people are using the same internet connection (for example, watching Netflix or downloading large files), your ping will increase.
7. Bad Routing to Servers – Sometimes, your ISP chooses inefficient routes to the game servers, leading to unnecessary lag. Using a gaming VPN or contacting your ISP may help.

Overwatch lag spikes and high ping are annoying, but they’re not unbeatable.

With the right troubleshooting steps—like switching to a wired connection, optimizing router settings, or using a specialized software—you can drastically improve your connection.

Try NoPing for free for 7 days and experience the best connection to play Overwatch wherever you are.