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Black Friday is finally here, bringing with it all sorts of juicy sales and discounts.

Today’sbest VPNsare so much more than just privacy tools.

A woman sitting at a desk, using a gaming PC and LED keyboard

They shield you from threats like DDoS attacks and swatting by keeping your real IP address hidden.

Keep reading, and I’ll highlight my standout deals as well as how agaming VPNis a must-have.

How does a VPN protect you when gaming?

Abstract illustration of a young adult using a laptop on a 5 star rating bar, next to a blue shield and padlock representing a VPN

A VPN’s main job is to encrypt your internet connection and route it througha secure server.

This keeps your online activity hidden from snoopers including your ISP and any nosy bad actors out there.

For gamers, however, this goes beyond improving your overall online anonymity.

1. NordVPNThe best VPN for most gamers

A VPN can safeguard your gaming sessions and ensure a smoother experience and here’s how:

1.

Masking your IP addressEvery internet-connected equipment has anIP address.

VPNs solve this issue in two ways.

2. ExpressVPNThe best VPN for beginners

The internet is jam-packed with threats from third-party snooping, censorship, and even VPN bans.

Check out our guide to today’sbest secure VPNsto see which services you could count on.

Protecting against swattingThankfully, swatting is far less common than DDoS, but it still happens.

3. SurfsharkThe best cheap (and fastest) VPN

Accessing geo-restricted contentSome games, DLCs, or in-game events may be region-specific.

This is particularly true of early-access beta programs which often have staged rollouts across different global locations.

All it’s crucial that you do is connect to a VPN server overseas.

This gives you access to content that might not be available in your local area.

ExpressVPN is a pricey pick, admittedly, but its 2-year plan has never been cheaper.