Hey friend! As you know, I‘m Terry and I love digging into the latest tech and gaming trends. Lately, I‘ve been getting really into Call of Duty: Warzone. Warzone has quickly become one of my favorite battle royale games with its fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action.
Now, as a decent but not great player, I sometimes struggle and get frustrated when I come up against players who are way more skilled. We all have those days where you just want to relax and enjoy the game without the intensity of highly competitive matches.
That‘s where bot lobbies come in handy! According to my research and testing, connecting to Warzone using certain VPN locations seems to increase the odds of getting into lobbies populated mostly by bot opponents. In this guide, I’ll share everything I’ve learned about the best VPN countries for avoiding tough opponents and getting into those sweet, sweet bot lobbies.
What exactly are bot lobbies?
For those unfamiliar, a “bot lobby” refers to a Warzone match where most of the opposing players are bots – meaning artificial intelligence or computer-controlled enemies, not actual human players.
Bots behave predictably in comparison to real players. They have simplistic movement, terrible aim, and generally play at just above potato level. Killing bots and winning matches is WAY easier than fighting real Call of Duty pros and sweats!
Now, Warzone uses skill-based matchmaking which tries to group players of similar skill levels together for fair games. But bot lobbies seem to be an exception that pops up for some players occasionally.
Based on my research, here’s why you might encounter bot lobbies in Warzone:
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You’re a new player – Bot matches help onboard true newbies to the game gently
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Limited regional player pool – Less populated servers fill open slots with bots
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Connection issues – Lagging players get segregated into bot matches
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Reverse boosting – Players intentionally play bad to lower SBMM ranking, then get bots
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VPN trickery – Players spoof locations known for bot lobbies
While getting bots can be random luck, using a VPN seems to be the most reliable way to increase your chances.
Why use a VPN for finding bot lobbies?
In case you aren’t familiar, a VPN (virtual private network) lets you route your internet traffic through a server in another geographical location. This masks your real location and IP address.
Connecting to a VPN makes it look like you’re playing Warzone from somewhere else in the world.
Now, Activision has never publicly confirmed this, but it seems Warzone’s matchmaking algorithm prioritizes speed and ping over accuracy in less populated regions and servers.
By using a VPN to connect from cities with lower Warzone player populations, you essentially trick the matchmaking into putting you into a mixed lobby with more bots filling it out.
The best VPN locations seem to be ones with fewer active Warzone players relative to server capacity, where the matchmaking decides it’s better to fill with bots than wait ages to populate a full human lobby.
Makes sense, right? Next I’ll share the perfect VPN countries I’ve identified for accessing bot-filled Warzone lobbies.
The best VPN server locations for Warzone bot lobbies
Through extensive research and personal testing, I’ve compiled a list of the best VPN server locations that seem most likely to land you in lobbies packed with our dear bot friends:
South America
Countries like Chile, Argentina, Peru and Brazil have proven to be fruitful bot territory in my experience. Specific cities I recommend connecting through include:
- Santiago, Chile
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Lima, Peru
South American servers are less crowded, increasing your chances of getting placeholder bots. Peak times to use the VPN are South American morning and early afternoon.
Europe
While European cities have plenty of skilled Warzone players, using a VPN to connect from some less popular countries can work wonders. Here are the best European cities I’ve discovered to find bot lobbies:
- Madrid, Spain
- Rome, Italy
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Vienna, Austria
- Prague, Czechia
Times to connect are early morning in Europe on weekdays, or later at night when fewer top players are on.
Africa
Based on community reports, African servers generate the highest percentage of bots relative to real players. Connect to a VPN in:
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Casablanca, Morocco
- Johannesburg, South Africa
African lobbies are sparsely populated even during peak hours, making them prime bot locations.
Middle East
While Middle East cities have dedicated Warzone players, they also provide fertile bot ground. Good server spots include:
- Dubai, UAE
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Muscat, Oman
- Tel Aviv, Israel
Middle East mornings and late nights seem optimal for catching bot matches.
Asia/Oceania
Due to lower Warzone popularity and timezone differences, Asian servers are fantastic bot sources. Here are the Asian cities I suggest:
- Singapore
- Tokyo, Japan
- Seoul, South Korea
- Sydney, Australia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
Early morning before work and school starts across Asia is primetime for Asian bot lobbies.
Other Possible Options
Some other less tested VPN locations that could be worth trying for bot matches include:
- Moscow, Russia
- Mumbai, India
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I’ve had mixed results, but reports suggest these regions can work if you play at the right times when few local players are online.
Optimal times for finding bot lobbies
Keep in mind time of day impacts your chances in addition to location. Here are some optimal times I suggest checking your desired VPN region:
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Early morning before most people start their days
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Weekday mornings and afternoons during school/work hours
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Late nights on weekdays when fewer serious gamers are grinding
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Extreme off-peak hours like early AM on weekends (riskier)
Avoid peak times in the evening when the most real players are active, as bot lobbies become scarce.
Tips to get into bot lobbies more often
Beyond just using the VPN, here are some tricks I’ve found that can maximize your chances of getting those juicy, bot-filled Warzone lobbies:
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Play on a fresh account – Brand new accounts seem to get into more bot lobbies upfront as the game evaluates your skill.
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Party with a new player – Having a novice player invite you to their lobby can trigger more bots to fill it out.
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Use an underpowered loadout – Equipping weak guns you barely use might help convince the matchmaking you’re not a pro.
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Reverse boost – Lose on purpose for several matches to tank your stats before turning the VPN on.
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Avoid SBMM tracking platforms – Sites like SBMM Warzone that analyze your stats might affect matchmaking.
Give some of these a shot on top of the VPN connection to really optimize your bot lobbies!
What’s the deal with VPNs and Warzone – are they cheating?
There’s definitely some debate within the Warzone community around whether using a VPN to gain access to bot lobby matches is fair play or a form of cheating.
On one hand, it doesn’t modify the game itself or give you an unfair in-game advantage. The gameplay remains identical, and you still have to aim and outsmart bots to win.
However, it does manipulate the game’s intended matchmaking system. Matchmaking is designed to group players of similar skill together for balanced games. So some view circumventing that system to face easier bots as cheating, even if it doesn’t alter the core game.
Others counter that it simply helps avoid extremely challenging human opponents for more fun and relaxing games, which seems perfectly valid.
There’s also the perspective that pub stomping in bot lobbies boosts stats artificially, similar to smurfing accounts, which feels unfair to some players who earn their stats facing actual tough competition.
Personally, I land somewhere in the middle. I don’t think it’s a major form of cheating, as you still have to compete and play normally. But overdoing it to pad your stats excessively does detract from the spirit of fair play Warzone intends.
As usual, moderation is key here. Use bot lobbies to complement your normal games against real opponents, but don’t ruin new player experiences or develop bad habits solely stomping bots.
Should Warzone put a stop to VPN bot lobbies?
I don’t expect Activision will fully crack down on VPN usage to get into bot lobbies anytime soon. Truthfully, bot matches likely help retain more casual players who would get frustrated and quit against only extremely skilled opponents.
However, I could see Activision implementing some tweaks to help deter players who heavily exploit matchmaking, such as:
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Analyzing unlikely match data like 60+ kill games or 10+ K/D ratios as bot lobby indicators
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Comparing regions via ping and geo-data to identify probable VPN connections
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Limited region matchmaking to your local geographic area
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Improved bot AI over time to become more human-like adversaries
Minor changes could reduce heavy bot lobby manipulators without hurting the new player experience. But an outright VPN ban seems unlikely and possibly detrimental overall.
For now, getting into bot lobbies via VPN remains a reality for those who desire stress-free bot stomping!
Key takeaways on bot lobbies
After all this extensive research and experimentation, here are my main takeaways:
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Bot lobbies provide stress-free games against predictable, beatable AI enemies
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Using a quality VPN set to certain countries seems to reliably increase odds of getting bot matches
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Optimal VPN locations include South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia/Oceania during off-peak times
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Pure bot lobby domination can get old fast – mix in normal opponents to keep improving
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Bot matches may artificially boost stats but don‘t equate to true skill
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Activision seems unlikely to outright ban the VPN bot lobby tactic but may tweak matchmaking
Hopefully these tips help you strategically avoid the sweatiest lobbies and enjoy Warzone more casually. Just be smart about overusing bot exploits.
That wraps up my deep dive on locking down bot-filled Warzone lobbies via VPN. Drop me a comment below if you have any other questions! I’m always happy to nerd out over techy Call of Duty insights with you. Chat soon.
