If you have been kicked from a server for high ping, or you are worried about being kicked, this guide covers what has changed, what is still unknown, and what you can do about it. It was checked against the Season 02 patch notes and BULKHEAD's most recent announcement on 21 October 2026.
What has changed
There are two separate pieces of news, and they are easy to mix up.
Season 2 (15 October) introduced region-based ping limits. Official servers now enforce different maximum ping limits depending on their region. The rules around them are:
- Players who consistently exceed a server's ping limit over a sustained period are automatically kicked, which helps protect against temporary spikes.
- Server-side lag spikes are excluded from ping measurements, to prevent unfair kicks.
- Players kicked for high ping cannot rejoin the same server until the next map transition.
- The server browser now has maximum ping tags and filters.
- Community server admins can configure their own ping limits, allowing cross-regional play or stricter rules.
On 21 October, BULKHEAD went further. In a post on X, the studio said it had begun controlling regions and that over the next few hours it would reduce the maximum ping on a server to 175. Its reasoning was to protect the largest number of players from an influx of regions that are more prone to cheating. It also said that region locking is in progress on the backend, but is more than a switch to make a meaningful impact.
So the current position is a ping cap, not a full region lock. Earlier in October, BULKHEAD's CEO said ping limits should alleviate the problem, but won't fully fix it.
Why ping limits help against cheating
The studio's argument is about where cheating players are connecting from, not about ping as such. If a server will only accept connections below a certain latency, players on the other side of the world find it harder to join servers in other regions. That keeps players mostly on servers in their own part of the world.
It will not stop every cheater. Community discussion is full of doubts about how much a ping cap can achieve on its own, and the studio itself has called this a first step. Treat it as one layer of protection, not a complete fix.
What we do not know yet
Check the facts before you act on advice from other sites.
- The Season 2 patch notes publish no numbers. They describe the system but give no thresholds. The notes say the initial values will be quite lenient as BULKHEAD hones in on appropriate values.
- The 175 figure comes from the 21 October announcement. I could not find a published table showing the exact limit for each region. Your server's browser tag is the only reliable guide.
- The measurement window is unpublished. "Sustained" and "consistently" are the only descriptions we have. Nobody outside BULKHEAD can tell you how many seconds above the limit will get you kicked.
- How borderline connections are handled is unclear. One news report noted that BULKHEAD has yet to explain how temporary spikes or connections hovering around the limit will be handled.
The community has also been guessing at ping values and workarounds. We are leaving those guesses out.
How to avoid being kicked
1. Read the ping tag before you join
The browser now shows each server's maximum ping and lets you filter by it. Filter first, then pick. If your usual ping to a server is close to its limit, choose another one.
2. Play in your own region
Distance is the biggest factor you control. One guide to WARDOGS connection problems notes that the distance to the region you pick is the biggest factor. Pick the nearest region in the browser. If a nearby server feels worse than expected, try a different one, because routing from your ISP can make the "nearest" server a poor choice.
3. Use a wired connection
If you can, use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi tends to cause jitter, which can push you over the limit during busy moments even when your average ping is fine.
4. Close anything using your bandwidth
Downloads, game updates and streams can all add latency. Pause them before you deploy.
5. Learn the connection icons
WARDOGS shows network warnings at the top right of the screen, including High Ping, Ping Instability and Packet Loss. Packet loss and jitter are different faults from high ping. The symptoms are rubberbanding, missed inputs and teleporting rather than a steady delay. The patch notes do not describe these icons as a warning before a kick. If High Ping stays lit for a whole match, though, a closer server is a better choice.
If you have been kicked
- Do not keep retrying the same server. You are blocked from it until the next map transition, so look for another server instead.
- Look at the ping tag. Compare it with your usual ping to that region.
- Pick a nearer server. Use the browser filter to find servers whose limit suits your connection.
- Check for a local fault. Run the wired test and close background apps. Exactly the same steps apply whether your ping was always high or spiked partway through the match.
If you keep being kicked on servers in your own region with a normal connection, report it. Include the server name, time, region and the exact message you saw. Reports like this help BULKHEAD tune its values.
Playing with friends in another country
This is where the change hurts most. A UK player and a US player in the same squad may find that no official server suits both of them. Some players have already said the limit could stop them joining friends overseas.
You have a few options:
- Pick the better-connected player's region and check that the other player can stay under that server's tag.
- Use a community server where the admin has set a looser limit for cross-regional play. Admins now choose their own limits, so ask before you join.
- Squad up with players in your own region for official servers. Regular squad nights are an easy way to find people near you.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the problem is your PC. A high-ping kick is about latency to the server. Lowering your graphics settings will not fix it.
- Assuming a short spike will get you kicked. The patch notes say it will not. Sustained excess is what counts.
- Rejoining immediately. You cannot rejoin until the next map transition.
- Copying numbers from forums. Players have suggested limits of 100, 120 or 160, but those are suggestions, not the rules.
What to expect next
BULKHEAD has described the first values as lenient and says region locking is still being built. Expect the limits to change, so check the server tags rather than relying on a number remembered from a guide. For wider Season 2 context, see WARDOGS Season 2: everything new and what changed. If you are new to the game, your first hour, step by step covers the basics.