Why Many Big Games Don’t Have South African Servers

South African gamers have been asking the same question for years: why do so many major titles still skip local servers? While progress has been made — with some games now supporting South African servers — many of the world’s biggest online games continue to leave our region out, forcing players to connect to Europe or the Middle East. The result? High ping, laggy matches, and a frustrating competitive disadvantage.

The Current State of South African Game Servers

Not all is doom and gloom. Some popular titles already have servers in South Africa. Games like CS2, Minecraft, Rust, Valheim, Palworld, ARK: Survival Ascended, 7 Days to Die, and more recently Valorant (with Cape Town servers launched in August 2023) as well as Call of Duty: Mobile (through Carry1st and Activision) now offer local hosting. UrbanX has optimised routing for these servers, giving local players low-latency access and a better overall experience.

However, the problem is that many top competitive titles still do not provide South African servers. Apex Legends players, for example, are forced to connect overseas, and Fortnite has only offered temporary or seasonal servers in the past. For players of these games, ping times often range between 150–200ms, making competitive play unfair - but with our direct peering routes, UrbanX aims to minimize latency and enhance the users experience.

Why Publishers Avoid Hosting in South Africa

There are several reasons big publishers hesitate to host servers in South Africa:

Market size:
Compared to Europe or North America, the South African player base is smaller.
Costs:
Setting up and maintaining dedicated servers is expensive.
Infrastructure concerns:
Publishers often see Africa as “risky” due to power and connectivity stability issues.

Unfortunately, this short-term thinking ignores the fact that the South African gaming market is growing fast.

The Impact on South African Gamers

The lack of servers doesn’t just create inconvenience — it directly affects gameplay:

High ping:
Most players are forced to connect to European servers with 150ms+ latency.
Matchmaking issues:
Local players are often at a disadvantage compared to global peers.
Esports limitations:
Competitive players struggle to practice in fair conditions.

For gamers trying to go pro or simply enjoy a smoother online experience, the absence of local servers is a massive barrier.

What’s Changing in 2025?

There are reasons for optimism:

South Africa’s fibre Internet adoption has surged, giving publishers confidence in infrastructure.
Esports is growing rapidly, with more tournaments and sponsorships in South Africa.
Gamers are putting pressure on publishers through forums, petitions, and social media.

As a result, we’ve seen some titles (like CS2, Valorant, and Palworld) launch local servers, proving there is demand.

How UrbanX Helps Gamers Even Without Local Servers

UrbanX is South Africa’s gaming-first ISP, built to reduce latency and keep players connected:

Live Ping helps you track latency in real time.
ExitLag optimises routing to international servers.
Game Servers give players local low-ping options where available.
Browse WiFi Packages to find fibre designed for gamers.

With symmetrical fibre speeds and low-latency routing, UrbanX ensures you get the smoothest possible experience — even when publishers fall short.

FAQs – Quick Answers

Why don’t all games have South African servers?
Because publishers consider costs and player numbers, often underestimating the SA gaming market.

Which games do have servers in SA?
CS2, Minecraft, Rust, ARK, Valheim, Palworld, 7 Days to Die, Valorant, and Call of Duty: Mobile — many supported by UrbanX.

Will more publishers add servers in SA?
Yes. With esports growth and better Internet infrastructure, more games are considering local support.

Does UrbanX provide servers?
Yes. UrbanX actively supports multiple game servers in South Africa, giving you and your friends the ability to enjoy a seamless gaming experience.

Rounding Off

Many big games still leave South Africa without servers, but change is on the horizon. Until then, gamers need an ISP that fights for them. UrbanX Fibre delivers the low latency, stable speeds, and gamer-focused tools South Africans need — no matter where the servers are hosted.

👉 Get connected with UrbanX Fibre today and game without limits.