Key points

• Deployed low-latency infrastructure in key metros to improve gaming experience in underserved regions during a major launch
• Improved upstream connectivity using Zenlayer IP Transit, accelerating player traffic with lower jitter and packet loss by avoiding congestion and reducing latency in challenging markets
• Delivered targeted acceleration for only impacted players, minimizing overhead while improving match quality and responsiveness

 

About the customer

Industry: Gaming network optimization
Needs: Edge compute, cross-border networking, low latency, multiplayer traffic acceleration
Zenlayer services used: Bare Metal, IP Transit

The customer, Network Next, is a next-generation traffic acceleration platform purpose-built for multiplayer games that combines a lightweight SDK, a dynamic control plane, and a global relay network to intelligently identify and reroute players experiencing degraded connectivity, improving game performance while minimizing overhead.

SLOCLAP, an independent game studio known for high-action multiplayer titles, partnered with Network Next to resolve latency challenges ahead of a major launch.

 

The challenge: launching a latency-sensitive game across unpredictable networks

As SLOCLAP prepared for the Season 1 launch of their new multiplayer football title, REMATCH, they experienced severe latency issues affecting players across Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Many users were seeing latencies over 200-300+ ms, hindering real-time gameplay and user retention.

Traditional cloud and bare metal hosting solutions were either too expensive or lacked the network visibility needed to address the root of the problem. Public networks were often congested or misrouted, and even major providers couldn’t guarantee consistent performance across regions.

As their solution provider, Network Next needed global infrastructure that was both flexible and high-performance with diverse upstream connectivity and edge locations in particularly latency-sensitive markets.

 

Building infrastructure where latency is most severe

To support its real-time acceleration platform, Network Next deployed a dedicated instance of its backend and relay mesh for SLOCLAP’s game using Zenlayer Bare Metal and Elastic Compute in key locations like Istanbul, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

After benchmarking performance across multiple local providers, the game acceleration service found that Zenlayer’s infrastructure consistently delivered lower latency and more stable connections.

With instant provisioning, global edge availability, and cost-effective scalability, we helped Network Next launch quickly and position relays where they were needed to improve gameplay, particularly in underserved regions where performance issues were most prominent.

This agility helped Network Next launch on time and deliver immediate improvements in gaming performance for the REMATCH free-to-play weekend in September, all with less than a week’s notice.

 

Optimizing real-time traffic across global paths

Our ultra-low latency infrastructure was critical in improving long-haul and regional routes.

Network Next’s relay nodes deployed on our servers continuously ping one another to build a dynamic cost matrix that measures real-time performance across all paths. The platform’s control plane then uses this data to reroute player traffic only when necessary, often steering it through Zenlayer routes with lower latency, reduced jitter and packet loss, and stronger connectivity to key internet exchanges.

Leveraging our high-quality IP Transit that provides direct, resilient access to local and international carriers across our backbone and partner networks, Network Next was able to ensure stronger upstream connectivity and fewer congested handoff points, especially in regions with limited transit options.

In Turkey, as an example, this setup cut latency from 175-300 ms to approximately 50 ms by routing players to Gcore Istanbul through our Istanbul edge node. Similarly, we helped accelerate traffic between Mexico and US locations like Los Angeles and Dallas, where our network consistently outperformed other providers.

“We work with many different suppliers in many cities around the world. Consistently, we find Zenlayer bare metal and cloud is significantly lower latency for many players. Their proximity to players, particularly in underserved regions, helps us accelerate those experiencing the most serious performance issues.” Glenn Fiedler, CEO, Network Next

Our consistent network performance across diverse geographies enables Network Next to deliver real-time improvements to players who need them most, elevating match quality and overall player experience in key markets with latency reductions of 200-300+ ms in multiple target regions.

 

Accelerating performance without burdening the rest

Traditional networking overlays often attempt to improve performance by routing all game traffic through fixed relays or predefined paths, regardless of whether players are experiencing issues. Although this method offers some improvement, it also introduces unnecessary latency for unaffected users and compounds infrastructure costs without addressing the root issue.

Network Next, instead, efficiently targets only the 10–20% of players who are actively experiencing degraded performance. This selective acceleration is enabled by a lightweight SDK that runs on both the client and server, paired with a control plane that evaluates routing decisions every 10 seconds.

With our massively distributed infrastructure, rapid provisioning, and reliable performance across edge locations, Network Next was able to scale targeted acceleration efficiently, minimizing costs while maximizing impact.

By accelerating only the players who needed help, Network Next reduced network overhead while improving match responsiveness, resulting in smoother, fairer multiplayer experiences worldwide with fewer complaints, less frustration, and a scalable solution ready for future deployments.

 

Looking ahead

As more game developers look to improve global multiplayer performance, Network Next is ready to expand its acceleration services to new titles and markets. We’ll continue supporting their gaming network optimization platform with rapid relay deployments and low-latency infrastructure to deliver better network performance for players who need it most.

 

Simplify cross-border enterprise networking with Zenlayer

Partnering with Zenlayer saves you from the hassle of having to deal with multiple vendors and even more contracts that take up additional time and resources. Our global coverage and partnership ecosystem, lightning-fast backbone network, and seasoned regional expertise across six continents helped the RTC giant expand to new locations, unify infrastructure management, and improve the quality of their services for users everywhere.

If you’re looking to expand your business’s global footprint, streamline operations, or accelerate apps or services to improve user experience, talk to a Zenlayer solution expert today!

For instant provisioning, check out zenConsole — our self-service platform that lets you deploy around the world in minutes.