Almost every report of how to fix latency spikes traces back to something that changed recently — an update, a driver, or a setting from last week.

Error codes are usually searchable and usually point at a category rather than a specific fault. Where a fix requires administrator rights, that is worth noticing before running it.

The summary

Work top to bottom and stop at the first thing that helps rather than applying every fix at once.

When it is not your problem at all

Logs are more useful than they look and usually sit in a folder next to the save data. A wired connection removes an entire category of possible causes for the cost of two minutes. The obvious approach works; the rest of this page is about making it work the first time. Anything that started after a Windows or system update deserves suspicion in that direction.

When reinstalling is actually justified

Launcher-level settings override in-game ones often enough to be worth checking first. People reporting how to fix latency spikes have usually already tried the obvious restart. It is worth reading the whole section before starting, even though nobody ever does. Driver updates fix this often enough to be worth trying, and break it often enough to be worth noting first.

If it started after an update

A full restart is not the same as closing the window, and the difference matters here. If the result looks wrong immediately, stop rather than continuing and hoping. A corrupted cache produces symptoms that look nothing like a corrupted cache. Corrupted shader caches produce dramatic symptoms and clear in seconds.

If two games break the same way, the cause is on the system rather than in either game. The fix for how to fix latency spikes is usually trivial; finding it is not, which is what this shortens.

Stopping it happening again

Reverting one change at a time is slower than reverting everything and far more informative. Symptoms that appear only after several minutes usually point at heat or memory rather than the game. The error text for how to fix latency spikes is accurate and unhelpful at the same time, which is a frustrating combination. Assume anything automated in the interface has an edge case, because it usually does.

  • Back up your save if the game gives you the option.
  • Verify or repair the installed files through the launcher.
  • Check the official status page before assuming it is local.
  • Take a screenshot of settings before changing them.
  • Temporarily disable anti-virus and firewall filtering to test.
  • Disable all mods, confirm, then re-enable in batches.

If it is still broken

The most recent change is the most likely cause, and it is rarely the one people suspect. Almost every case of how to fix latency spikes traces back to something that changed in the last week. If it broke right after an update, the update is the suspect until proven otherwise. Where opinions differ, the disagreement is normally about priorities rather than facts.

Traps to watch for

  • Updating drivers as a reflex when the problem started with a driver update.
  • Reinstalling first and losing an hour to a problem a restart would have fixed.
  • Applying six fixes at once and never learning which one worked.
  • Copying someone else's setup without checking that it fits your situation.

Loose ends

Will reinstalling fix it?

Sometimes, but it is slow and it hides the cause. Work through the checks above first; reinstalling is worth trying only after they fail.

Is any of this reversible?

Nearly all of it. Anything that is not is flagged in the steps, and there is normally a safer alternative worth considering first.

Do I need to finish the story first?

No, though a few things are simpler afterwards. Where progression matters, the relevant step says so.

Anything left over after this is refinement, and refinement can wait until it works once.