How to run your instance in a preferred region

Learn how to ensure your instance always runs in your chosen geographic region for optimal performance.

1 min read

By default, your instance may be scheduled in a different region due to global capacity balancing. This helps reduce queue times by leveraging off-peak hours across time zones. However, it can negatively impact gameplay due to increased latency.

To improve performance, especially for latency-sensitive games, you can restrict your instance to run only in your preferred region.

Step-by-step guide

1. Open region settings in the instance dashboard

Go to your instance's dashboard.
Under General information, locate the Region field.
Click the Edit button to open the region settings dialog.

Edit instance region

2. Enable restrict scheduling to this region

In the dialog, select your preferred region.
Toggle Restrict scheduling to this region to ON.
Click Save

Your instance will now be pinned to this region the next time it starts.

Enable restrict scheduling to this region

Tips & considerations

Expect longer queue times

Restricting your instance to a specific region reduces the number of eligible nodes, which may increase queue times—especially during peak hours.

Want faster access?

Upgrade to a paid plan to get priority access and skip the queue.
Or, disable the region restriction to allow flexible scheduling and shorter wait times.