East Africa ping spikes
Hi EA Team & Community Managers,
I am opening this thread regarding a severe server routing and matchmaking regression affecting EA SPORTS FC 27 players connecting from East Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) on PlayStation 5.
### Issue Description:
1. Solo Matches:
When searching for matches solo, the pre-match connection screen initially shows ~70ms latency on regional nodes (Middle East / South Africa clusters). However, around 2 minutes into the match, EA's dynamic matchmaking migrates or re-routes the session, causing latency to spike and lock to 130ms–140ms+.
2. Co-Op Matches with UK Host (Direct Transit - 75ms Flat):
When playing Co-Op with a friend located in the UK, the match is locked to a Western European Game Data Center (London/Frankfurt). Because Nairobi's main subsea fiber routes travel directly through the Red Sea to Europe, my ping stays at a rock-solid, flat 75ms for the full match with zero jitter or server migrations.
3. Co-Op Matches with Kenya Host (125ms Flat):
When playing Co-Op with another player in Kenya, matchmaking eliminates Western Europe as a midpoint and forces the session onto Middle East / South Africa regional nodes, holding a flat 125ms due to multi-hop subsea routing.
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### Technical Proof & Metrics:
- EA Connection Quality Tool: According to EA's report tool, standard residential ISP routing from Kenya to regional clusters shows poor results (e.g., Click-Fiber scores 5/100, 203ms ping), whereas direct wholesale IP transit operators like GSL Networks maintain an 89/100 score (38ms ping).
- Root Cause: Matchmaking logic heavily weights physical distance (steering East Africa toward Middle East/South Africa nodes), but because those subsea cable paths involve indirect hops or mid-match migration, forcing or locking sessions onto direct Western European nodes yields a significantly better and more stable latency (75ms constant).
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### System Details:
- Platform: PlayStation 5
- Location / ISP: Nairobi, Kenya (Click-Fiber Communications)
- Matchmaking Settings Tested: Approximate Location Matchmaking = NO, Cross-Play = YES
Requested Action:
Could the Community Team please escalate this thread to the Network & Matchmaking Engineering Team? East Africa needs adjusted server weight parameters so matchmaking does not force mid-game migrations off direct European fiber routes.
Thank you!
