Capture the Flag is a quintessential competitive mode in many great multiplayer games, at least it used to be. The mode is great for pros and newcomers alike, as everyone can enjoy it.
You can understand the rules even if you’re casual, but the skill ceiling is exceptionally high in competitive matches. These days, it’s surprisingly tricky to track down a decent game of CTF. It’s even harder to find one with a thriving player base.
That said, you’re not entirely out of options if you know where to look. There are plenty of great classic games with CTF modes lost to time. We also have several current and upcoming games that offer flag-thieving gameplay at its finest.
10
Timesplitters: Future Perfect
That’s A Funny-Looking Flag
The TimeSplitters games are some of the most respected shooters on the PS2, focusing on fun above all else.
If you’ve never played before, TimeSplitters is an accomplished first-person shooter by Free Radical. It has all the modes you expect in a content-packed FPS, including Team Deathmatch and their unique spin on CTF, Capture The Bag.
In hindsight, I’m unsure why they swapped a flag with a suitcase, but it does the job. Timesplitters offers players an unrivaled level of customization. You can swap the weapons on the map to suit your preferences and even make a level from scratch with the map editor.
9
World of Warcraft
Warsung Gulch
Most games on this list are first or third-person shooters where Capture the Flag is a much more common game mode. If you’re not into MMOs, you may be surprised to learn that one of the biggest games in the genre also has its own unique spin on the game mode.
World of Warcraft offers a fantasy spin on CTF with its Warsong Gulch. The game mode has a 20-minute duration, and the goal is to secure your opponent’s flag three times before they do the same to you.
Matches are played in an Alliance vs Horde arrangement, with 10 players per squad. Like many CTF modes, you can’t score a flag if yours is away from the base.
WoW also introduces a debuff to both flag carriers, making them take more damage, which is a great way to ensure battles don’t overstay their welcome.
8
Tribes: Ascend
A Hi-Rez Classic
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Key Information |
Details |
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Developer |
Hi-Rez Studios |
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Platform |
PC |
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Release Date |
June 2012 |
Tribes: Ascend is the last of the Tribes games, a series that started back in 1998. It’s an old-school shooter, and the primary game mode is Capture the Flag.
Movement is frenetic and floaty in Tribes: Ascend, and if you’re not jumping around trying to gib your opponents from above, you’re probably doing something wrong. There are multiple classes with individual weapons and armor values, and there are even vehicles to help quickly travel across the larger maps.
There is a lot of love for the series, and it is heavily skill-based, which I adore. Sadly, it’s pretty hard to get a match going outside of Discord meets.
7
Splatoon 3
It’s Like Reverse CTF
Splatoon 3 may not have a traditional Capture the Flag mode, but your CTF brain will be put to good use in Rainmaker matches.
Don’t be fooled by the cutesy characters and colors in Splatoon 3. The game is hyper-competitive, and unless you’re a god on the control sticks, you will need to use the motion controls to keep up.
In Rainmaker, players fight to control the Rainmaker and push it toward the enemy base. The same strategies as CTF apply, and if you master map control, you can make matches utterly miserable for your opponent. If you’re on the receiving end, at least the soundtrack rocks.
Splatoon 3 is a deceptively technical third-person shooter, and fighting for control over the Rainmaker fills matches with mind games and counterplay.
6
Team Fortress 2
Valve Does It Again
Team Fortress 2 is a classic first-person shooter from 2007, boasting several classes with unique play styles and abilities. The game is still going strong to this day. Oh, did I mention it’s free to play?
TF2 is a stellar shooter, and the class abilities add a refreshing layer of strategy to the traditional Capture the Flag mode.
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If I’m being critical, CTF with randoms is a mixed bag, and matches often devolve into an extended deathmatch where the objective is secondary. That said, if you squad up with some friends who mean business, there is a lot of fun to be had.
5
Titanfall 2
Standby For Titanfall
Titanfall 2 is an epic first-person shooter with incredible parkour movement and mighty Titans you can pilot to lay waste to your foes.
I enjoy Apex Legends, but I honestly think it’s tragic that we never got a Titanfall 3. The movement is so well-designed that most other shooters feel rigid and clunky in comparison. The verticality offers some unique strategies for Capture the Flag and a welcome break from the traditional Attrition mode.
Titanfall 2 isn’t dead per se, but its small player base can make it hard to find CTF matches, and the skill level is pretty high. If you’re a glutton for punishment, it’s still absolutely worth playing.
4
Quake 3 Arena
Retro FPS Royalty
Quake is one of the all-time greats in the FPS genre and firmly lands itself in Boomer Shooter territory.
One feature of Boomer Shooters is fast-paced combat and hip firing, which Quake 3 Arena has in droves. Quake 3 earns its spot on the list thanks to its ridiculously intense Capture the Flag mode.
It’s nothing a CTF player won’t have seen before, although Q3’s power-up system adds some welcome spice. There are dozens of arenas to play on, and it’s a real treat to watch high-level players zipping around the maps, pulling off shots you can’t even dream of landing yourself.
3
Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition
Facing Worlds 24/7
You could make a case for any of the Unreal Tournament games to feature on this list, and UT2004 also has a loyal fan base. There’s no wrong answer, but I’ve played the GOTY edition (1999) the most, hence the recommendation.
Unreal Tournament is a classic arena shooter with ridiculous movement speed and physics. The movement aspect of UT is part of the charm, and it takes an impressively steady hand to track an opponent as they glide through the air.
Naturally, no arena shooter is complete without CTF, and it works incredibly in Unreal Tournament. The graphics may look archaic, but don’t be fooled. The gameplay is sublime, and if you fall in love with old-school shooters, you may never want to play a new one again.
2
Splitgate
Wait For The Sequel
Splitgate unabashedly wears its inspirations like badges of honor, mixing the gameplay of Halo and Portal into a hyper-competitive arena shooter.
No Halo wannabee would be complete without a Capture the Flag mode, and it works perfectly in Splitgate. Portals add a new dimension of strategy to stealing a flag, and you can employ some cheeky tactics to rob the enemy team without them noticing.
If you’re a fan of Halo or Portal, Splitgate is a no-brainer, and it offers an experience with a ridiculous skill ceiling.
This recommendation comes with a massive disclaimer. The original Splitgate has a tiny player base, and you will be destroyed by FPS gods, who are the only people still playing. Fortunately, Splitgate 2 is due out later this year.
1
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Flag Taken, Flag Dropped, Flag Scored
I’m going to sound like a rabid fanboy for this entry, but I believe Halo 2 and Halo 3 perfected console CTF and remain the best in the industry.
Each map demands a different strategy for CTF, and the larger maps add vehicles into the mix, entirely transforming the mode. Some maps are symmetrical, with two flags in play, while others are played with teams on offense or defense.
Even running with the flag has nuance. The flag marker on the HUD disappears when you walk with it in your hands. However, you can jump and throw it to cover ground faster if you don’t mind alerting the enemy team to your position.
Even just writing about it makes me want to play CTF on Blood Gulch, sorry, ‘Valhalla’ on Halo MCC again. It’s a perfect rendition of the mode and accessible for all skill levels.
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