Capture the Flag is a 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 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, 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.

The TimeSplitters games are some of the most respected shooters on the PS2, focusing on .

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, 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.

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.

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.

, making them take more damage, which is a great way to ensure battles don't overstay their welcome.

, 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 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, which I adore. Sadly, it's pretty hard to get a match going outside of Discord meets.

Splatoon 3 may not have a traditional Capture the Flag mode, but

Don't be fooled by the cutesy characters and colors in Splatoon 3. , 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're on the receiving end, at least the soundtrack rocks.

Splatoon 3 is adeceptively technical third-person shooter, and fighting for control over the Rainmaker fills matches with mind games and counterplay.

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.

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.

Titanfall 2 is an epic first-person shooter with 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. 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 , and the skill level is pretty high. If you're a glutton for punishment, it's still absolutely worth playing.

Quake is one of the 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.

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.

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

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.

Splitgate unabashedly , 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. Portals add a new dimension of strategy to stealing a flag, and you can employ some 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.

This recommendation comes with . 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.

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.

, 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.