Imagine Dragons' frontman recently revealed a shift from making music to making video games. Dan Reynolds announced Last Flag, a multiplayer video game inspired by Capture the Flag, through his studio Night Street Games. The studio, which Reynolds founded with his brother Mac in 2021, revealed the project as its first official title.
Night Street Games described itself on Steam as "an independent game studio on a mission to build multiplayer games crafted with heart." According to the listing, Last Flag operates as a 5v5 shooter set inside a 1970s-style televised game show.
Night Street Games revealed Last Flag as a retro twist on Capture the Flag
The game’s description gave clear and simple instructions for a twist on the classic outdoor game. Players hid their own flag, searched for the enemy’s flag, and then defended it to score. The studio framed it as Capture the Flag first and shooter second.
"Hide your flag. Find the enemy flag. Run it back, then defend for a minute to win it," the Steam page reads.
Reynolds had teased the project back in 2021. In an interview at the time, he said the game marked "the funniest thing I've ever done." He explained that while he did the initial rough sketches of the game's characters, they brought in pros to make his vision a reality.
Reynolds is also putting his musical chops to work in the project, creating the soundtrack for the game.
Meanwhile, Mac Reynolds explained why the brothers returned to a childhood game. He said they grew up playing Capture the Flag outdoors at night. Because of that, he viewed Last Flag as a hide-and-seek experience built around outsmarting opponents. He added that players did not need elite shooting skills to enjoy the game.
The free demo of Last Flag launched in December, and the game is currently in open beta mode on Steam as they sort out any kinks in the game. It is scheduled to run until March 2, with the full release planned for later this year.
Social media reactions split sharply after the beta test announcement
Reactions online were conflicted, with some users criticizing the visual style and crowded 5v5 format. Still, a vocal group welcomed the twist on a classic, energetic childhood game.
One critic, @MainAceChase, wrote, "It’s cool to have a dream. But PvP is a terrible one." Meanwhile, @Adamnchilluneer questioned the roster, asking, "5v5 with only 9 playable characters????"
Yet not everyone stayed negative. @BakedOnionBloom argued that the game showed "soul and passion" compared to similar shooters.
X user @mrgreencastle praised the opening hide phase, saying, "I actually like this innovation on classic CTF, there's an initial round where each time hides their flag somewhere first."
Similarly, @mqetjen said, "I actually think it being a proper CTF makes it weirdly unique in the current live service landscape. I can't think of many other modern CTF games."
Meanwhile, @Dizzaract wrote, "Dan Reynolds building games? Love the creator vibe, CTF with fresh twists and original tunes hits right. Demo time."
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