CTI — Capture The Island — is Arma's classic persistent-war game mode: two armies start on opposite ends of a map, capture towns for income, build bases, research a tech tree, and field mixed forces of players and AI until one side has conquered the entire island. One player per side can take the commander seat and run the war like a real-time strategy game, while everyone else fights it in first person.
How a CTI match works
Every CTI variant is built from the same core loop:
- Towns are the economy. Each captured town pays your side income. Holding more of the map means more funds and supply for vehicles, upgrades and AI squads.
- Bases are built, not given. The commander places barracks, light and heavy factories, aircraft facilities and defences — and where the base goes can decide the whole match.
- A tech tree gates the escalation. Wars start with rifles and jeeps and end with tanks, attack helicopters, jets and artillery — if your economy can pay for the upgrades.
- AI fills the ranks. Players lead squads of AI soldiers, and in modern variants an AI commander can run an entire side, so the war continues at any player count.
- Victory is total. The match ends when one side destroys the other's base and armies — matches run from two hours to entire evenings.
From MFCTI to Warfare to BECTI — a short history
CTI is nearly as old as the series itself. MFCTI, created by Mike Melvin for Operation Flashpoint in the early 2000s, invented the formula, and CrCTI carried it forward. Bohemia Interactive liked the mode so much they made it official: Warfare shipped with Armed Assault and became Warfare 2 in Arma 2. The community then pushed it further — most famously Benny Edition CTI (BECTI), the definitive Arma 2 variant, and the WASP Warfare lineage that Miksuu's Warfare is built on. In Arma 3 the torch passed to community BECTI ports and Bohemia's official Warlords mode.
CTI across the Arma series
- Operation Flashpoint (2001): MFCTI and CrCTI — the originals.
- Armed Assault (2006): Warfare becomes an official Bohemia game mode.
- Arma 2 (2009): Warfare 2, BECTI and WASP Warfare — the golden age of CTI, still played today on Miksuu's Warfare.
- Arma 3 (2013): BECTI ports and the official Warlords mode.
- Arma Reforger (2022): Conflict — a streamlined spiritual successor. See CTI in Arma Reforger.
- Arma 4: game modes not announced yet — see what we know and what we're building on the Arma 4 CTI hub.
Why CTI is still the deepest mode in Arma
Most multiplayer shooters reset every twenty minutes. CTI does not: it is one continuous war where logistics, territory and attrition all matter, and where a single good flank — or a single good commander decision — can swing an entire evening. It is an RTS and a milsim shooter happening to the same map at the same time, and no other mode in the genre has matched that combination since.
Where to play CTI today
Miksuu's Warfare runs a public Arma 2 CTI server on a Chernarus and Takistan rotation, rebuilt with an AI commander that genuinely fights to win. It is free to join — see how to connect, read the getting-started guide, or go deep with the commander strategy guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does CTI stand for in Arma?
CTI stands for Capture The Island. It is a persistent large-scale game mode where two sides fight over every town on the map, backed by an economy, base building, AI armies and a player commander, until one side is wiped off the island.
What is the difference between Warfare and CTI?
Warfare is Bohemia Interactive's official implementation of the CTI concept, first shipped in Armed Assault and expanded in Arma 2. In practice the community uses the names interchangeably — BECTI, WASP Warfare and Miksuu's Warfare are all CTI variants.
Is Arma 2 CTI still active in 2026?
Yes. Miksuu's Warfare runs a public Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead Warfare (CTI) server on a Chernarus and Takistan rotation, with a rebuilt AI commander so the war continues even at low player counts.
What does the commander do in CTI?
One player per side can be voted in as commander. The commander places the base, unlocks the tech tree, manages the team economy, and directs AI squads across the map — a real-time-strategy layer on top of the first-person war.
Will Arma 4 have CTI?
Bohemia Interactive has not announced Arma 4 game modes yet. Miksuu's Warfare is committed to running a CTI server for Arma 4 from launch, continuing the lineage from Arma 2 Warfare.