History

Laser-Tag LARP started life back in the late 80s when the expensive toys were quickly remaindered in toy shops. Fantasy LARPers around the country were quickly converted to the new system. Clubs sprang up all over and were united by the fanzine, FireFight, which was first published in 1990.

This club structure would carry on until the mid-2000s when the United Kingdom Laser-Tag Alliance (UKLTA) was formed. It intended to provide a unifying umbrella for insurance, mutual support and to organize and run the national event, Dropzone. Laser-Tag LARP had been featured at the largest fest event of time, Summerfest for several years but in 1991, devotees thought they deserved an event of their own and that is how Dropzone was born.

The hobby has always been supported by a cottage industry of hobbyists who took those initial toys and have both replicated and then expanded their function whilst remaining faithful to that initial design.

From its earliest days, running genre games, that is games based on an existing universe, have been a cornerstone of the hobby. Films such as Aliens and Star Wars have continued to provide a source of inspiration for both stories, costumes and props.

As the technology around us had evolved then so has the technology used in games. Microcontrollers (such as Arduino's and ESP32's) are used more and more for props and other devices for the hobby. The technology has always given the hobby the edge in combat resolution but the story remains the heart of every LARP that is run under the auspices of the UKLTA.