A Brief History of Laser Tag

Ever wondered where laser tag came from? Let’s take a trip down memory lane…

A Galaxy Far, Far Away...

The idea of laser tag was sparked by the release of the first Star Wars movie. The sci-fi craze inspired the creation of a game where players could “zap” each other with beams of light.

Enter: Lazer Tag (1986)

In 1986, Worlds of Wonder launched the original Lazer Tag brand. Founded by Don Kingsborough, WoW’s version of the game used infrared technology — players used handheld taggers to shoot sensors worn by other players. Get tagged too many times, and you're out!

Fun fact: the system used a 57.6 kHz carrier frequency with a 1.8 kHz modulated signal. (Techy, we know!)

Sadly, Worlds of Wonder shut down in 1988, but the term "laser tag" lived on — and the game kept evolving.

The 90s & Beyond

About a decade later, Tiger Electronics revived the Lazer Tag brand, producing a new generation of taggers (though not compatible with the originals).

Other toy companies joined in with their own versions:

ToyMax – Laser Challenge

Playmates/Sega – Lock-On

Tomy – Electronic Survivor Shot

These were great fun as toys but weren’t built for commercial use.

Born in the Tropics

Laser Tag in a Box got its start in sunny North Queensland, bringing the thrill of laser tag to backyards, schools, and events all across Australia.

A Game-Changing Moment

The game levelled up with the launch of Battlefield Sports — pioneers in commercial-grade laser tag for both outdoor and indoor play.

One of their earliest taggers was the Berserker:

~ Made from marine plywood

~ Featured analog systems and an LED display

~ Built tough for real-world action!

This tech made laser tag more exciting, more reliable, and way more fun for everyone.

Today’s Laser Tag

Whether you're nostalgic for the OG Lazer Tag gear or loving the high-tech taggers we use now from Battlefield Sports, one thing’s for sure:

Laser tag is still as thrilling as ever!