EA says it will release the Command & Conquer source code in ‘a key moment for the industry’

Electronic Arts has announced it will release the source code for classic RTS games Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert.

Along with the inclusion of a new Map Editor, the source code will assist Remastered Collection players in designing maps, creating custom units, replacing art, altering gameplay logic and more, it said.

The source code will be released under the GPL version 3.0 license, the publisher announced in a blog post on Wednesday, which will ensure compatibility with various community projects.

“This is a key moment for Electronic Arts, the C&C community, and the gaming industry, as we believe this will be one of the first major RTS franchises to open source their source code under the GPL,” wrote creative director Jim Vessella.

“It’s worth noting this initiative is the direct result of a collaboration between some of the community council members and our teams at EA,” he added.

“Our goal was to deliver the source code in a way that would be truly beneficial for the community, and we hope this will enable amazing community projects for years to come.”

For Steam players, Remastered Collection will utilise Steam Workshop for sharing both maps and mods.  Origin players can use the same in-game process for downloading maps but will need to manually install mods into their respective folders outside the game.

In the same blog post EA confirmed that LAN play will now not be included in Remastered Collection at launch, due to work disruption caused by the pandemic. “We’re bummed this one got away and will continue to keep this on our priority list going forward,” Vessella said.

Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection will release on June 5.

Featuring Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, Command & Conquer: Red Alert and their three expansion packs (Covert Ops, Counterstrike and The Aftermath), the RTS compilation will be available for PC via Origin and Steam and be included with Origin Access Premier subscriptions.

Command & Conquer Remastered is in development at Petroglyph, the studio founded by former developers of Westwood Studios, who made the original C&C games.

The development team includes C&C co-creator and lead programmer Joe Bostic, Red Alert lead programmer Steve Tall, audio engineer Mike Legg and composer Frank Klepacki.

Art assets are being remade by art studio Lemon Sky, and players will be able to switch between the original and new HD assets on the fly.