Command & Conquer remasters confirmed by EA

Last month we received word that EA “have the ball rolling” on a possible remaster of the original Command & Conquer, with a view to release in 2020 “to celebrate the upcoming 25th Year Anniversary”. Now EA has confirmed that this is going ahead.

My arms are bruised from all the pinching. Last we heard of the series which set the template for that most PC of PC genres – the RTS – it was heading to mobile with Command & Conquer: Rivals, in perhaps the most unwelcome reveal of this year’s E3.

Understandably (and predictably), a lot of PC gamers were annoyed about this, and producer Jim Vessella said EA has “heard you loud and clear: the Command & Conquer community wants to see the franchise return to PC. And as a fan of C&C for over 20 years, I couldn’t agree more. With that in mind we’ve been exploring some exciting ideas regarding remastering the classic PC games, and already have the ball rolling on our first effort to celebrate the upcoming 25th Year Anniversary.”

Vessella – who worked on C&C3, Red Alert 3, and Kane’s Wrath – broke the almost suspiciously good news on Reddit, in a post with the unassuming title ‘C&C update from EA’. The original C&C released in 1995, so that would make 2020 its 25th anniversary. Vessella’s mention of “the classic PC games” – plural – suggests it might come bundled with some of its successors, or that later games might get the remaster treatment too.

Now, in EA’s latest earnings call, CEO Andrew Wilson confirms that the remasters are indeed happening, at least that something is happening on the PC side. He says that, as well as mobile title Rivals, the Command & Conquer team “are working to deliver content for the franchise’s PC core.”

And “what comes next”? Dare we hope for a new numbered C&C? I mean, Tiberian Twilight wasn’t great, but it’s C&C. I’m always willing to give it a chance. That Reddit thread is popping off with comments and suggestions, of which the most upvoted is: “you gotta bring Frank Klepacki on board for music”.