Command and Conquer was once the undisputed king of real-time strategy gaming. From 1995 to 2010, the series delivered some of the most memorable RTS experiences ever created, with the Tiberium saga standing as its crown jewel. Players spent countless hours building bases, harvesting the mysterious alien crystal Tiberium, and commanding armies in the eternal war between the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod. But today, the franchise sits abandoned by EA, kept alive only through passionate fan communities who refuse to let it die. This is the story of how one of gaming’s greatest franchises was systematically dismantled.
The Golden Age of Tiberium
The original Command and Conquer launched in 1995 from Westwood Studios, pioneering mechanics that would define the RTS genre for decades. It introduced asymmetric faction design where GDI relied on sturdy tanks and brute force while Nod employed stealth tactics and guerrilla warfare. The resource system centered around Tiberium, an alien substance that enriched those who controlled it while slowly poisoning the planet. Live-action cutscenes featuring hammy performances became a franchise hallmark, with actors like Joseph D. Kucan’s Kane delivering iconic villainous monologues that fans still quote today.
Tiberian Sun arrived in 1999, pushing the series into a darker future where Tiberium had transformed Earth into an alien landscape. The game introduced atmospheric lighting, destructible terrain, and a more serious tone that divided fans but expanded the universe’s lore significantly. Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars launched in 2007 as a triumphant return to form, bringing back classic gameplay while modernizing graphics and introducing the alien Scrin faction. It sold millions of copies and earned critical acclaim, proving the franchise still had commercial viability and creative potential.
The Cancelled Games That Should Have Been
Behind the scenes, EA was already killing Command and Conquer projects before they could reach players. Tiberian Incursion was Westwood’s planned third Tiberium game that would have featured the Scrin arrival and explored time travel mechanics connecting to the Red Alert universe. EA cancelled it, with elements later incorporated into Tiberium Wars. The most infamous cancellation came in 2008 when EA Los Angeles was developing a first-person shooter simply titled Tiberium. The game was meant to blend tactical FPS gameplay with Command and Conquer strategy elements, but EA pulled the plug citing failure to meet quality standards.
According to developers who worked on Tiberium, the project was nowhere near completion when cancelled. The team struggled to integrate traditional Command and Conquer strategic gameplay with first-person action, resulting in a generic grey sci-fi shooter that looked like every other game from that era. While the cancellation was probably the right call, it signaled EA’s growing unwillingness to invest in experimental Command and Conquer projects. The publisher wanted safe bets and proven formulas, not risky genre experiments that might expand the franchise’s reach.
Tiberium Twilight: The Death Blow
Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight released in 2010 as the conclusion to the Tiberium saga, and it was an absolute disaster. EA forced the development team to implement always-online DRM that required constant internet connection even for single-player campaigns. Worse, the game abandoned traditional base building in favor of class-based mobile headquarters, fundamentally changing what made Command and Conquer feel like Command and Conquer. Fans revolted. The story ended Kane’s arc in unsatisfying fashion, competitive multiplayer was broken, and the always-online requirement meant many players couldn’t even launch the game they purchased.
Tiberian Twilight killed the mainline series. EA shuttered Westwood Studios years earlier, and now even EA Los Angeles couldn’t salvage what remained of the franchise’s reputation. The game that was supposed to provide epic closure instead became a cautionary tale about corporate interference destroying beloved properties. Command and Conquer fans who had supported the franchise for fifteen years felt betrayed, and many walked away permanently. EA’s response was not to fix what they’d broken but to abandon the franchise entirely for nearly a decade.
The Remaster That Wasn’t Enough
In 2020, EA surprised everyone by releasing Command and Conquer Remastered Collection, updating the original game and Red Alert with modern graphics, quality-of-life improvements, and full source code release to the community. Petroglyph Games, founded by former Westwood developers, handled development. The remaster was excellent, receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews and selling an estimated 500,000 to 1 million copies on Steam alone within months. Fans celebrated EA finally showing the franchise some respect, and speculation immediately turned to whether Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 would receive similar treatment.
Five years later, those remasters still haven’t materialized. EA released source code for Tiberian Sun, Red Alert 2, and Command and Conquer 3 in early 2025, adding Steam Workshop support for modding communities. While appreciated, this felt like EA washing their hands of the franchise rather than committing to its revival. The company continues operating Command and Conquer: Tiberium Alliances, a browser-based strategy game that generates revenue through microtransactions but does nothing to advance the series creatively. Meanwhile, EA keeps releasing new worlds for Tiberium Alliances throughout 2025, proving they’re happy to milk nostalgia for easy money without investing in proper sequels.
Why EA Won’t Save Command and Conquer
The brutal truth is that EA doesn’t believe Command and Conquer is worth the investment required to revive it properly. Real-time strategy games don’t dominate the gaming landscape like they did in the 90s and 2000s. The genre has been largely replaced by MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2, which borrowed RTS mechanics while removing the aspects casual players found intimidating. Even successful modern RTS releases like Age of Empires 4 required Microsoft’s deep pockets and long-term commitment to make financially viable. EA operates on quarterly profit margins and shareholder expectations, not passion projects for niche audiences.
The Command and Conquer Remaster’s sales numbers tell the story. While 500,000 to 1 million copies sounds impressive, that’s considered mediocre by EA’s standards for major releases. The remaster was developed cheaply with a skeleton crew and minimal marketing, making it profitable, but those numbers don’t justify the investment required for a full-scale Command and Conquer 5 or comprehensive Tiberian Sun remaster. Red Alert 2 would likely sell better given its status as the most popular Command and Conquer game, but EA apparently doesn’t see enough upside to greenlight the project. The company would rather sit on the intellectual property indefinitely than risk another Tiberian Twilight disaster.
The Fans Keeping the Dream Alive
What makes Command and Conquer’s abandonment particularly tragic is the dedicated fan community that refuses to let it die. Mods like Tiberian Sun Warzone continue adding content and improvements to 20-year-old games. OpenRA recreates the classic Command and Conquer experience with modern enhancements and active multiplayer communities. CnCNet provides online functionality for legacy titles, letting players compete in Red Alert 2 matches decades after official servers shut down. These fan projects require thousands of unpaid hours from passionate developers who simply love the franchise too much to watch it disappear.
The community’s efforts highlight both the franchise’s enduring appeal and EA’s failure to capitalize on it. Players are literally begging the company to take their money in exchange for updated versions of beloved games. The source code releases prove EA has the resources to enable fan preservation without lifting a finger. Yet the company treats Command and Conquer like a dead property rather than a sleeping giant that could be awakened with proper investment and creative vision. Unless EA undergoes fundamental management changes or sells the rights to a publisher that cares, the franchise will remain trapped in limbo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will EA ever make a new Command and Conquer game?
Unlikely in the foreseeable future. EA hasn’t released a mainline Command and Conquer title since 2010’s Tiberian Twilight, which was critically panned. The company appears content releasing remasters and maintaining browser games like Tiberium Alliances rather than investing in proper sequels.
Is Command and Conquer Remastered Collection worth buying?
Yes, the 2020 remaster of the original Command and Conquer and Red Alert is excellent. It features updated 4K graphics, modernized controls, quality-of-life improvements, and includes all expansion content. The remaster sold well and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics.
Why was Command and Conquer 4 so bad?
Tiberian Twilight abandoned traditional base building in favor of class-based mobile headquarters, fundamentally changing core gameplay. It required always-online DRM even for single-player, had technical issues at launch, and ended the Tiberium saga’s story poorly. Fans considered it a betrayal of everything that made the series great.
What happened to Westwood Studios?
EA acquired Westwood Studios in 1998 and gradually absorbed it into other EA divisions. The studio was officially closed in 2003, with remaining staff moved to EA Los Angeles. Many former Westwood developers later founded Petroglyph Games, which developed the Command and Conquer Remastered Collection.
Will Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 get remastered?
There’s no official announcement despite years of fan requests. EA released source code for these games in 2025 with Steam Workshop support, but hasn’t committed to full remasters. The commercial success of the first Remastered Collection apparently wasn’t enough to justify sequel remasters by EA’s standards.
What is Tiberium in Command and Conquer?
Tiberium is an alien crystal substance that serves as the primary resource in the Tiberium saga. It’s valuable for its energy potential but toxic to organic life and spreads across environments like a virus. The conflict over Tiberium control drives the war between GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod.
Can you still play old Command and Conquer games?
Yes, through various methods. EA released source code for several titles, enabling community support. Services like CnCNet provide online multiplayer for legacy games. Steam sells the Ultimate Collection bundle. Fan projects like OpenRA recreate classic games with modern improvements.
Why don’t RTS games sell like they used to?
The genre has been largely replaced by MOBAs and other competitive multiplayer games that borrow RTS mechanics while being more accessible to casual players. Modern RTS releases require significant investment with uncertain returns, making them risky for major publishers focused on quarterly profits.
Conclusion
The Tiberium tragedy isn’t just about cancelled games or failed sequels. It’s about a publisher that acquired one of gaming’s most beloved franchises and systematically destroyed it through neglect, mismanagement, and short-term profit thinking. Command and Conquer defined an entire genre, inspired countless developers, and brought joy to millions of players. It deserved better than being reduced to browser games and occasional budget remasters. The franchise’s story serves as a cautionary tale about corporate consolidation in gaming, where passionate studios get absorbed by massive publishers who view creative properties purely as financial assets to exploit or abandon based on spreadsheet projections. As long as EA holds the rights, Command and Conquer will remain a ghost of its former glory, kept barely alive by fans who remember when it was the greatest strategy franchise in gaming.