EA releases source code of classic command and conquer titles
In February 2025, EA made an announcement that the source code of older titles from the Command & Conquer video game franchise were recovered, and made public under the GPLv3 license.[1] To help the community further, the Steam Workshop has also been integrated into these titles to add additional community content.[1]
Background edit
The project to recover the source code was led by Luke Feenan, a strong advocate for video game preservation.[1][2] Many of these titles already had a strong community around them that were actively working on the games, keeping the games alive. As for the licensing, for example C&C Generals Zero Hour has been released under the GPLv3 with their own trademark terms.[3]
Consumer response edit
The community reacted enthusiastically to the announcement, some even describing it as a monumental step forward.[1][3] Having access to the source code of the games themselves also benefits the modding community. Every entry up to Generals and Zero Hour is now open-source - except the titles Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2. This has led to speculation that either the source code of these titles has been lost, or EA is deliberately withholding the source code in anticipation of a remastered release for both titles.[4][5][6]
References edit
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vessella, Jim (27 Feb 2025). "C&C Steam Workshop Support & Source Code". Retrieved 9 Mar 2025 – via Reddit.
- ↑ Aguilar, Jorge A. (28 Feb 2025). "EA Just Made These Command & Conquer Games Open-Source". How-To Geek. Archived from the original on 6 Mar 2025. Retrieved 9 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 Bryant, Gardiner (28 Feb 2025). "BREAKING: EA releases C&C source code under GPL3!". Retrieved 9 Mar 2025 – via PeerTube.
- ↑ Sims, Daniel (28 Feb 2025). "EA releases Command & Conquer source code, boosting modding capabilities". TechSpot. Archived from the original on 28 Feb 2025. Retrieved 9 Mar 2025.
- ↑ "EA Open Sources Command and Conquer: Red Alert, along with other games". 27 Feb 2025. Retrieved 9 Mar 2025 – via Y Combinator.
- ↑ "Weird how Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 are missing from the new source code release & Steam Workshop support *speculation intensifies*". 27 Feb 2025. Retrieved 9 Mar 2025 – via Reddit.