Command & Conquer Remastered release date confirmed for early summer

EA's remastered bundle of the first two Command & Conquer games finally has a confirmed release date. Simply titled Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, the upcoming bundle will launch on both Origin and Steam this summer with a remastered soundtrack and even a physical edition from Limited Run Games.

Electronic Arts announced Tuesday morning that Command & Conquer Remastered Collection will be released June 5, and it'll include both Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn and Command & Conquer: Red Alert as well as their expansions.

The remastered collection spruces up the originals to function properly on a modern PC, meaning that they will feature new UI, controls, and 4K support. Multiplayer is being revived for both games with better matchmaking and leaderboards, and a new Map Editor feature will allow players to create new maps and creating new custom games, which are also being supported by EA in Command & Conquer Remastered Collection.

The remake feels like a wholistic endeavor, as EA announced today that it will even feature a remastered soundtrack by composer Frank Klepacki. That being said, players will be able to toggle on the original soundtrack if they prefer. EA is also stressing that Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is being created with the community in mind in a video discussing the game's development process.

"Our team has been working hand-in-hand with the C&C community since day one and we hope this transparent dialogue will result in the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection being a love letter to our fans," Lead Producer Jim Vessella said. "We’re taking the classic gameplay that ushered in a new era of the RTS genre and adding the most fan-requested features like Skirmish mode for Tiberian Dawn, quality of life control improvements, and full Steam integration with UGC support."'

The game will cost $19.99 on Steam or Origin for the digital versions, but two physical editions are being created with the help of Limited Run Games. A Special Edition will cost $59.99 and includes a Tiberium crystal USB drive with the soundtrack on it, a poster, pins, tech tree prints for each faction, and a sticker sheet. Meanwhile, the 25th Anniversary Edition will include everything from the Special Edition as well as a signed six-disc set of original's soundtrack, a 100-page art book, faction patches, a beanie, a PVC light, and a metal mammoth tank replica for the price of $149.99.

The path to Command & Conquer Remastered Collection began back at E3 2018, when Command & Conquer Rivals, a mobile RTS, was announced and met with immediate disapproval. While EA still released the game, which ended up underperforming. This new remastered version of the first two games in the series feels like an attempt to revitalize the franchise.

The Inverse Analysis

It's awesome to see Command & Conquer finally return after a very disappointing decade for the franchise. Since Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight's launch in 2010, the series has gone through a rough patch with a mainline entry being canceled and the only new releases being a browser game and a mobile title. Hopefully, Command & Conquer Remastered Collection will be a return to form and inspire EA to resurrect the series. At the very least, it would be nice to see the rest of the Command & Conquer series remastered to work on modern PCs.

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection will be released for PC on June 5, 2020.