I try to remain measured, dispassionate, professional, but even the words are enough to make my pulse rate jump – a new Command and Conquer game. It’s been 14 years since the arrival of Command and Conquer 4, and a full four years since the superb Remastered Collection which brought back to vivid life Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn. Recently, EA has dropped the prices for Red Alert 3 and Command and Conquer 3, perhaps signalling that something new in the classic RTS series was afoot. Some closer investigation however reveals some even more telling signs. It might not be a new game (although it could be!) but it certainly seems like something new in the Command and Conquer series is on its way.
Command and Conquer is not just one of the best RTS games, but one of the games that shaped the entire PC platform, particularly in the ‘90s. The masterwork of erstwhile Westwood Studios, in recent years a variety of indie strategy games have thankfully kept the spirit of C & C alive, but we’re all quietly hoping for the return of the original classic. Based on a variety of recent Command and Conquer Steam updates, our dreams might be – might be – about to come true.
Let’s go first to Command and Conquer 3. Six days ago, on Thursday February 29, the listings for Command and Conquer 3 and the DLC Kane’s Wrath were subtly altered on Steam. Previously, these games were named ‘Command and Conquer,’ using the full word ‘and.’ They’ve since been edited to ‘Command & Conquer,’ with an ampersand. Why is this significant? All the other C & C games on Steam use the ampersand instead of the full ‘and.’ It’s as if EA wants to formalize and uniform the series, and make sure everything has the same name.
Perhaps more telling, Red Alert 3, the DLC, Uprising, Command and Conquer 3, and Command and Conquer 4 have all been updated with new localization features. Each of these games now support multiple, new languages, almost as if they’re being prepared for a relaunch of some kind.
Which brings us to Command and Conquer 4, which was summarily delisted from Steam in 2021. While it can no longer be purchased on Valve’s storefront, it still has a page on the Steam backend – a page that has recently been updated. As well as the localization options, the legal notices and store description for Command and Conquer 4 have both been changed entirely. A trademark symbol has been added to the name, as well as a new category, which demarcates the game to allow for family sharing.
There are three possibilities here. First, EA is simply doing some house cleaning on the Command and Conquer series, perhaps with a view to launching Command and Conquer 4 back onto Steam. Second, a new Command and Conquer collection, which bundles together all of the games available on Steam, is on the way. And third, a new Command and Conquer release of some kind, be it a new game wholesale or a remaster or re-release of some of the existing games, is happening. We’ll have to see. But in the meantime, EA has dropped prices across the whole C & C series.
While we await the future of the Command and Conquer series, take a look at some of the best strategy games, or perhaps the best 4X games available on PC.
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