Command & Conquer Remastered confirms mod support, EA will release the original game's source code
Electronic Arts appears to be doing its best to please longtime fans of the Command & Conquer series with two major announcements they've just made. First of all, mod support has been confirmed for the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection. That isn't all, though, as they also plan to fully release TiberianDawn.dll and RedAlert.dll alongside all of their corresponding source code, for players to have fun with, and for use in creating those previously mentioned mods. According to the press release, the open sourcing of the game's code will allow fans to create new maps, custom units, replace art, or even change certain gameplay elements. To assist in making the most of those assets, a map editor will also be made available with the launch of the Remastered Collection.
Today we are proud to announce that alongside the launch of the Remastered Collection, Electronic Arts will be releasing the TiberianDawn.dll and RedAlert.dll and their corresponding source code under the GPL version 3.0 license. This is a key moment for Electronic Arts, the C&C community, and the gaming industry, as we believe this will be one of the first major RTS franchises to open source their source code under the GPL. It’s worth noting this initiative is the direct result of a collaboration between some of the community council members and our teams at EA. After discussing with the council members, we made the decision to go with the GPL license to ensure compatibility with projects like CnCNet and Open RA. Our goal was to deliver the source code in a way that would be truly beneficial for the community, and we hope this will enable amazing community projects for years to come.
The source code will be released under the GPL 3.0 license, meaning it'll still be compatible with community projects such as CnCNet, a method of playing the games online, and Open RA. However, one promised feature won't be making it into the game for launch: LAN Play. The development team wasn't able to get the feature working in time for the launch of the game due to COVID-19, but is still planned for release in a future patch.
Mod support will be available for both PC players on Steam or Origin, with the former utilizing Steam Workshop, and the latter requiring manual addition of modpacks. Command & Conquer Remastered Collection will launch on June 5th for $19.99.
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