EA Releases Source Code from Classic Command and Conquer Games for Modders

In an unexpected and exciting turn of events for fans of the Command & Conquer (C&C) franchise, Electronic Arts (EA) has made the complete source code available for several classic titles. This generous release encompasses the original Command & Conquer (Tiberian Dawn), Red Alert, Renegade, Generals, and its expansion Zero Hour. Additionally, EA is integrating Steam Workshop support for more games within the series, encouraging community participation and creativity.

Jim Vessella, an EA producer, detailed this initiative in a Reddit post, crediting the remarkable work of Luke “CCHyper”Feenan. Feenan, a well-known modder and a veteran of the Command & Conquer community, previously contributed to the 2020 release of the C&C Remastered Collection and the recent launch of the Ultimate Collection on Steam. He utilized EA’s own archival resources to research and enhance the classic games.

“Over the past year, I have collaborated closely with the incredible C&C stakeholders at EA to restore the Perforce source code archives for the C&C games to a buildable state, enabling us to apply deeper patches to these treasured titles in the future, ” said Feenan regarding the lengthy restoration process.“As a longtime modder, having the opportunity to explore the source code for these games was an extraordinary experience!”

The complete source code for the four games and their expansion pack is now accessible on the official EA GitHub page, released under the GPL license, allowing fans and developers alike to dive in.

In tandem with this release, EA announced the addition of Steam Workshop support, allowing modders to upload their own custom maps. This feature spans several titles including Command & Conquer Renegade, Generals, Zero Hour, C&C 3 Tiberium Wars, Kane’s Wrath, Red Alert 3, Uprising, and C&C 4 Tiberian Twilight.

Furthermore, the Mission Editor and World Builder tools for these games have received updates to simplify the process of publishing custom content on the Workshop. Players can now seamlessly discover and install new maps with just a single click.

To enhance the modding experience further, EA is also releasing the source XML, schema, script, shader, and map files for all C&C titles utilizing the classic SAGE engine. This development empowers community creators to fully explore and innovate within these classic games. Modding support packs are available on the EA GitHub page.

Source & Images