Command & Conquer Remastered's Source Code Will be Released, Which Is Big for Modding

Modders are getting official permission to tear into an RTS classic. Electronic Arts announced today that, alongside the release of the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, it will also make the source code public for users to tinker and mod.

The DLL files for both Command & Conquer (a.k.a. Tiberian Dawn) and the first Red Alert, along with their corresponding source code, will be made available under the GPL version 3.0 license. Along with the new Map Editor included in the remaster, the DLLs will allow users to create custom units, art, maps, and even alter gameplay logic.

In a Reddit update, producer Jim Vessella even shared a modded unit made by Remastered developer Petroglyph. Imagining what would happen if Nod ever got hold of a Mammoth Tank, the Nuke Tank was born: a fully playable tank that fires tactical nukes.

Vessella also noted that Steam players will be able to use the Steam Workshop for sharing maps and mods, as well as utilize in-game tools for the same purpose. Origin users, meanwhile, will need to use the in-game process for downloading maps but will have to manually install mods. All the mods are toggleable through an in-game tab.

One note was made in the Reddit post, though. LAN support will not be live for the Remastered Collection at launch, as Vessella says the impact of COVID-19 affected their ability to test local area network situations. It's understandably hard to run a LAN while maintaining social distancing, but he says LAN remains on the priority list moving forward.

The release of this source code is another in a series of unexpected features for the Command & Conquer remaster. With the amount of fan and community involvement in the collection since the project started, it's been a process that feels more like a Kickstarter campaign than traditional triple-A remaster. It even has over four hours of previously unseen footage from the original games, uncovered in a hidden filing cabinet decades later, and I will absolutely watch every minute.

The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection hits PC via Steam and Origin on June 4.