Command & Conquer commandeers a price tag of 'zilch' next year

Boy, does the game look damn good doing it, too. EA announced during an event at the Gamescom conference in Germany that its hit strategy series, Command & Conquer (no, not that one!), will go full-on free-to-play next year, using developer DICE's gorgeous Frostbite 2 technology to power its graphics. (The world of free-to-play levels up every day, doesn't it?)

Interestingly enough, Command & Conquer Generals 2 is now simply part of this free-to-play strategy experience, being the first experience provided to players in 2013 from what will be (hopefully) a long-standing free-to-play Command & Conquer franchise. According to a release, this new breed C&C will blend the strategic play that fans are used to with fast-paced action.

"For nearly two decades, this franchise has existed as something you buy; now we are creating a destination where our fans will be able to access the entire Command and Conquer universe, starting with Generals and continuing with Red Alert, Tiberium, and beyond, EA VP and GM Jon Van Caneghem said. "With Frostbite 2, we are able to keep an emphasis on the AAA quality our consumers expect while staying true to the RTS gameplay they know and love – all available online for free."

A free-to-play game with "incredibly detailed units, fully destructible environments, dynamic physics, and exhilarating visual effects?" Where do we sign up? Right here, that's where.

Are you psyched for the free-to-play reinvention of Command & Conquer? What do you think of the whole push? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.