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E3 2018: Command & Conquer: Rivals Announced For Mobile at EA Play

The classic RTS is being reimagined for an on-the-go experience. 

Blake Morse

June 9, 2018 12:00 PM

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Command & Conquer has been one of the most revered RTS titles to grace the gaming world for quite some time now. But it's not really a quick game, so it may come as a surprise that the latest version of the game is a fast-paced mobile title called Command & Conquer: Rivals. Rivals has been designed to be a quick 1-on-1 match that last no longer than about five minutes. While the game was announced today at EA Play, I was able to get some hands-on time with the Android build ahead of the press conference. 

In Rivals, players will face off against their opponents in an attempt to destroy their enemy's base before they themselves are destroyed. In order to expedite the matches, players will battle over two to three control points on the game's various maps. If a team controls the majority of points when the timer reaches zero, then a missile will be fired at their opponent's base.

Players will also be able to build decks where they'll be able to select their commanding general, what units they want to bring into battle, and what special weapon they want access to. Once in the game, players will need to build harvesters and gather Tiberium in order to make barracks, vehicles, and tech units. Combat plays out in a sort of rock, paper, scissors style where players have to react to their opponents moves properly in order to maintain dominance. For example, a player may need to make more rocket launcher units in order to take out an enemy's helicopters because their tanks can't fire into the sky and are getting pummeled. Along with the standard units, each general has a special attack like a super turret they can place on any revealed area of the map or a laser satellite strike that takes damages all units in a certain area. 

The Alpha pre-registration is now available for Google Play Android over at the game's official site, but Command & Conquer: Rivals will also be making its way to iOS devices at full launch. 

From the game's press release: “As huge fans of the strategy genre, we wanted to build a great RTS on mobile. Rivals embraces the spirit of the Command & Conquer franchise and reimagines gameplay to deliver our vision,” said Michael Martinez, General Manager of Redwood Studios. “Rivals is specifically designed for mobile, so we’re giving players quick, head-to head live battles with continuous unit control, where skill and strategy reign supreme. The Google Play Pre-Alpha test allows us to put the game in the hands of our players earlier. We can’t wait to hear what they think and will use our players’ feedback to make Rivals better. We, the development team, are committed to delivering a fun, fair, and competitive experience for all players.”

Right now, there's no release date for the full version of Command & Conquer: Rivals but players can register for the Android pre-Alpha as of today. 

Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot