After pulling the plug on their latest Command and Conquer franchise iteration late last year, Electronic Arts made it abundantly clear the once-prominent RTS series has lost some of its luster. They tried several times to get a title going (with several different approaches) but in the end EA decided it best to pull the plug.

Some would argue, however, that it was EA and developer Victory Games' approach that rubbed players the wrong way, not the idea of another CnC game. In fact, many fans have continued to rally behind the Command & Conquer franchise, even though it seems like EA isn't developing a new game any time soon.

Echoing that sentiment is a new community-managed and community-made online server for those Command & Conquer titles affected by the recent GameSpy server shutdown. Thanks to this new server, gamers can still get their fill with CnC: Generals, Generals: Zero Hour, CnC 3, Kane's Wrath, and Red Alert 3.

For now the servers are running free of charge, but donations are encouraged. Obviously, with this being a fan-run server it's best to show your support, lest this server fall the same way GameSpy's servers did.

It's been an interesting past few years for the Command & Conquer franchise, to say the least. When EA first debuted their latest CnC title, which was positioned as a sequel to Generals at the time, most seemed happy to see the franchise return, especially under the BioWare umbrella.

But then, when EA came back with a new concept for CnC, one that abandoned the Generals 2 subtitle and re-imagined the game as free-to-play, most fans snubbed their noses. And no matter how hard Victory Games tried to save face with talk of a single player campaign and shorter matches, the populace just didn't seem as interested as they initially were. So, rather than fight a losing battle, EA decided it best to cancel CnC and unfortunately the closing of Victory Games followed shortly thereafter.

About a year ago, some rumors surfaced that suggested CnC might come back under a new developer, but we have yet to hear anything since then. Clearly, as indicated by this community-driven server, the fan base is looking to scratch their Command & Conquer itch somehow, even if that means playing older games.

It might not be any time soon, but we'll keep you posted if there's any Command & Conquer news.

Do you think we will see a new Command & Conquer game any time soon? Which franchise entry was your favorite?

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Source: CnCOnline

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