At The Game Business Live panel, EA Entertainment head Laura Miele said that the failed announcement of the mobile Command & Conquer Rivals prompted EA to remaster the classic Command & Conquer and Red Alert.
According to her, in 2018, the company expected to expand the series' audience through the mobile market, but the reaction of old fans was sharply negative. The PC community decided that EA had abandoned the franchise and was only thinking about how to profit from microtransactions.
After the negative reaction to Rivals, the company was forced to reconsider its approach to the franchise. EA contacted Westwood Studios veterans and tasked them with creating a remaster of the original Command & Conquer and Red Alert for modern platforms.
Later, the publisher went even further and open-sourced the classic games for the modding community, betting on long-term support from fans.
As for Command & Conquer Rivals, the game has earned about $11.9 million in eight years and is now barely staying afloat, bringing in approximately $25,000 per month.