Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy game from Westwood Studios, released in 1996 with the MS-DOS and Windows 95 versions in the same box; Virgin Interactive Entertainment published it in Europe on 4 December 1996. It is a prequel to the original Command & Conquer, set in an alternate history where Albert Einstein travels back in time and removes Hitler from history. Frank Klepacki's score was voted the best video game soundtrack of 1996 by PC Gamer and Gameslice, and Germany alone accounted for 400,000 copies sold that year.
Two PC expansions, Counterstrike and The Aftermath, arrived in 1997, the same year as the PlayStation port. In 1998 the PlayStation got Retaliation, which collects both expansions and was later re-released on PlayStation Network for PS3 and PSP.
Electronic Arts made Red Alert freeware on 31 August 2008. In 2020 it released the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection and published the remaster's source code under the GPL; the original game's source code followed in February 2025.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Command & Conquer: Red AlertMS-DOS and Windows 95 versions in one box. Sources disagree on the day: English Wikipedia gives 22 November 1996, Russian Wikipedia 31 October 1996. | MS-DOS | 1996 | Westwood Studios | 1 |
| NA | Command & Conquer: Red AlertRussian Wikipedia gives 31 October 1997. | PlayStation | November 1997 | Westwood Studios | 1 |
| NA | Command & Conquer: Red Alert – RetaliationPlayStation Network re-release for PS3 and PSP; Russian Wikipedia gives 12 November 2009. | PlayStation 3 | Dec 3, 2009 | Electronic Arts | 1 |
| EU | Command & Conquer: Red AlertMS-DOS and Windows 95 versions in one box. | MS-DOS | Dec 4, 1996 | Virgin Interactive Entertainment | 1 |
| EU | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | PlayStation | November 1997 | Virgin Interactive Entertainment | 1 |
| WW | Counterstrike / The AftermathTwo PC expansion packs. | MS-DOS | 1997 | Westwood Studios | 1 |
| WW | Command & Conquer: Red Alert – RetaliationCompilation of the PC expansions with PlayStation-exclusive extras. | PlayStation | Aug 28, 1998 | Westwood Studios | 1 |
| EU | Command & Conquer: Red Alert – RetaliationPlayStation Network re-release for PS3 and PSP. | PlayStation 3 | Mar 27, 2008 | Electronic Arts | 1 |
| WW | Command & Conquer: Red AlertMade freeware by Electronic Arts. | Windows | Aug 31, 2008 | Electronic Arts | 1 |
| WW | Command & Conquer Remastered Collection4K remaster bundled with Tiberian Dawn and all expansions; Steam and Origin. | Windows | Jun 5, 2020 | Electronic Arts | 2 |
Also known as: Red Alert WW1Командуй и Завоёвывай: Красная Угроза RU3Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Retaliation WW1
Box art by region
NA Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
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ContentPlayStation (Retaliation)
Retaliation on PlayStation collects both PC expansions, including the secret Ant Missions, and adds Tesla Tanks, Shock Troopers, 105 skirmish maps and 19 exclusive briefing videos.1
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GameplayPlayStation
The original PlayStation port could not save in the middle of a mission (Retaliation added this). It supported the PlayStation Mouse and the Link Cable for two-player games.1
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GraphicsRemastered Collection (2020)
The 2020 Remastered Collection redraws the game in 4K, rebuilds multiplayer, and adds a modern interface, a map editor and over seven hours of remastered music, with all three expansions included.2
Translations
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Spanish Official
Electronic Arts2020Windows · Remastered CollectionReleased · partial
The 2020 Remastered Collection has Spanish (Spain) text, but no Spanish voice-over.2
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Russian Official
Electronic Arts2020Windows · Remastered CollectionReleased · partial
The 2020 Remastered Collection has a Russian interface and subtitles, but no Russian voice-over.2
Where to play legally today
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Steam Purchase
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection
Windows; remaster of Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn with all expansions
Checked: 2026-10-132store.steampowered.com
How to run it today
Buy the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Steam; it runs natively on modern Windows. The free, open-source OpenRA project rebuilds Red Alert as a modern engine for Windows, macOS and Linux, but it is a reimagining with its own balance rather than an exact recreation.
- Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Steam store.steampowered.com
- OpenRA openra.net
Best version
The Remastered Collection is the most complete official release, with Red Alert and its expansions, 4K graphics, rebuilt multiplayer and remastered music.2
Reception
Red Alert sold 1.5 million copies in its first month and close to 2 million by mid-February 1997. It holds a 90/100 Metacritic score on PC.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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