Fans have begged for Generals 2 for two decades. In 2013, EA announced Command & Conquer (a free-to-play game featuring Generals 2 ). They even released alpha footage. It looked beautiful.

Zero Hour achieved remarkable balance for a game with 9 distinct factions, but clear tiers emerged in high-level play (competitive 1v1):

But in October 2013, EA canceled it. The reasons? "Feedback from the Alpha test" and a shift away from RTS games. The closure of Victory Games (the studio) was the final nail in the coffin.

While the base game was fun, it felt somewhat incomplete. It launched with a vague story and limited unit variety. Command Conquer General Zero Hour fixed this with the introduction of the "Generals Challenge." This single-player mode fleshed out the personalities of the commanders, giving each faction a distinct voice and a unique playstyle that went far beyond simple aesthetic differences.