Tiberium Wars: Firestorm

The mod's main focus is a significant expansion of all three factions.

GDI emphasizes heavy armor and ground vehicles, with a focus on sonic weapons for combating Tiberium and enemies. Jetpack Troopers return as a tier-one unit — fast, cheaper than before, and armed with a powerful machine gun. Zone Defenders are tier-three heavy infantry equipped with a long-range sonic cannon, effective against both infantry and vehicles. The Commando is a solo operative with an instant-kill weapon against infantry and C4 charges for demolishing buildings and vehicles. New vehicles include the Titan MK1 from Kane's Wrath, a stronger and more expensive counterpart to the Predator Tank; the Armadillo APC with three infantry slots; and the Disruptor from Tiberian Sun — a sonic cannon vehicle whose continuous beam deals massive damage to infantry and structures. Air support has been updated as well: instead of Bloodhounds, Paladin tanks now arrive on the field — a Predator variant with a machine gun in place of the missile launcher.

Nod focuses on fire and Tiberium cleansing: deploying flamethrower and Tiberium-based weapons against enemies while using Tiberium itself to regenerate troops. It is the strongest faction for infantry. The cyborg roster has been expanded with three new units. The Decimator Cyborg is a tier-one cyborg with rocket launchers and a web weapon that immobilizes infantry. The Obliterator Cyborg is a tier-three heavy cyborg armed with Tiberium plasma cannons. The Cyborg Hijacker is a stealthy saboteur capable of eliminating an enemy vehicle's crew and capturing it for Nod. Among the new vehicles, the Avenger Tank stands out — reminiscent of the Tick Tank from Tiberian Sun: when deployed it is one of the strongest tier-one tanks, capable of going toe-to-toe with a Titan MK1, but completely vulnerable while deploying. The Contaminator Tank is another addition, built around Tiberium weaponry.

Scrin is focused on the total annihilation of both factions, accelerating Tiberium spread and using Tiberium-based technologies. It is the strongest faction in the air. New ground units include the Ichor Contaminator — a massive anti-infantry unit capable of crushing enemy vehicles — and the Razorback, a fast vehicle with two modes: ground mode (attacks ground targets only) and flight mode (attacks air targets only), replacing the Seeker Hover Tank as the primary tier-one anti-tank unit. The Mobile Warp Beacon is a mobile production base, similar to the Mobile War Factory from Tiberian Sun Firestorm. It produces Drone Ships, Razorbacks (initially in flight mode), Hive Stalkers, and Ichor Wraiths. Hive Stalkers are tier-one airborne infantry for overwhelming enemies with numbers; the Ichor Wraith is a tier-three air unit that leaves Tiberium pools and turns enemy infantry into Tiberium mutants.

Tiberium Wars Firestorm also introduces new neutral structures. The Observation Post, when captured, reveals a large area of the fog of war and detects cloaked units. The Dropship Bay, when captured, unlocks access to special units depending on which engineer captured it.

Overall, gameplay is noticeably faster than in the original Tiberium Wars. Battles are larger in scale, armies are bigger, and the late game turns into clashes between giants. Players who enjoy experimenting with different unit and tech combinations will find enormous creative freedom. Firestorm does not aim for strict competitive balance, favoring spectacle and variety instead.

Tiberium Wars: Firestorm can be compared to another well-known mod — Tiberium Essence. Where Essence tries to bring Tiberium Wars as close as possible to the atmosphere of Tiberian Sun, Firestorm takes select ideas from the classic game and combines them with Kane's Wrath mechanics to create its own identity. This makes the mod a perfect choice for those who have grown tired of Essence and want to try something new without straying too far from the familiar Tiberium Wars experience.