Ground Control is a real-time tactics video game developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Sierra Studios, released for Microsoft Windows in 2000.

The game focuses on a conflict between two factions vying for control of a planet and a series of alien artefacts contained on its surface, in which players take the role of an officer for each faction, working to achieve their objectives through using a variety of futuristic style of troops, engaging different tactics that make use of their units, the terrain and careful planning.

Following the aftermath of the Third World War (known in the game as "The Sixteen-Minute War") in the 25th century, mankind successfully rebuilds and begins colonization of several planets across the galaxy, while the Earth becomes ruled by the Global Central Command (GCC) - a council of elected representatives, including those from mega corporations that rose to power following the fall of Terran nations.

Today we know only that The Order of the New Dawn was founded by a small coalition of men and women of Faith, who united in common cause during the dark days of the latter 21st century.

Foreseeing the coming cataclysm, these early cultists dedicated themselves to preserving as much technology and knowledge as possible, in order to bring about a New Dawn after the inevitable holocaust.

But the End of the Civilized World did indeed come, and the proto-Order was ready for it - and even the corporations, no matter what they may think of the Order in the present day, do not deny the debt all of humanity owes them.

Major Parker's Commando unit was stationed at firebase Zulu on the main continent of Sigma Draconis when it was attacked by the Order of the New Dawn, who had declared the planet sacred ground and filed Jihad against any corporate holding which did not immediately evacuate.Major Sarah Parker, an officer for the Crayven Corporation, is assigned by Enrica Hayes, a director in the company working aboard one of their starships, the CSS Astrid, to lead ground operations on Krig 7-B.

Seeking to prevent the corporation from achieving total victory on Krig 7-B, two officers of the Order, Deacon Jarred Stone and Paladin Magnus, Stone's CO and an old friend, rally surviving troops in order to conduct a series of daring, guerrilla-styled hit and run missions, against high value targets of the Crayven, despite concerns that they fight a losing battle without the assistance of the Clergy.

During their strikes, Stone and Magnus recover important data, which details more about Project Garm, providing insight on Delondre's motive for defecting.

Magnus soon disappears shortly after Aegeri, a "Great Cardinal" of the Order, arrives on board the WCS Retribution, with much needed reinforcements.

Angered and feeling betrayed, Stone reunites with Magnus to stop the alliance gaining full control over the Xenofacts, but their hidden base is soon besieged by a large Crayven force, leading Magnus to sacrificing himself in order for Stone and their troops to be safely extracted by Parker, who had discovered that Aegeri and Hayes had met up weeks before the ceasefire was announced.

Working together alongside Magnus' friend Cole, a Crayven operative, they quickly discover that the Xenofacts found on the planet were among many created by an alien civilisation more than a million years ago, as part of an ancient, galaxy-wide fail-safe system designed to counter an invasion, in which each Xenofact contains a powerful war machine within it that can only be activated from Krig 7-B.

While Parker, Cole and Stone celebrate their victory and saving millions of lives while trying to figure out how to leave Krig 7-B, Hayes contacts her boss in the Crayven Corporation and reports her failure at utilizing the Xenofacts, to which her employer remarks that there are still other ways to win control of the galaxy, as the Astrid drifts through space.

[23] The expansion continued the original storyline by focusing on Sarah Parker in the aftermath of the conflict, introducing a brand new campaign of 15 new missions and a new faction called the Phoenix Mercenaries who came with unique units and specialised in using incendiary-based weaponry and abilities.

[24] In 2008, Vivendi retained ownership of the Ground Control franchise, shortly after its merger with Activision Blizzard led to Massive Entertainment being sold to Ubisoft in November, until July 2009 when they sold the franchise over to Rebellion Developments who revealed the plans to release a new game for the series,[25] although no official news since then has confirmed that a sequel is being developed.