Rise of the Reds (ROTR) is a Generals Zero Hour mod by SWR Productions that adds two new factions: the Russian Federation and the European Continental Alliance. The version people play now is 1.87, and GenLauncher is the easiest way to install it. Version 1.9 is in development with no public release date.
What Rise of the Reds is
The story picks up a few years after the Zero Hour campaign. Russia returns to the world stage, and Europe answers with an army of its own. The three original sides, USA, China and GLA, are heavily reworked as well, each with new units, buildings and abilities.
The rules change too. ROTR has three tech tiers that you unlock during a match. Air versus anti-air goes deeper than in the original. Scouting and detection matter more, so stealth tactics actually work instead of being decoration. On top of that you get new effects, sounds and voice lines.
The project has a long history. The mod started in 2004; in 2008 The_Hunter (the man behind ShockWave) relaunched it, and version 1.0 SWR Edition came out in December 2008. The European faction arrived after a merger with the Rise of Europe mod and entered the game in version 1.8 in December 2012.
ROTR factions
| Faction | Playstyle |
|---|---|
| Russian Federation | Heavy tanks, pushing head-on with armor |
| European Continental Alliance (ECA) | Focus on defense and fortifications |
| USA | Reworked original arsenal, new units |
| China | Same idea: expanded vehicles and abilities |
| GLA | New units and guerrilla tricks |
For version 2.0 the authors plan to bring generals back: each of the five factions gets three subfactions, fifteen in total. You'll pick them at the start of a match, the way early Generals builds intended. If you've been looking for a Generals mod with Russia in it, this is the one.
Which version is current
| Version | When | How it installs |
|---|---|---|
| 1.85 | April 2015 | Full installer, about 740 MB. Introduced SWR.net, the online service built into the mod's exe |
| 1.86 | November 2015 | Patch of about 50 MB, installs only on top of 1.85 |
| 1.87 | Open beta since December 2016 | Easiest through GenLauncher |
| 1.9 | In development | Not public; the authors show it in news posts |
The official site's downloads still list 1.85 and the 1.86 patch. If you download by hand, you have to install 1.85, 1.86 and 1.87 one after another. The mod's community recommends skipping all that and using GenLauncher.
How to install Rise of the Reds
You need Zero Hour patched to 1.04 first. Get the game on Steam or the EA App; more on the game files page.
With GenLauncher
- Download GenLauncher from its ModDB page and put the exe in the root of your Zero Hour folder.
- Click "ADD MOD!" and pick Rise of the Reds.
- Click "INSTALL!" and wait for the download to finish.
- Select the mod in the list and click "LAUNCH GAME".
The add-ons and patches tabs also carry ROTR extras such as hanpatch and Control Bar. GenLauncher tells you when an update is out.
Manually
- Download the full 1.85 from the official site, rotr.swr-productions.com, or from the mod's ModDB page.
- Install the 1.86 patch on top.
- For 1.87, follow the instructions on the SWR Productions forum.
- Launch through the mod's exe, not the regular Zero Hour shortcut.
One complaint that pops up in Steam discussions: plain Zero Hour starts instead of ROTR. In that thread, GenLauncher fixed it by installing 1.87 in one go without the manual chain.
ROTR vs ShockWave
Both mods come from SWR Productions, and people mix them up a lot. The difference is the approach. ShockWave keeps the three Zero Hour sides and their generals but makes the generals far more distinct. Rise of the Reds adds two new armies and changes the rules: tech tiers, the role of scouting, the air and anti-air balance.
If you want "the same Zero Hour, just deeper", pick ShockWave. If you want Russia and Europe on the battlefield, pick ROTR. The SWR.net online service is shared by both mods since 1.85. More on the other mod in our ShockWave guide.
Rise of the Reds on a phone
On Android we've tested Contra 009 Final and Contra 007. We haven't run Rise of the Reds on a phone yet, so we won't promise anything. Tell the bot which ROTR version you want, and we'll check it. Keep in mind that the mod's own exe and SWR.net exist only on Windows; on a phone, ZeroFront runs the game.
Setup would work like any other mod: the ROTR folder goes in as the game folder, and the original Generals is set separately. You can see how that looks with Contra on the Contra 009 on Android page. To compare ROTR with other mods, see the full mods table.
FAQ
Is Rise of the Reds free?
Yes, the mod is free and the authors distribute it through their site and ModDB. You only need your own copy of Generals and Zero Hour.
Which ROTR version should I install in 2026?
1.87 via GenLauncher. Version 1.9 is still in development, and 1.85 and 1.86 are outdated.
How many factions are in Rise of the Reds?
Five: USA, China, GLA, the Russian Federation and the European Continental Alliance. Subfactions are planned for version 2.0.
Where is the official Rise of the Reds site?
The mod's site is rotr.swr-productions.com, and its ModDB page is moddb.com/mods/rise-of-the-reds. The authors post news about 1.9 on ModDB, where you'll also find developer comments.
Why is the AI in 1.87 so aggressive?
Players do complain that the 1.87 AI is too aggressive. Word in the community is that it's being reworked for 1.9. For now you can drop the difficulty a notch.
Can I play ROTR with a friend on phones?
Not tested. Wi-Fi play between phones in ZeroFront has been verified on Zero Hour, but ROTR first needs to run in single player at least. Message the bot.
Check how Zero Hour and mods run on your phone in the bot @generals_mobile_bot: the first 24 hours are free.