RF Client Versions

This page will list all known publicly-available Red Faction versions/clients, both official and community-made.

Feature Comparison of Commonly-Used Client Versions

 * RF Client Comparison

v1.00

 * Distributed as rf.exe in all retail versions of the game.
 * Suffers from many known issues ranging from security vulnerabilities, to compatibility issues, to multiplayer cheating potential.
 * 3 known variants available:
 * v1.00 North America
 * v1.00 French
 * v1.00 German

v1.10

 * Created by using the corresponding officially-distributed patching utility on a v1.00 rf.exe.
 * Small bug fix version. Ironically, at least one known issue was introduced in this version.
 * Still suffers from many known issues ranging from security vulnerabilities, to compatibility issues, to multiplayer cheating potential.
 * 3 known variants available:
 * v1.10 North America
 * v1.10 French
 * v1.10 German

v1.20

 * Created by using the corresponding officially-distributed patching utility on a v1.00 or v1.10 rf.exe.
 * Latest officially released version for the retail game.
 * Fixes some bugs, makes some balance changes.
 * While some issues were fixed, still suffers from many known issues ranging from security vulnerabilities, to compatibility issues, to multiplayer cheating potential.
 * 3 known variants available:
 * v1.20 North America
 * v1.20 French
 * v1.20 German

v1.21

 * Distributed as rf.exe in all digital versions of the game.
 * Recompiled version of v1.20 North America with a small number of bugs fixed. Ironically, at least one known issue was introduced in this version.
 * Some major compatibility issues were fixed, and this version will launch on most modern systems.
 * 2 known variants available:
 * v1.21 Steam
 * v1.21 GoG

Dash Faction

 * De facto standard RF client
 * Dash Faction Installation Guide
 * Created by rafalh, and is an open source project
 * Distributed as an installer since v1.50. Prior, was distributed as a .zip archive.
 * Consists of a custom launcher and 2 .dll files - DashFaction.dll and DashEditor.dll. When the game or editor is launched via the custom launcher, it injects the respective .dll into the v1.20 North America versions of rf.exe or RED.exe.
 * In active development and support is provided.
 * Fixes the vast majority of known issues (including security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues), and adds new modern features such as widescreen support, anti-aliasing, window modes, and automatic map downloader.
 * Major version releases (as of January 2021):
 * v1.2.0
 * v1.3.0
 * v1.4.0 (and subsequently v1.4.1 and v1.4.2)
 * v1.5.0 (and previously v1.5.0-rc1 and v1.5.0-rc2)
 * v1.6.0 (and previously v1.6.0-beta and v1.6.0-rc1, subsequently v1.6.1-rc1 and v1.6.1)

Pure Faction

 * De facto standard RF client until roughly 2017, now considered deprecated
 * Pure Faction Installation Guide
 * Created by TrotSkie and digi, with contributions from S
 * Distributed as an installer
 * Consists of a custom launcher, custom modified version of rf.exe (named PF.exe), custom modified version of RED.exe (named REDPF.exe), and 2 .dll files - PF.dll and REDPF.dll
 * Active development ceased roughly around 2016, last bugfix version (3.0e) released March 2018). Some limited support is still provided, but has been virtually completely feature eclipsed by Dash Faction.
 * Fixes a number of known issues (including most security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues that existed as of cessation of active development), adds features such as custom resolutions, window modes, and automatic map downloader.
 * Major version releases (as of March 2018):
 * v1.0 (and previously b1)
 * v2.1 (and subsequently v2.1qf1 and v2.1qf2)
 * v3.0 (and subsequently v3.0c, v3.0d, v3.0du1, and v3.0e)

v1.30

 * Fan-made unofficial patch designed to stop cheating, now considered deprecated
 * Created by harmLE$$, [JD]SubZ, and [JD]TrotSkie
 * Distributed as an edited version of the v1.20 rf.exe file
 * Active development ceased roughly around 2003.
 * Fixes a few basic bugs and contains anticheat functionality that, while still rudimentary by modern standards, was enhanced when compared to the latest official retail version (v1.20)
 * Still suffers from many known issues ranging from security vulnerabilities, to compatibility issues, to multiplayer cheating potential.
 * 3 known variants available:
 * (Unofficial) v1.30 North America
 * (Unofficial) v1.30 French
 * (Unofficial) v1.30 German
 * Most recognizable feature was that to v1.3 clients, v1.3 servers would animate in the server list



Spectator

 * SubZ
 * Distributed as an edited version of the v1.20 rf.exe file (named spect.exe)
 * One-time release with no known continued development
 * When run on a server, allowed joining clients who were also running Spectator to free look spectate
 * Still suffers from many known issues ranging from security vulnerabilities, to compatibility issues, to multiplayer cheating potential.