UPDATE March 24: Euro Truck Simulator 2’s Update 1.40 is now live.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 Update 1.40 marks a significant step forward for developer SCS Software’s popular driving title, as it introduces a new lighting system. Not only does this mean that the entire game world looks better, as we’re past its release date, but it’s also a first step towards other future visual improvements.
ETS2’s Update 1.40 was delayed late last year but is now live, as of March 24. It includes the Germany map rework, two new French cities, and accompany the premium Iberia DLC.
ETS 2 Update 1.40 Release Date
Euro Truck Simulator’s Update 1.40 entered open beta at the beginning of February, when the developer said that it expected “several weeks of further tweaking will be needed to get things stable.”
“One of the biggest changes you’ll notice when you first hop into your truck cab is the implementation of our new visual lighting system. While still not perfect, it’s a solid step in the direction we need to take to improve our games’ look. The new light system has full HDR internals, and it can adapt much better to changes of daylight around the clock or under various weather conditions,” the developer said in a Steam post.
“Our art teams had to make a lot of changes across the whole catalogue of our in-game world objects; including a majority of the in-game 2D/3D assets, textures, and materials to better work with the new physical model of the new light system. Some of the textures, including our new skyboxes, have a bit higher resolution, but for now, we are still keeping things in limits to maintain reasonable performance on mid-range GPUs and below.”
ETS2’s new lighting system introduces a richer variety of skyboxes for different times of day, improved mist in rainy weather, reworked truck lights, better reflections, and more. You can see these improvements for yourself in the video below and read more about the technical side of things in this Under the Hood blog post.
The Germany map rework coming with ETS2’s Update 1.40 will finish polishing up one of the oldest sections of the game’s map “with a more realistic and up-to-date look.”
All German roads and highways have been reskinned and reworked. In addition, if you visit the areas around Dortmund, Köln, Dusseldorf, and Duisburg, you’ll also notice a completely redesigned road network alongside some new intersections and roads. The southern part of the Bundesautobahn 7 is also accessible.
Owners of the Vive La France! DLC have received two new cities as part of a free update. Bayonne, the capital of the French Basque Country, and Lacq – a smaller commune located in the Arrondissement of Pau – alongside two new connecting junctions in Toulouse and Bordeaux will make driving towards the south, once the Iberia DLC launches, feel a bit more natural.
The Super Stripes Paint Jobs Pack DLC is also getting two new trailer designs in Euro Truck Simulator’s Update 1.40 lands. You can check them out here, alongside other details about the update. Take a look at the full changelog, to recap all that’s been added:
Visual
- New Visual Lighting System
Map
- Germany Reskin
- New French Cities (Vive La France ! DLC)
Vehicle
- Two new paint jobs (from the Super Stripes Paint Jobs Pack) for owned trailers
- UI
- Full-text city/company search in the job selection screen
- Improved vehicle adjustment menu (F4)
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is available now on PC.
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