ETS 2 & ATS 1.49 Updates Officially Released, New Skyboxes, Weather and Used Trucks

The 1.49 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2 officially released yesterday 5 days after the 1.49 release for American Truck Simulator which both featured the same changes however ATS came with a few map changes.

HDR Skyboxes, Weather Effects and the Moon

The key improvement in this update is focused on visuals, specifically the sky and weather effects which have a strong effect on the atmosphere of the game. The sky now uses HDR skyboxes which will provide richer and more vibrant colours making photos and cruising all that much better. Additionally the night sky is significantly better with the reintroduction of the moon and twinkling stars which have received lots of work to ensure they render and cast light correctly. The weather system has also been improved with more dynamic thunderstorms, this can all be seen in the video below.

Used Truck Dealers & Improved Damage System

For new players, or those simply restarting afresh, you will now have the option of purchasing used trucks for a cheaper price. The downside to this is that used trucks come with some wear and tear which tie in with the revamped damage system. The new system will be more in depth with three types of damage; standard, parts wear, and permanent wear. These simply seperate your damage giving you more options on what you can afford to repair and what is worth repairing rather than a flat repair with the previous system.

ATS Exclusive Changes

American Truck Simulator came with all of these same improvements but also featured some changes to the map and the special Transport DLC. The first of which is the introduction of the Paccar technical center in Washington. This is a facility which tests trucks and has been recreated 1:1 in the map for owners of the Washington DLC. For owners of the Utah DLC, the mountains around Salt Lake City have been reworked with improved details and scale. The Special Transport DLC has received two new cargos, the wind blade & articulated hauler cargoes. Two new routes have also been added both starting from Pueblo in Colorado.

Smaller Improvements

Some small but important changes have been made to keybinds with the introduction of keybind modifiers. This allows users to expand and improve their keybind selection with the ability to bind combo keys such as shift+L to turn on your lights. This is a great improvement for those with limited buttons and should allow me to stack some more onto my limited wheel buttons. On top of this, headlights are now automatic including high beams which will save you a keybind.

Change Log