After the release of Async Loading Experimental Beta in May, we are happy to announce the arrival of the 1.55 Open Beta for Euro Truck Simulator 2, which includes various improvements and new content.

It will take a few weeks before the full 1.55 release, so please keep in mind that this is the first open beta iteration and it is still a work-in-progress build that will receive updates throughout the open beta period.

If you want to take it for a spin, you can help contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section of our official forums. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team, and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out. So, what can you expect to find in the 1.55 Open Beta for ETS2? Let's take a closer look!

Driving Academy - Truck Driving Proficiency

This new Driving Academy module, called Truck Driving Proficiency, will introduce a set of much more challenging scenarios, which will test even the most skilled drivers to the limit. For this new module and set of scenarios, we will also introduce a new reward system. The most important thing is still to precisely complete a scenario by driving along the designated path and avoiding any collisions. For proficiency level, there may be additional conditions you will have to meet to successfully pass the scenario.

Players will be able to achieve up to 3 collectable stars in this module, which can be earned by meeting additional conditions such as only using the interior camera, limiting gear shifts between drive and reverse, or completing the scenario in the set time. You'll earn a reward for completing all the scenarios, and you can unlock additional rewards by collecting all 3 stars in each one.

To really test your skills, you won't find any pre-recorded video tutorials, and you will have to use all the knowledge we taught you in our first module of Driving Academy.

Asynchronous Loading

We have been hard at work implementing a major overhaul in the way our game loads and processes data, a new system we call Asynchronous Loading. This system is designed to improve the loading process by ensuring that the game and loading screens remain uninterrupted while assets are loaded in the background. The primary benefit here is the mitigation of stuttering, resulting in a smoother experience overall.

We'd like to thank everyone who contributed their feedback to the Experimental Beta in Euro Truck Simulator 2, which was centred around this new update. Your feedback was incredibly valuable to our team, and now we are happy to be able to continue to bring this new feature forward into the Open Beta. You can help us fine-tune this feature by reporting any unusual loading behaviour in the dedicated 1.55 forum section.

FH Tuning Pack Update

This DLC will now be fully compatible with the Volvo FH Series 6 as well, so you'll be able to customize every Volvo FH truck with a wide range of tuning parts. But that's not all, as we are also improving several current components, introducing new customization options, along with paintable parts.

You will be able to pick the front badge plate, rear fender top, front mask, and front grille bottom in chrome, while the decal, windshield frame, front badge plate, rear fender, rear fender top, and more are now paintable!

Custom City Intros for the Vive la France ! DLC

We have reworked all of the in-game intros for every city in France with an ownable garage, both in the base game and the Vive la France ! DLC. A total of 21 cities have received new or updated Custom City Intros.

Mail UX Redesign

The mail screen has been redesigned to enhance UI, UX, and controller navigation. It features two main sections: a mail list on the left and the mail content on the right, which is now larger for improved readability and easier to scroll through. Mails populate from the top, and when the list exceeds the screen, pagination is used. Users can navigate through emails using the arrow keys or the controller's D-pad, with emails opening instantly on selection. Mail content may include clickable or keybind-accessible embedded links.

Options QoL Improvements

In this update, we've added a small but useful quality-of-life improvement to the graphics settings menu. You'll now see example screenshots next to various settings, giving you a better idea of how each option affects the game's visuals.

Whether you're tweaking things for smoother performance or aiming for the best possible look, these previews should make it easier to find the right balance for your setup.

Map Improvements - "My Location" Hotkey

We are adding a "My Location" hotkey as part of our map improvements. When pressed, it instantly centers the game map on the player's current location. We hope you find this small addition useful on the road!

Change of Steam Achievements

Our team is working around the clock on engine updates, many of which are not visible during regular gameplay. Some of these are visible instantly, such as new light systems, but we also need to work on changes that are not normally visible when you play.

Updating the achievement system gives us foundations that will allow us to make different and new types of achievements, as well as manage existing ones that often rely on different DLCs and regions. As a part of that, we have a new system coming out in 1.55, which we would like to test in open beta. 

To ensure that the new code is well tested before release, some small changes were made to existing achievements and their goals to let us see if the changes we make are working smoothly for all of our users.

Changelog

Gameplay

• Driving Academy - Truck Driving Proficiency

• Map improvements - "My Location" hotkey

Vehicles

• FH Tuning Pack Update for Volvo FH Series 6

Visual

• Custom city intros for Vive la France ! DLC

• Mail UX redesign

• Options QoL Improvements - Graphics settings visualisation

Other

• Steam achievements update with text and icon improvements

• Save manager improvements

• Asynchronous loading

So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version, so you may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get there faster, we'd appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in the dedicated section.

Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game. If you wish to participate in this Open Beta, you can find this version in the Experimental Beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on Euro Truck Simulator 2  → Properties → Betas tab → Beta Participation drop-down menu → public_beta. No password is required. Sometimes you will have to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.