For the devoted virtual trucker, a patch number is more than a decimal point—it is a milestone. When Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) moved from version 1.35 to 1.36, many players expected a typical maintenance update. What they got was a visual revolution.
The jump between these two versions represents one of the most significant graphical overhauls in the game's history. If you are still running mods on 1.35 or are confused about why your favorite map mod broke overnight, this guide will walk you through every gear change in the ETS2 1.35 to 1.36 patch transition.
If Steam hasn't auto-updated you, or you deliberately rolled back to 1.35, here is how to force the upgrade to 1.36:
Note: You cannot roll back to 1.35 officially via Steam anymore. SCS only keeps the last two major versions (1.36 and 1.37+ available).
As with any major patch, the 1.35 to 1.36 transition faced hurdles:
The 1.36 patch was a foundational update. While it lacked the "flashiness" of a new country DLC, it laid the groundwork for the modern ETS2 experience. The audio improvements and the beta testing of Convoy mode were essential steps toward the high-fidelity simulation we see today. Players moving from 1.35 to 1.36 gained a more immersive soundscape and the first glimpse of official multiplayer functionality, making it a mandatory update for the active community.
The transition from version 1.35 to 1.36 Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2)
was one of the game's most significant technical milestones, primarily due to the engine's move to DirectX 11 SCS Software's blog Technical Evolution: The DX11 Leap The headline change for 1.36 was the full implementation of DirectX 11
and the complete removal of DirectX 9 support. This change wasn't just under the hood; it provided immediate benefits for players: Steam Community Performance Gains
: Players reported notable FPS increases and smoother overall gameplay. Visual Fidelity
: Improved anti-aliasing (SMAA) and better Level of Detail (LOD) behavior for long-range objects. Legacy Impact
: Players with older GPUs that only supported DX9 were no longer able to run the game without switching to a legacy branch or updating hardware. New Map Content & Gameplay Features
While 1.35 laid the groundwork, 1.36 introduced key additions to keep the driving experience fresh: Corsica Expansion : A free addition for owners of the Vive la France! DLC
, featuring six new cities and beautiful Mediterranean scenery.
: Following its success in American Truck Simulator, detours were added to Europe, forcing players to occasionally improvise their routes due to road closures or accidents. Management Improvements
: A long-requested feature allowed players to see their hired drivers, trucks, and trailers directly on the manager map. Avoidance Pins
: New GPS pins let you mark specific roads or areas you want the navigation system to avoid. Preparation for the Black Sea
Update 1.36 served as the essential technical bridge for the Road to the Black Sea DLC
, ensuring the game could handle the new assets and density found in the Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey regions. SCS Software's blog Quick Comparison Table: 1.35 vs. 1.36 Version 1.35 Version 1.36 Graphics API Experimental DX11 / DX9 Support / DX9 Removed Map Additions Germany Rework (Stage 2) Corsica (France) Navigation Voice Navigation Detours & Avoidance Pins Visibility Standard Manager Map Drivers/Trucks visible on map ETS2 , 1.36 update and DX9 support removal - SCS Software
The most critical changes in patch 1.36 were backend improvements that players could "feel" more than see. ets2 1.35 to 1.36 patch
Patch 1.36 introduced a new "Viewer Camera" system behind the scenes. This allowed for more realistic sunrise and sunset lighting. The orange, washed-out look of 1.35 was replaced with sharper contrasts and deeper night skies.
Verdict:
1.35 = last of the “classic” era.
1.36 = first step toward current ETS2 graphics & performance standards.
Happy trucking 🚛
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The air in the garage was thick with the smell of stale coffee and ozone. Elias sat in the cabin of his Volvo FH16, his hands resting on the steering wheel, but the world outside the windshield was frozen.
A notification hovered in his vision, a stark white box against the familiar backdrop of a virtual garage.
"Update Available: Euro Truck Simulator 2 - Version 1.36."
"End of the line, old friend," Elias whispered to the truck. He knew what this meant. It wasn’t just a patch; it was a migration. The world of 1.35—the physics he had memorized, the specific way his trailer fishtailed on the rain-slicked highways of France—was about to be archived.
He clicked "Next."
The screen went black. Then came the download bar. It was agonizingly slow, a slow march of megabytes that felt like a countdown to a rocket launch. Elias watched the numbers tick up. He thought about his mods. The traffic density mod, the sound packs that made the Scanias roar like lions, the winter physics he’d installed back in December—most of them were about to break. The 1.35 era was the era of stability; 1.36 was the frontier.
The game restarted. The iconic SCS Software logo spun, but the sound was different—sharper, clearer.
"1.36 Change-log: Implemented DirectX 11 support."
Elias held his breath as the loading screen faded. He wasn’t in the garage anymore. He was spawned on the side of the road near Linz, Austria. The engine was idling. He tapped the W key to accelerate.
The change was immediate and visceral.
In 1.35, the truck had felt heavy, anchored to the road by invisible tethers. Now, as he eased onto the gas, the chassis felt alive. The suspension seemed to breathe. He crept forward, merging onto the Autobahn.
"DirectX 11," he muttered, watching the sun glint off the hood mirror. "I’ll be damned."
The lighting had changed. The gray asphalt of the highway wasn’t just a flat texture anymore; it had depth. The shadows of the trees lining the road weren't jagged patches of darkness but soft, realistic silhouettes that shifted as he drove past. The world felt less like a painted backdrop and more like a place.
He shifted gears. The transmission whined, a distinct, authentic sound. He checked his mirrors—the bane of every trucker’s existence. In 1.35, the mirrors had often been a compromise—low resolution, sometimes lagging, ghosting trails of the cars behind him.
Elias glanced left. A VW Golf was passing him on the fast lane. He could read the license plate. The frame rate was buttery smooth. From Sunroofs to Snowflakes: The Complete Guide to
"Optimization," Elias grinned. "They actually did it."
He decided to test the limits. He pulled off the highway and aimed for a winding mountain pass, the kind of road that exposed every flaw in a game’s physics engine. As he navigated the hairpin turns, he felt the weight transfer. He watched the trailer tires in the mirror.
There it was—the fix. In 1.35, the fifth wheel (the connection between the truck and trailer) had sometimes felt like a rigid steel bar. If you took a corner too fast, the trailer seemed to pivot from a single point in the center of the rear axle. But now? Now, he could see the trailer pivoting from the actual hook point on the back of his cab. It was subtle, a matter of inches in the virtual space, but to a veteran driver, it changed everything. The trailer pushed him; it argued with him. It felt like a separate entity dragging behind, not just an extension of his truck.
It started to rain.
In the old version, rain was a visual filter. Now, droplets splattered against the windshield with new ferocity. He flicked the wipers on. The sound of the rubber dragging across the glass was rhythmic and satisfying. He looked out the window at the passing vegetation. The grass looked fuller, the trees less like cardboard cutouts.
Elias pulled into a rest stop just south of Salzburg. The sun was beginning to set, casting long, golden beams through the valleys. He parked the truck and killed the engine. The silence of the cab was profound.
He opened the Steam Workshop. The old mods were flagged with red exclamation marks—outdated. It would take weeks for the modders to catch up to the new DirectX 11 standards. For now, he was driving vanilla.
But as he looked out at the sunset, watching the way the light refracted through the remaining rain clouds, he didn't mind. The game had grown up. The era of 1.35 was a comfortable pair of old boots, but 1.36 was a brand new, high-tech rig.
Elias turned the key. The Volvo roared to life, a sound richer than he remembered.
"Alright," he said, putting the truck into gear. "Let's make some deliveries."
The transition from version 1.35 to 1.36 in Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2)
was a major technical milestone, primarily marked by the move to a more modern graphics engine and the introduction of unpredictable road events. The Technical Leap: DirectX 11 Integration
The most significant change in 1.36 was the shift to full DirectX 11 support and the complete removal of DirectX 9.
Performance: Many players saw a framerate increase on modern systems as the game could finally utilize CPU and GPU resources more efficiently.
Visual Polish: This update introduced improved Anti-Aliasing (SMAA), which specifically helped reduce the "shimmering" on thin objects like electrical wires.
Future-Proofing: While it didn't immediately overhaul the graphics, it laid the groundwork for better lighting and effects in later versions. Gameplay Evolution: Detours and Mapping
Building on the "unpredictability" first tested in American Truck Simulator, 1.36 brought Detours to Europe.
Dynamic Roadblocks: You might encounter random road closures or police waving you off the highway, forcing you to improvise and find a new route.
Custom GPS: For drivers who prefer a specific route, Avoidance Pins were added, allowing you to mark specific roads or areas the GPS should never navigate through. Open Steam Library → Right-click Euro Truck Simulator
Fleet Visibility: Your hired drivers, trucks, and trailers finally became visible on the manager map, making it easier to track your logistics empire at a glance.
Watch this official changelog to see the major features of the 1.36 update in action: Changelog for ETS2 Update 1.36 SCS Software YouTube• Dec 3, 2019 Map Expansion: Corsica
The 1.36 update included a major free addition for owners of the Vive la France! map expansion: the Island of Corsica.
New Routes: Accessible via ferry from Marseille (France) or Sassari (Sardinia).
Terrain: It features narrow, winding mountain roads and scenic coastal views typical of the Mediterranean. Comparison: 1.35 vs. 1.36 Highlights Version 1.35 Highlights Version 1.36 Highlights Graphics Experimental DX11 support Full DX11 support (DX9 removed) New Areas Sardinia (Italia DLC) Corsica (Vive la France! DLC) New Content Krone & Schwarzmüller DLC updates New AI vehicles & detours UI/UX GPS Voice Navigation Avoidance Pins & Manager Map icons Important Modding Note
The update from version 1.35 to 1.36 for Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2)
was a major technical milestone, primarily focused on modernizing the game's engine and expanding the map in preparation for new content. Technical Improvements
The most significant change in 1.36 was the transition to DirectX 11.
Engine Upgrade: Support for DirectX 9 was completely removed, allowing for better performance, smoother gameplay, and improved long-range Level of Detail (LOD).
Visual Enhancements: The update introduced improved anti-aliasing (SMAA) and better rendering for complex objects like electric wires.
Input Support: Added support for non-Latin character input (IME), specifically for Chinese and other languages. Map and Content Updates Corsica Expansion: The island of
was added as a free addition for owners of the Vive la France! DLC.
Road to the Black Sea Preparation: The patch prepared the game for the launch of the Road to the Black Sea DLC, which added Romania, Bulgaria, and the Trakya region of Turkey.
New AI Traffic: New AI vehicles were added, and police paint jobs were corrected across different regions. Management and UI Changes
Enhanced Map Management: Drivers, trucks, and trailers became visible directly on the manager map, making fleet management more intuitive.
Avoid Pins: A new feature for GPS navigation allowed players to set "Avoid" pins to bypass specific roads during route planning.
New Loading Screens: Refreshed visuals were added to the game's startup and loading sequences. Modding Impact
Because of the complete shift to DirectX 11, many older mods—particularly those involving shaders or complex textures—required updates to remain compatible.
Here’s a strong, community-focused feature idea for an ETS2 1.35 to 1.36 patch mod or update summary:
Feature Name:
"Dynamic Sound & Weather Transition System"
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