Release Date: Late 2019 (Public Beta from October, full release November 2019)
Game Version Transition: 1.35.x → 1.36.x
Focus: Map expansion, graphics API upgrade, and trailer ownership extension.
The most critical change in the 1.36 update was the phasing out of legacy support. Update 1.36 officially ended support for the 32-bit version of the game and the older DirectX 9 rendering API.
For the modding community and regular players, this was a major shift. By moving exclusively to DirectX 11 (DX11), SCS Software paved the way for better performance, more stable memory management, and improved visual effects. While this initially caused issues for players with older hardware or those using outdated mods in 2020, by 2021, the move was celebrated for allowing developers to push the game's graphics further than ever before.
For those with mid-range PCs in 2021 (e.g., GTX 1060 or RX 580), the patch offered a performance increase.
However, for low-end laptops (Intel HD 4000), performance dropped by 50% because the DX9 renderer was removed.
- Migrated renderer to DirectX 11 only.
- Added support for "Road to the Black Sea" DLC.
- Reworked parts of Germany (Berlin, Hamburg area).
- Ownable refrigerated trailers.
- Improved GPS navigation with alternate routes for detours.
- Fixed garage purchase in certain DLC cities.
- Optimized vegetation rendering.
The most significant change in the 1.36 patch was the complete removal of DirectX 9 support.
The 1.35 to 1.36 update was a foundational graphics and systems upgrade in late 2019, critical for future DLCs (Iberia, reworks) and features (Convoy, 1.40 lighting). It was not related to 2021 patches but set the technical baseline for them.
The rain on the windshield of the Volvo FH16 was not just a texture update; to Thomas, it was a timeline.
He sat in the driver’s seat, the engine idling with a low, familiar purr. On his left monitor, the Steam download bar sat frozen at 99%. Updating Euro Truck Simulator 2: 1.35 -> 1.36.
It was November 2021. Outside his real window, the world was still quiet, locked down and sluggish. But inside the cab, Thomas was a king of the road. Or at least, he had been. Version 1.35 was his domain. He knew every pixel of the map, every speed trap near Calais, every tricky intersection in the heart of Paris. It was safe. It was known.
"Verifying integrity," the Steam notification blinked.
Thomas took a sip of cold coffee. The jump from 1.35 to 1.36 was rumored to be a subtle one. No massive map expansions like the Balkans, no physics-defying overhauls. It was an optimization patch. A "under-the-hood" job. SCS Software called it a preparation for the future. To Thomas, it sounded like repainting a house while the foundation was settling.
The screen flickered. The launcher closed. The executable re-opened.
Deploying update.
The intro video played—the familiar riffs of country rock as trucks wound through sun-drenched highways. But when the main menu loaded, Thomas squinted. Something felt different immediately. The font on the "Continue Game" button looked sharper. The lighting in the garage scene seemed to have more depth, shadows pooling realistically under the chassis.
He clicked Drive.
The world loaded. He was parked at a rest stop just outside of Köln, Germany. It was dusk. In 1.35, dusk was a gradient of orange and purple slapped onto a skybox. But as Thomas pushed the gearstick into first and released the clutch, he noticed the sun. It wasn't just a bright circle anymore; it was a blinding, hazy orb sinking behind the treeline, casting long, bleeding beams through the cab. The 'God Rays' feature had been tweaked.
He rolled onto the Autobahn, the rain beginning to patter against the glass.
In 1.35, the AI traffic had a habit of being polite to a fault. They would brake for you, they would yield, they were predictable robots. But as Thomas merged, a blue sedan aggressively cut him off, forcing him to tap the brakes.
"Hey!" Thomas shouted at the monitor, though a smile tugged at his lip. The AI behavior had been tweaked. They were less predictable. More human. More chaotic.
He settled into fifth gear, the cruise control locking at 90 km/h. This was the grind. The job was a simple one: 20 tons of automotive parts to a factory in Lille.
But then, he crossed the border into Belgium, and the true purpose of the 1.36 patch revealed itself.
He approached a roundabout near Liège. In version 1.35, this intersection had been a jagged, polygonal mess. The road textures were flat, the curbs were sharp right angles that looked like they belonged in a game from 2005. ets2 135 to 136 patch 2021
Thomas slowed down, expecting the usual graphical stutter as the map chunk loaded.
It didn't happen.
The truck rolled smoothly over the asphalt. He looked down at the road surface. It wasn't flat anymore. There was a subtle, perceptible undulation to the tarmac. The bumps weren't just visual; the suspension reacted. The cabin shook, the keys dangling from the ignition swayed.
"Map polygon density increase," Thomas whispered, remembering the patch notes he’d skimmed.
The curbs were rounded. The grass on the verge looked less like a green rug and more like patchy, uneven scrubland. SCS hadn't added new territory, but they had terraformed the old one. They had taken the world Thomas thought he knew—a digital playground of flat planes and painted shadows—and given it topography.
He pulled into a gas station near the French border to refuel. He stepped out of the cab—the walk mode was the same clunky shuffle—but he stopped to look at the ground.
In 1.35, the ground was a texture. In 1.36, the ground had volume. The gravel looked loose. The puddles from the earlier rain reflected the neon lights of the station canopy with startling clarity.
It was then that Thomas understood the philosophy of the patch. It wasn't about the destination; it was never about the destination in ETS2. It was about the fidelity of the journey.
The 1.35 world was a stage set. The 1.36 world was a place.
He drove through the night, crossing into France. The toll booths at Lille were smoother, the barriers raising with a satisfying mechanical clunk that the audio team had seemingly re-recorded. The ambient sound of the highway was no longer a looped track; it felt reactive to the terrain.
As the sun began to rise—casting a 'Golden Hour' glow that seemed to wash out the fatigue of the digital night—Thomas pulled into the delivery yard. He backed the trailer into the bay, the rear view mirrors trembling with the vibration of the engine.
Job Completed: 20 tons - Automotive Parts.
Revenue: €1,200.
XP Gained: 700.
The reward was the same. The numbers were the same. But Thomas sat there for a moment, idling, looking at the new, higher-quality textures on the warehouse wall.
He had driven this route a dozen times in 1.35. It was routine. It was work. But tonight, with the subtle shift of 1.36, the world had pushed back. It had texture. It had bumps.
Thomas saved the game. He didn't quit immediately. He opened the mod manager. He knew that tomorrow, he would likely have to update his paint jobs and his sound mods to match the new engine version. It would be a hassle. It would be work.
But as he looked at the sunrise over the reworked horizon, Thomas knew he wasn't going back to 1.35. The road had gotten harder, but it had finally become real.
He shut down the engine, the digital silence settling over the cab.
"Ready for 1.37," he said to the empty cab. He turned off the lights.
While updates 1.35 and 1.36 were technically released in 2019, their impact resonated through 2021 as they established the modern technical foundation for Euro Truck Simulator 2
. This era marked the critical transition from DirectX 9 to DirectX 11, which revolutionized the game's visuals and performance. Update 1.35: The "Quality of Life" Foundation
Released in mid-2019, version 1.35 focused on expanding the map and refining core gameplay mechanics. Map Expansions:
Added Sardinia (Italy DLC) and new roads in France (A10-A6 and A6-N44). Release Date: Late 2019 (Public Beta from October,
Improved signage in Scandinavia and the second stage of the Germany rework. Gameplay Improvements: Introduced GPS Voice Navigation.
Enabled Online Garage Purchase and emergency refueling services.
Allowed the use of ownable trailers for External Contracts (World of Trucks). Vehicles and Trailers:
Expanded ownable trailers to include container and logging types. Added double trailers for Germany and the Netherlands. Hardware Support: Added support for Razer Chroma Go to product viewer dialog for this item. and Tobii Eye Trackers. Update 1.36: The DirectX 11 Milestone
Released in late 2019, 1.36 was a technical turning point that officially removed DirectX 9 support, forcing a move to DX11. Technical Overhaul:
Full DX11 support became mandatory, improving anti-aliasing (SMAA) and general performance.
Added Chinese and non-Latin character input (IME) for the first time. New Map Features:
Introduced Corsica as a free addition for Vive la France! DLC owners.
Added Detours, a dynamic event system that forces players to reroute due to road closures. UI and Management:
Drivers, trucks, and trailers became visible on manager maps, allowing for better fleet tracking.
Added avoidance navigation pins to the GPS, allowing players to mark specific roads to stay away from. Summary of Major Changes (1.35 vs. 1.36) Update 1.35 Update 1.36 Graphics API Experimental DX11 Full DX11 (DX9 removed) New Map Territory , Germany Rework Key Mechanic GPS Voice Navigation Detours & Avoidance Pins Fleet Management Copy truck/trailer configs Visible assets on manager map
For those still needing to transition between these versions for mod compatibility, you can manage your game version through the Steam Library under Properties > Betas. Guide :: What's new in Update 1.35 - Steam Community
* Can buy container trailers. * Can buy logging trailers. * Can buy Schwarzmüller curtain, reefer and log trailers; also traffic ( Steam Community Changelog for ETS2 Update 1.35
Moving On: Transitioning from Update 1.35 to 1.36 If you’ve been sticking with the classic 1.35 build, it might be time to look at what the 1.36 update brought to the table. While it originally dropped in late 2019, many players still revisit these specific patches when managing mod compatibility or older hardware. 35 era into the 1.36 patch. The Big Engine Swap: DirectX 11
The most significant change in 1.36 was the full transition to DirectX 11 support.
Goodbye DX9: This update officially removed support for DirectX 9.
Performance Gains: For most players, this meant smoother gameplay, better framerates (FPS), and improved long-range Level of Detail (LOD).
Visual Polish: The move allowed for better anti-aliasing (SMAA) and improved rendering of fine details like electrical wires. New Territory: Corsica
For those who own the Vive la France! DLC, 1.36 added the island of as a free map expansion.
You can reach the island by ferry from Marseille (France) or Sassari (Sardinia).
It features tight, winding Mediterranean roads that provide a fresh challenge compared to the mainland highways. Gameplay Features: Detours and Navigation
Building on features first tested in American Truck Simulator, 1.36 introduced Detours to the European roads. However , for low-end laptops (Intel HD 4000),
Unpredictability: You might encounter sudden road closures or police waving you off the highway, forcing you to find a new route.
Avoidance Pins: To help you manage your GPS better, you can now place "Avoidance Pins" to tell your navigation system exactly which roads you want to steer clear of.
Manager Map Updates: You can now see your hired drivers, trucks, and trailers directly on the manager map. Patch Notes Summary
If you're looking for the quick list of changes, here are the highlights from the SCS Software Blog and Steam Community announcements: Map: Added (Vive la France! DLC requirement). Vehicles: Added new AI vehicles to the traffic pool.
Features: Detours, GPS Avoidance Pins, and Driver/Truck visibility on maps.
Technical: Full DX11 support (DX9 removed), Chinese and non-Latin character input (IME), and improved Tobii eye-tracking support. ETS2: Update 1.36 - The Truck Simulator Wiki
Summary. Update 1.36 for Euro Truck Simulator 2 brings DX11 support, new AI vehicles, detours and more additions. trucksimulator.wiki.gg
The transition from version 1.35 to 1.36 in Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) represented a significant technological leap for the game. While these updates originally debuted in late 2019, many players sought to patch their games to these specific versions in 2021 to maintain compatibility with specific mods like ProMods 2.45 or to run on older hardware. Major Technical Shift: The End of DirectX 9
The most critical change in the 1.36 update was the full transition to DirectX 11.
DirectX 9 Removal: SCS Software officially dropped support for DirectX 9, meaning the game no longer runs on systems that do not support DX11.
Performance Gains: For compatible hardware, this shift provided smoother gameplay, increased FPS, and improved long-range Level of Detail (LOD).
Visual Enhancements: The update introduced SMAA anti-aliasing and better rendering for fine details like electrical wires. Key Gameplay Features
The 1.36 patch introduced several mechanics that are now staples of the modern ETS2 experience:
Detours: Originally tested in American Truck Simulator, detours added unpredictability to routes, forcing players to improvise when roads were closed.
Avoidance Navigation Pins: Players gained the ability to set "avoidance pins" on the GPS to skip specific areas or roads during route planning.
Manager Map Visibility: For the first time, your hired drivers, trucks, and trailers became visible as icons on the manager map.
New Map Content: The beautiful island of Corsica was added as a free update for owners of the Vive la France! DLC. How to Patch from 1.35 to 1.36 (2021 Method)
If you were using Steam in 2021 to roll back or update to this specific version, the process followed these steps:
Open your Steam Library and right-click on Euro Truck Simulator 2. Select Properties, then navigate to the Betas tab.
From the dropdown menu, select temporary_1_36 - 1.36.x for incompatible mods.
Steam will automatically download the necessary files to move your game from 1.35 to the 1.36 branch. Comparison Table: 1.35 vs. 1.36 Update 1.35 (June 2019) Update 1.36 (Dec 2019) Graphics API Experimental DX11 / DX9 Support Full DX11 / DX9 Removed Major Map Addition Sardinia (Italia DLC) Corsica (France DLC) New Gameplay GPS Voice Navigation Detours & Avoidance Pins Vehicle Content Renault T Truck New AI Vehicles
Note for Mod Users: Save files created or loaded in version 1.36 are not backwards compatible with 1.35. Always back up your profile folder in Documents/Euro Truck Simulator 2 before switching versions to avoid losing progress. ETS2: Update 1.36 - The Truck Simulator Wiki
