The Euro Truck Simulator 2 SCS Software 1.56 open beta is live on Steam, offering visual upgrades, UI changes, and several DLC updates for testing. If you try the experimental branch, expect rough edges – the developer asks players to report bugs on the official forum to help polish the final release.
What’s new in the 1.56 open beta
There’s a lot tucked into this test build, from a new terrain blending method to multiple DLC refreshes and quality-of-life tweaks. I’ll walk through the highlights you’ll probably notice first, then cover the heavier stuff that actually makes hauling feel different. Think you can handle 90 tonnes?
Height Blend
A new Height Blend effect smooths the transitions between terrain types so grass, rock, and dirt mix based on a height map. The change reduces the reliance on decals and cleans up many harsh edges on slopes. SCS reports over 1,300 materials were converted and checked to fit the new system.
HS-Schoch Tuning Pack DLC update
The HS-Schoch Tuning Pack on Steam gets a refresh: paintable accessories (including matte options), chrome finishes, new grilles, LED and non-LED roof bars, strobe options for front light bars, and updated bottom grille choices. The update also adds bars for trucks introduced after the DLC’s original release. There’s a dedicated developer blog covering the details.
Special Transport DLC – CZ LOKO
New CZ LOKO cargoes come to the base game and the Special Transport DLC. The base game gains the MUV 75 (over 14 tonnes) and the EffiShunter 300 (36 tonnes). The Special Transport DLC adds the EffiShunter 1000, a colossal load hauled on a lowbed trailer.
The EffiShunter 1000 package reaches roughly 5.3 metres high, 16 metres long, and 3.1 metres wide. The locomotive itself weighs 80 tonnes, plus about 10 tonnes for the trailer, so expect roughly 90 tonnes behind your truck. Deliveries run along three routes: Berlin to Szczecin, Kassel to Hamburg, and Bremen to Travemünde, each with two escort vehicles to help keep traffic clear.
Schmitz Cargobull Trailer Pack
The Schmitz Cargobull pack expands trailer types with an S.CS High Capacity Transport (HCT) setup – two trailers plus a dolly for a 32m arrangement – and a new S.KO City chassis with a steering axle for tighter manoeuvres. New lighting options for multiple trailer families add brand-specific details.
Schmitz Cargobull Trailer Pack on Steam
UI and accessibility
Small but welcome: the interior camera zoom can now be set to hold or toggle via Options – Gameplay and Options – Accessibility. There’s also a redesigned DLC Browser with better categorisation and a denser grid, plus a refreshed profile creation and startup flow that includes a Truck Preference preview screen and cleaner profile cards.
Company and management screens have been reworked too – a new subscreen shows company name and logo, a seven-day profit graph, an economy summary pop-up, and a relocation checkbox that lets you move a driver and their truck into the same garage slot in one step. Some of these features are still work-in-progress.
Changelog
Changelog
Gameplay
- Camera Zoom – Hold/Toggle
Vehicles
- HS-Schoch Tuning Pack DLC Update
- Special Transport DLC Update – CZ LOKO
- Schmitz Cargobull Trailer Pack DLC Update
Visual
- Height Blend
UI
- New Profile Creation and Start-up Flow
- Management UI/UX Improvements
Other
- DLC Browser
How to join the open beta
If you want to play the test build, opt into the Experimental Beta branch on Steam: Steam client -> LIBRARY -> right-click on Euro Truck Simulator 2 -> Properties -> Betas tab -> Beta Participation drop down menu -> public_beta. You may need to restart Steam to see the branch.
Report bugs in the forum’s dedicated beta section so the team can track and fix issues: the official SCS forum beta section. If you prefer reading, the developer has separate blog posts on the HS-Schoch, CZ LOKO, and Schmitz updates linked above.
Enjoy the beta if you jump in, and don’t be surprised if things crash or act odd – that’s what betas are for. Oh, and keep your save backed up if you have a long career ahead.
Talk trucks, mods, and beta notes on X and Bluesky with the ConsolePCGaming crew today.
