Bsimracing Sim Racing Resources and News for the racing enthousiast.
Motorsport Games and Studio 397 released the September Update for Le Mans Ultimate, the official game of the FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This new quality-of-life update also introduces the second paid DLC pack, containing the latest pieces of content from the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Circuit of the Americas becomes the latest track to hit the game, while the Alpine A424 and Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 complete the Hypercar grid in Le Mans Ultimate.
Quote:
Co-op Mode – Pass the Race
Our latest game mode allows you to race with friends against the AI. Complete your stint and hand over the race to a friend to continue the journey. Each person can undertake their stint at a time and AI has difficulty to suit them. Earn points throughout your race and see how high you can climb the virtual leaderboard! This is in a beta state and there me be a few issues – but your feedback will be invaluable to help us evolve this feature!
More content – the Hypercar grid is complete!
Several Hypercar liveries from Le Mans including the two one-off entry Cadillacs, the historic themed Proton Competition Porsche 963 as well as the JOTA Porsche, Mobil1 Celebration livery from COTA are ready to roll onto pit lane. All of these and all the Le Mans-specific number board options for each Hypercar will be in your virtual garage today.
Let the LMP2 battle recommence!
The hugely competitive LMP2 class featured at the 24-hour classic in June this year and the popular category is a favourite in Le Mans Ultimate. All players will now be able to drive a further 16, new official 2024 skins in offline or online race modes next week.
VR – some progress to come and try
Development is happening behind the scenes and we hope to bring more news in our next update, but for the time being, those using the hidden option – we have included a number of new updates for you to try, and your feedback with this will be vital.
Save and Load – Completing those longer challenges
We can all remember starting a race and having to pause the progress to go to sleep or to go to school! Now you will be able to save your Single Player races at the pitstop, and pick up and resume at another time. Also, while you are in the pits you can refine your settings further with the pit menu function allowing you more time to perfect the important strategy calls!
Season and Car Select – Making things simple
With more and more content being added to the game we wanted to make things a little easier. You can now select what season you want to race against. We have also replaced the car select screen with a more user-friendly experience, allowing you to select a car by year, brand, model, number, and livery.
DLC Pack 2 and Season Pass – the Battle of the Red, White and Blue
The second pack goes on sale alongside the September update. In this drop we complete the Hypercar grid with the Alpine A424 and Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 and bring you the stateside showpiece – the Circuit of the Americas or COTA to you and I. The pack is on sale at an early access price of just £9.99 / €11.99 / $12.99 or you can purchase the Season Pass for £39.99 / €46.99 / $48.99. The pass will offer a saving of almost 25% compared to purchasing all four packs individually. The two larger, more expensive LMGT3 packs will be coming next.
Regardless of whether or not you purchase any 2024 packs, you’ll be able to race against the 2024 grid in Le Mans Ultimate. Further information and content on the remaining two individual packs will be teased and revealed ahead of each release, with the drops expected in late Q4 and Q1 2025.
For those already in possession of the 2024 Season Pass – all you need to do is update the game, and your new content will be in your virtual garage and tracklist. We hope you enjoy them!
Pricing Changes – Heads up to those on the fence
The introductory price set on the launch of the game will be the lowest during the Early Access period. On the 1st of October – due to more content and features being added to the game, the base game price will rise to £28.99 / €34.99 / $37.99. Those still on the fence have a little bit of time following the latest update to purchase at the lowest price.
Release Notes:
New Features
- Added Co-op game mode
- Save and Load for Race Weekend
- Updated car select screen
- 2024 and 2023 WEC Seasons added (Note that the 2024 Season has the 2023 GTE class until LMGT3 are available)
- Car Settings Manager (saves seat positions uniquely per car)
Code
Stability
- Fixed several invalid memory accesses causing crashes
- Fixed crash that could happen when disconnecting a wheel or other peripheral device
AI
- Reworked AI logic with regard to fuel management in races to prevent them from running out of fuel
- Ensure AI drive slower at the end of the race when returning to the pits
- Fixed various AI pit lane overtaking issues
- Fixed several issues that would cause AI to behave erratically and crash into other vehicles
- AI now wait for a safe pit release
Physics
- Added soft fall-off to battery usage as it becomes empty or full to prevent large shifts in car behavior as
regeneration or propulsion stops - Fixed virtual energy estimates being displayed incorrectly when using kWh
- Reworked ABS driving aid to prevent it from outperforming human brake inputs
Graphics
- Minor adjustment to the color balance of Sky
- Minor fix for Terrain Shader pattern textures not blending
- Fixes and improved logging around managing the application of weather at session changes online, to address occasional scene over-exposure.
HUD
- Added FFB meter
- Made track map outline a bit thinner
Online
- Fixed normal server disconnects (like when leaving) being detected as erroneous/unexpected disconnects.
UI
- Fixed online menus not updating after a few hours of inactivity
- Fixed black screen after Studio 397 splash at start-up
- Fixed Multiview not working on custom resolutions
- Fixed world-flag displaying too large
- Fixed incorrect naming of some timezones
- Fixed naming of some drivers
- Added new launch video
- Improved tab navigation when in-car setup
- Fixed the Le Mans track defaulting to 1 min in Race Weekend
VR
Note: this is not a full release, we have included some incremental improvements for those users that wish to try it. You can do this by adding +VR to the launch options of the game.
- Fixed issue with MSAA not functioning in VR
- Fixed HUD so it works in VR
- Fixed UI so it works in VR
Tracks
Algarve International Circuit (Portimāo)
- Corrected name of default setup folder
- Corrected circuit detail settings for Pit Officials
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)
- Corrected name of default setup folder
- Fixed crowd/grandstand seats popping in on start finishing straight
- Fixed bump in support road on the exit of Aque Minerali
- Fixed lack of trees in rear view on the hill behind Aque Minerali
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
- Corrected name of default setup folder
- Corrected circuit detail settings for Pit Officials
- Fixed curb geometry at Curva del Serraglio
- Rebuilt barrier collisions
- Updated rolling start so P1 starts from right-hand side.
Bahrain International Circuit
- Corrected name of default setup folder
- Setup pit door sharing for the final 2 pit boxes
- Smoothed AI entry into Pit Lane from Racing line
Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans)
- Corrected name of default setup folder
- Adjusted track limits at Mulsanne chicanes
- Removed brake marker which no longer exists for Ford Chicane
Circuit of the Americas
- Initial release
- Corrected name of default setup folder
- Corrected circuit detail settings for Pit Officials
- Fixed helicopter sound for external track camera
Sebring International Raceway
- Corrected name of default setup folder
- Corrected circuit detail settings for Pit Officials
Spa Francorchamps
- Corrected name of default setup folder
Cars
General Notes
- Initial release of Alpine A424 LMDh and Isotta Franschini TIPO6-C LMH
- Added all remaining 2024 Hypercar liveries
- Added 2024 LMP2 liveries
- Added Coach Dave Academy Imola setups
- Added track-specific bop for GTE
- Fixed various issues with missing AI driver talent entries
- Optimization to rendering interior of cars from exterior views
- Reviewed tyre compounds and revised temperatures which tyres reach peak grip levels
- Reviewed Fuel Mixtures, and simplified down to a Safety Car mix and Race mix.
- Equalized FFB strength across cars, with the following approximate adjustments. Note this is a percentage change, someone previously running 50% strength on the BMW would need to run 40% to get the same output.
- BMW Hypercar +20%
- Cadillac Hypercar +20%
- Ferrari Hypercar +10%
- Glickenhaus Hypercar +34%
- Lamborghini Hypercar +20%
- Peugeot Hypercar (both) +12%
- Porsche 963 Hypercar +24%
- Toyota Hypercar +6%
- Vanwall Hypercar +32%
- Oreca LMP2 +0%
- Aston GTE +11%
- Corvette GTE +16%
- Ferrari GTE +9%
- Porsche GTE +6%
- BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh
- Reduced MaxPowerOutput[kW] at Le Mans (-3)Ferrari 499P LMHIncreased WeightPenalty[kg] at Sebring (+15), Portimao (+22), Imola (+25)Reduced MaxPowerOutput[kW] at Imola (-5)Lamborghini SC63 LMDhUpdated physics based on new data received from LamborghiniAdjusted BOP for updated physicsPeugeot 9X8 2023 LMHReduced MaxPowerOutput[kW] at Monza (-8)
- Fixed an issue with warping on fins when car is viewed from a distanceFixed an issue with a small area of the cockpit not receiving shadowsIncreased WeightPenalty[kg] at Le Mans (+3), Imola (+3)
- Increased WeightPenalty[kg] at Sebring (+13), Portimao (+30), Imola (+5)Reduced MaxPowerOutput[kW] at Imola (-5)
- Updated default setups
Official Webpages – www.studio-397.com – www.lemansultimate.com
