SubwaySim 2: Update 10 launches on August 13 – but there are no new routes or trains!

Update 10 for SubwaySim 2 will launch on Thursday, August 13, 2026. Until then, the development team is using the remaining time for final testing and further polishing. According to the official announcement on Steam, it is one of the largest free updates released for the subway simulation so far. New routes, lines or vehicles are not part of the announced package, however.

This is an important distinction. The description major update can quickly create the impression that we will soon be able to drive through new parts of Berlin or Hamburg. Update 10 is not a route DLC or a vehicle pack, however. It improves, expands and repairs the existing content. The next route for SubwaySim 2 is set to be located in Berlin again, but Simuverse has not yet revealed which line it will cover or announced that expansion as part of Update 10.

The current testing phase is particularly important for this reason. Update 10 changes numerous technical and gameplay systems at the same time. Problematic or incompatible .pak files should be detected during startup in future. The game will report affected mods and automatically skip them instead of potentially crashing immediately because of them. Further stability improvements and optimized performance are also included, with the Berlin map expected to benefit in particular. Random crashes in Berlin are also set to be fixed on consoles. The brightness and contrast of the lighting have been adjusted as well.

The automatic detection of incompatible mods could prevent plenty of frustration during everyday use. After engine changes or major updates, individual outdated files can be enough to cause startup problems. Update 10 cannot prevent mods from becoming technically outdated. It should, however, identify which files are causing trouble more effectively and then start the main game without them. Whether the detection works reliably with every unusual combination of mods will only become clear after release.

Passengers should also appear less static. They will occasionally run towards an arriving train or move faster depending on the situation. This is not a completely new passenger system, but platforms and station activity could feel slightly more alive. Players who prefer especially busy stations can also increase the number of AI pedestrians significantly. Simuverse explicitly warns, however, that a high number of people may affect performance.

At the same time, AI traffic can be adjusted in the opposite direction. AI trains can be disabled completely after Update 10. This could be particularly useful for weaker systems, free exploration or specific testing. The HUD is also becoming modular: individual elements can be configured according to personal preference instead of using a largely fixed interface. The reworked gameplay menu is intended to present the growing number of options more clearly.

In Timetable Mode, the preparation time before departure can be set between one and five minutes. Spawn time is also being increased in Career Mode so that a service does not begin with an almost unavoidable delay. The previous fade-out and fade-in transitions will also be removed from seamless timetable transitions. Tasks can largely be disabled, although essential instructions such as stopping at a particular platform will remain.

One of the most noticeable audible changes affects every vehicle. All trains will receive sounds when crossing switches. Functional door-close buttons are being added to the entire vehicle fleet, and brake squeal should now also be audible on the player-controlled train. Incorrect door status displays are being corrected as well. These are not new trains, but switch sounds and brake noises accompany us during almost every journey and could therefore be more noticeable than some larger individual changes.

In Berlin, one major focus is the HK class. Its sound set and driving and braking behaviour are being adjusted, the MMS displays are being reworked and the AFB buttons receive separate sounds for being pressed and released. The HK prototypes are getting their own door and departure sounds. A neutral-position requirement is also being added when movement authority is granted only after a movement command has already been issued.

The A3L92 and GI/1E are receiving sound adjustments as well. The A3L92 door buttons will illuminate while driving when door preselection is active. On consoles, the GI/1E will also be able to appear as an AI train. Minor radio improvements and a fix for the previously impossible-to-complete After the Storm scenario complete the Berlin changes.

In Hamburg, the Cleaning Up the Depot scenario is being repaired. Simuverse has also reviewed and reworked all speed-monitoring systems, known as GÜs. Incorrect activations are intended to disappear as a result. The DT5 once again supports the key event for overriding the train stop system. Both the DT5 and the AL1 battery locomotive also receive new stereo sounds.

On consoles, a dedicated crash log menu is being added to the system settings. It is intended to provide the development team with better information about crashes and make troubleshooting easier. It will not automatically prevent a crash, but it may help document causes more clearly and prepare future fixes more effectively.

Update 10 therefore brings neither a new route nor a new train. It really is only an update, but one that affects almost every area of the existing game. That is precisely why it matters: instead of placing the next expansion on top of a foundation that still has problems, many familiar weaknesses, missing sounds and inconvenient processes are being reworked.

The decisive question on August 13 will therefore not be how many new kilometres we can drive. What matters is whether Berlin runs more smoothly, Hamburg's GÜs react reliably, mods no longer cause crashes and the numerous small changes genuinely produce a better simulation when combined. The final tests are intended to ensure exactly that. Whether Update 10 fulfils this promise during normal gameplay will only become clear once we can all drive through Berlin and Hamburg ourselves.

Did you initially expect Update 10 to include a new route? Does it bother you that no new trains are included? Is a major quality update currently more important to you than new content?