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Solar Club Letter: January 2026

[p]It’s time we improved the communication and transparency in our letters by discussing more bug reports, more developer quotes, and letting you know what we’re working on in detail! [/p][p][/p][p]Season 5 introduces a one time 5 month length Season as we wanted time to improve the game with various game performance stabilisation improvements, bug fixes on the current Season 5 features, and more. Update 1 was the first result of this, as we tackled many fixes on Poker, map issues, and more from community reports, and we aren’t stopping there. In this letter, we’ll discuss the details of Update 2, Season 6, and give you some transparency on what we are working on. Let’s get into it![/p][p][/p][h3]What’s In the Letter?[/h3]
  • [p]Season 5 Update 2[/p]
    • [p]Release Date[/p]
    • [p]Bug Fixes & Improvements[/p]
    • [p]Stabilisation, Performance & Optimisation[/p]
  • [p]Season 6 Details[/p]
    • [p]Confirmed Features So Far[/p]
  • [p]What Are We Working On?[/p]
    • [p]Network Improvements[/p]
    • [p]Visual Steering Animation Improvements[/p]
    • [p]Steering Wheel Input Fixes[/p]
    • [p]Vehicle Fixes[/p]
    • [p]Sound Fixes[/p]
    • [p]Quality Assurance[/p]
    • [p]Solar Testers[/p]
  • [p]Community Spotlight Winners - January[/p]
    • [p]Winners[/p]
    • [p]How To Submit (New Challenges)[/p]
    • [p]January Theme[/p]
  • [p]Next Communications[/p]
    • [p]News From the Pits[/p]
    • [p]February Solar Club Letter[/p][p] [/p]
[h2]⏭️ Season 5 Update 2 Details[/h2][p]The next Season 5 update is bringing more bug fixes and improvements to TDUSC, here’s everything to learn about the update so far.[/p][p][/p][h3]Release Date[/h3][p]The update is planned to release within the first half of February. As usual, we’ll be communicating the exact release date of this update within the first week of February. [/p][p][/p][p]As for the maintenance, it will be mentioned in the Patch Notes, which will arrive a day or two before the release of the update, but expect the usual server maintenance at 9:30am CET and the maintenance will last up to 6:00pm CET. We will keep you updated on our progress during the day too, which we’ve trialed with our last update release, and the community seemed to love it![/p][p] [/p][p]Make sure to stay tuned for all the details on Update 2 by following us on social media![/p][p] [/p][h3]Bug Fixes & Improvements[/h3][p]Similar to Update 1 we’ve done a lot of work on the bugs reported by the community, and we aren’t stopping that with Update 2. You’ll find bug fixes and improvements arriving in the update, from vehicle reports, to graphical issues, Taxi mission issues, Poker, crashes, networking, and so much more! For now, here are some ones we’d like to point out:[/p]
  • [p]Fixed and improved the Alyss Hot Head and other event call outs - Alyss wasn’t working properly when you heard her tell you that there is a new event happening. Now, a proper notification window will appear, by selecting the appreciate button, your map will open and highlight the event on the map![/p][p][/p]
  • [p]Fixed traffic lights not working in Causeway Bay - There were some permanent yellow lights located on both Hong Kong Island and Ibiza. We unfortunately only branched the Hong Kong Island traffic light fixes for Season 5’s Update 2, but you can expect the lights on Ibiza to be fixed for Season 6![/p][p][/p]
  • [p]Bugatti Chiron active aero improved wing animation - We’ve fixed the Bugatti Chiron’s wing animation. They'll now be configured in the Chiron’s Autobahn mode (so the wing no longer rises at 50kmph). Thanks to our vehicle artist KT Theo for this![/p][p][/p]
  • [p]Lamborghini Miura headlight animation - This is a big one we’ve seen reported from the community a lot, and we’ve fixed this for Update 2. The Miura will now have the correct animation for turning the headlights on and off. For those who didn’t know, bet you didn’t know this is a feature the car has in real life did you? Thanks KT Alexandre for the improvement![/p][p][/p]
  • [p]It is impossible to have multiple inputs in use - A LARGE improvement for those who use wheels, rejoice! You can now have multiple inputs in use, which means you can have keyboard bindings for vehicle features, and use them at the same time as your wheel is in use. This implementation will also be improved further in Season 6. Thanks to KT Lenny for fixing this![/p][p][/p]
  • [p]Fixed players gaining an unfair time advantage through alt-tab while in-game - This was a report from a member in the community, which thank you for your very detailed report. We’ve been able to fix this in the patch, and thanks to KT Ulrich for working on this fix![/p][p][/p]
[p]We will share more fixes on the release of the patch notes, but as we wanted to prioritise stabilisation and performance on this build, you will find a lot more bug fixes from all areas of the game day one, on Season 6! Further in this letter, you'll find more details on this![/p][p][/p][h3]Stabilisation, Performance & Optimisation[/h3][p]Another focus of this update is the stabilisation, performance & optimisation. For the launch of Season 5, our KT Engine has gone under enhancements and improvements, many of which will help us achieve the next step in a larger optimisation tactic. With this engine change, we also have a dedicated team working on improving the performance and optimisation of the game, and this update is the first solution to the improvements of the game.[/p][p] [/p][p]Here’s some information from Niels (TDUSC Producer) about the upcoming update, and what it means for players on both PC and console.[/p][p] [/p][p]“I think the community knows this by now, and we've said it many times; optimization is our top priority. But I now hope that they're starting to feel it while playing! This update is no exception: it's another step towards the experience we want to offer our players. Specifically, after this update, console players should see a significant improvement in dynamic resolution. For those who don't know, when the frame rate drops, the game can gradually reduce the resolution to maintain a stable frame rate. This is called dynamic resolution, a key feature in modern racing games. Thanks to our latest improvements, the overall resolution should now be higher resulting in a sharper render.”[/p]
  • [p]Niels (TDUSC Producer)[/p][p] [/p]
[h2]🔜 Season 6 Details[/h2][p]What’s after Season 5? Season 6, the next content update for TDUSC. This will show our continued improvements on QA and bug fixing, and many new quality of life requests and improvements, so let’s talk about it![/p][p] [/p][h3]Confirmed Features & Content So Far[/h3][p]There’s a lot of things to discuss when it comes to Season 6, and we won’t want to reveal it all, but let’s give you some details on what some upcoming features are:[/p]
  • [p]Detective Missions - Voted by the players from our Year 2 Developer Diary, this feature from which had its first sighting in TDU2 has been enhanced to offer the players a much more in depth experience, especially with the different lore of each mission! You’ll learn more about this early March![/p][p][/p]
  • [p]New Vehicles![/p]
    • [p]Pagani Huayra Roadster (Dealership)[/p]
    • [p]Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series (Online Store)[/p]
    • [p]Bentley Continental GTC Speed Edition 12 (Online Store)[/p]
    • [p]Lamborghini Temerario (Solar Pass)[/p]
    • [p]& more to be revealed![/p]
    [p][/p]
  • [p]& much more to share soon![/p][p][/p]
[h2]🏗️ What Are We Working On?[/h2][p]Of course, there are many other improvements we are working on for TDUSC, so let’s cover some important topics that have been brought up by the players over the course of TDUSC’s life so far.[/p][p][/p][h3]Network Improvements[/h3][p]TDUSC’s networking has improved since launch, but there’s still room for improvement! That said, here are some things the network team is working on for TDUSC.[/p]
  • [p]Instancing improvements[/p]
  • [p]8-Player Groups[/p]
  • [p]Official Racing Center[/p]
  • [p]Housing[/p]
  • [p]& more![/p]
[p]Here’s some words from the network team regarding their work and next improvements on TDUSC![/p][p][/p][p]“TDUSC being an online game, we’re part of every new feature that has been announced because we need to add those new features server-side, and make sure that our infrastructure can handle them. However, we don’t stop there, we really want to make sure that players have the greatest experience together! So we decided to split our efforts in half for the next year, and make sure that we completely rework our server-side applications and the netcode of our game. Even the hardware infrastructure of our servers will change because we will upgrade every one of our servers, and rearchitecture the network topology of our components to ensure there will be less latency between players. We have to ensure first that your saves or current experience are not at risk, so those server optimization and stabilization changes will take time, but it’s really something that is important for us, because it’s important for you.”[/p]
  • [p] Sylvain (TDUSC Lead Online Programmer)[/p][p][/p]
[h3]Visual Steering Animation Improvements[/h3][p]In TDUSC’s first year of seasonal updates, Season 2 brought 900 degree steering animation! This was a big effort from the dev team, but it wasn’t perfect. One of the main issues that players reference with this feature is the steering animation is delayed on the controller. [/p][p][/p][p]We are working on improving this visual effect, however this new steering is still in beta, and it requires continued testing and improvement on our development branch. We hope to have more details on this in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to the Solar Club Letters for more details![/p][p][/p][h3]Steering Wheel Input Fixes[/h3][p]We can’t leave these people behind! TDU is about immersion, and one thing TDUSC has done well with is the physics of the vehicle and how the vehicles feel on wheel. There’s some issues that we have to work on though, so let’s discuss some solutions we have for some wheels, and some fixes we are working on with other vehicles![/p][p][/p][p]Is my old PC, PS3, or Xbox One racing wheel model compatible with TDUSC?[/p][p]Some older Logitech, Thrustmaster, or Fanatec models are no longer supported by the SDK provided to us each year by the technical support teams of racing wheel manufacturers. If you encounter problems with models dating back to the PS3-Xbox One era or earlier, please use the following solution: [/p]
  • [p]Go to UserSettings.cfg located in C:\\Users\\YourUserName\\Documents\\My Games\\Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown and set Engine.Input.EnableNaconSDK = true; to false. [/p]
[p]This will allow your machine to enable DirectInput, the standardized API that will ensure the most basic controls of your steering wheel work.[/p][p]Example: the Logitech G27 is no longer supported by the Logitech SDK and now uses the DirectInput system for basic commands, but you can continue to use Logitech G Hub to configure your settings.[/p][p][/p][p]If you have any questions, please reach out to our support team about this! There are also other issues we are working on for TDUSC and wheel support. Below are some key issues brought up by the community and should be addressed in the next patch.[/p]
  • [p]Moza Wheel - Wheel Rotation : Inconsistent input mapping, animation inconsistency, rotation not reflecting in-game inputs and/or unresponsive configuration [/p]
  • [p]Logitech G923 - No input detection, game crash on reconnect – Force Feedback and softlock Non-Functional on PC[/p]
  • [p]Logitech G920 - FPS drop on PC[/p]
[p]When we have more details on these issues, we’ll let you know! For further details, here’s the developers at KT working on the improvements and fixes on wheels and inputs for TDUSC.[/p][p] [/p][p]“There are more than 70 models of steering wheels in Kylotonn's wheel library, as well as pedals, shifters, and add-ons. We regularly acquire new models from manufacturers, and often there are bugs that I can only resolve by reproducing them directly with the corresponding steering wheel model. Fun fact: since I work remotely, I store a certain number of steering wheels at home—my apartment has basically become an extension of Kylotonn.”[/p]
  • [p] Lenny (TDUSC Input Programmer) [/p]
[p]“Among players who use a racing wheel on TDUSC, Fanatec, Logitech, and Thrustmaster account for more than 70% of our players, or even 80% if we add Moza. The Logitech G29 alone accounts for 25%. Unsurprisingly, most of my discussions about organizing tests or compatibility reports focus on these four manufacturers, but it's always a pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to other companies. I find the steering wheel manufacturing ecosystem fascinating and full of creativity! People don't realize how much care goes into it. “[/p]
  • [p] Marie (TDUSC Technical Producer)[/p][p][/p]
[h3]Vehicle Fixes[/h3][p]Test Drive Unlimited is about the lifestyle of vehicles, and we know vehicle immersion and accuracy are important to TDU fans because of this. With that, we’ve focussed a lot of attention on looking back at our vehicles and correcting them. Below are just some of the many improvements our vehicle artists and vehicle dynamics developers are working on![/p]
  • [p]Ferrari California incorrect gearbox[/p]
  • [p]Chevrolet Camaro incorrect rim depth[/p]
  • [p]AC Cobra incorrect rim size[/p]
  • [p]Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 'Swan Doors'[/p]
  • [p]Ford GT dashboard RPM not in sync [/p]
  • [p]Lamborghini Diablo VT incorrect final drive ratio[/p]
  • [p]Dashboards are hard to see[/p]
  • [p]Ferrari 488 Pista indicator/reverse light[/p]
  • [p]& more![/p]
[p]Here are some words from our TDUSC vehicle dynamics designer![/p][p] [/p][p]“We are currently working on several improvements ranging from rebalancing upgrades and camera angles to refining rim sizes and wheel proportions. These are long and tedious tasks but it's fun and rewarding.[/p][p]I hope you'll be able to see those changes soon and enjoy them as much as we enjoy working on them. I really want to thank you for all the feedback ! Most of them really help us to get a better car experience.”[/p]
  • [p] Cloe (TDUSC Game Designer (Vehicle Dynamics))[/p][p][/p]
[h3]Sound Fixes[/h3][p]Sounds are what make or break a racing game, and we’ve been proud of the success we’ve had with vehicle sounds, ambiance, and much more in TDUSC so far! That said, there is still room for improvement, and we’ve already made some great strides on fixes. Below, is what you can find fixed and improved day one of Season 6 and after:[/p][p] [/p][p]Season 6+[/p]
  • [p]Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Sound On Throttle Below 3k RPM Is Silent[/p]
  • [p]The ambient sound effect continues to play when the player enters the 'Street' and 'Sharp' clan stores on the Ibiza Island[/p]
  • [p]Music volume increases abruptly when interacting with the 'View Information' prompt in any dealership[/p]
  • [p]The horn preview audio fails to play inside the Casino Cosmetics Store[/p]
  • [p]Radio audio fails to automatically reduce volume during NPC passenger dialogue during all Taxi Contracts[/p]
  • [p]The task completion SFX plays in the race lobby if a task gets completed after the race and the player restarts the race from the race completion screen[/p]
  • [p]The Button click sound effect plays in the background when the player presses any button during any cutscene[/p]
  • [p]Fixed BMW M4 Competition backfire[/p]
  • [p]Fixed LaFerrari sound issue[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Casino RTC intro music not playing[/p]
  • [p]Evija, Battista and Taycan Are Missing Sounds From Other Players/AI In Freeroam/Events[/p]
  • [p]Car Sounds For Other Players Are Incorrect[/p]
  • [p]McLaren MP4-12C Incorrect Sound[/p]
  • [p]Sound Balancing (AI audio levels, muffled sounds in cockpit, etc)[/p]
  • [p]While using an H-Shifter, the vehicle incorrectly produces a 'rev match' dynamic/sound when the gear select is in neutral too quickly (with auto-clutch off)[/p]
  • [p]& more![/p]
[p]For more details, here’s what TDUSC’s lead sound designer has to say![/p][p][/p][p]“The Audio team is deeply committed to delivering the most immersive sound experience possible in TDUSC. We are truly grateful for the positive feedback we’ve received so far from the community, and we pay close attention to all your comments and suggestions.[/p][p][/p][p]TDUSC is a living ecosystem designed to evolve season after season. We are working on polishing some existing cars — including a global update to backfire volume and a more precise adjustment to the acceleration sound of the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. You will also gradually notice a refresh of the UI sound effects, aimed for a more contemporary and less futuristic sound identity.”[/p]
  • [p]Willmyth (TDUSC Lead Sound Designer)[/p][p][/p]
[h3]Quality Assurance[/h3][p]Season 5’s launch was not the best seasonal launch for TDUSC, and it’s something we know we have to work on. This year, we are making large improvements to this area of TDUSC. A new QA team is working with KT and Nacon to help improve the seasonal releases and updates of the game. To talk about this more, here’s the head of Nacon Racing. [/p][p][/p][p]“To deliver the highest level of polish for TDUSC, we have enhanced our QA strategy by bringing another partner on board as of January 2026. Their expertise will help us refine our seasonal releases and the new features planned for this year. Already, Season 5’s Update 2 is bringing a lot more community bug fixes, especially Season 6, and the TDU community will find the next seasonal releases to be improved as we continue to enhance our QA workflow.[/p][p]We are excited for the road ahead with KT Racing and TDUSC.”[/p]
  • [p]Sebastien (Head of Nacon Racing)[/p][p][/p]
[h3]Solar Testers[/h3][p]We’ve seen this request a lot and the community is important to us. With that, we want to let you know we are working on a small project called Solar Testers, run by the community manager, Alex VII. The program is planned to further improve the polish and quality of the game, and even test upcoming features before the season starts to make sure our playerbase has the best experience possible when it launches. To discuss this in more here’s what the community manager has to say:[/p][p] [/p][p]“As today marks my 1 year at Nacon and KT, it brings me joy to be able to bring this new program to core TDU community members to help increase our seasonal release polish and quality assurance! Starting soon, we will be selecting members from the community to join the program and help with the testing of the Season 6 vehicles and features. Of course, there will be a strict NDA with this program.[/p][p][/p][p]I’ll have more details on this program in the following Solar Club Letter, however, the selection process will not be done via application. Good luck to those selected, but I’m sure you know who you are! [/p][p][/p][p]Lastly, a huge thank you to thank KT and Nacon for working with me to get this program started!”[/p]
  • [p]Alex (Nacon Racing Community & Content Manager)[/p]
[p][/p][h2]🖼️ Community Spotlight Winners - January[/h2][p]Yup! It’s time to announce the winners for the month of January![/p][p][/p][h3]Winners[/h3][p]There have been some amazing pictures sent in for this month's Community Spotlight, but here are the top 3 voted photos for the month of January![/p][p][/p]
  1. [p]Discord member babaaurun wins this month's Community Spotlight with the Porsche 918 Spyder! You have won the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and 300 Diamonds![/p][p][/p]
  2. [p]Congrats to Discord member Rei for their well placed photo in the market of Hong Kong Island! You’ve won 5,000,000 Solar Coins and 200 Diamonds![/p][p][/p]
  3. [p]Congrats to Flaw for their beautiful LaFerrari image! You’ve won 2,500,000 Solar Coins and 100 diamonds![/p][p][/p]
[p]Congrats again to the winners![/p][p][/p][h3]How To Enter (New Challenges)[/h3][p]First, join our Discord which can be found at Discord.gg/TestDrive. Once you join our Discord, you’ll see a channel called ‘tdusc-photos’. Here, you can send the best pictures you've taken in TDUSC, but make sure to put %communityspotlight1 in your message post! You aren't limited to cars, either. Feel free to send pictures of your liveries, cars, sceneries, garage, etc. The developers will vote for the best photos to be featured in-game and win some prizes![/p][p][/p][p]Here are the rules:[/p]
  • [p]Each month there will be a theme![/p]
  • [p]Pictures must be high quality and not edited outside of the game or taken with tools that are not native to TDUSC's in-game photo mode[/p]
  • [p]Only 1 picture is allowed in a post[/p]
  • [p]You are only allowed one post per month with the hashtag; however, you can delete your post and make a new one to replace it.[/p]
  • [p]3 photos will be selected by the TDU team to win each month[/p]
  • [p]The best picture will be showcased in the in-game news section in TDUSC[/p]
[p]Note: Posting in this channel means you allow your picture to be used by Nacon/KT for promotional use.[/p][p][/p][h3]February Theme[/h3][p]Daily Driver At Sunset - Your photo must feature a daily driver within the sunset timeframe! Good luck![/p][p] [/p][h2]🗞️ Next Communications[/h2][p]That’s the end of this month's letter, but what can you expect next? Here’s some of the upcoming news materials arriving between now, and the launch of Season 6![/p][p] [/p][h3]News From the Pits[/h3][p]An exciting new event from Nacon Racing! Imagine Nacon Connect, but slightly smaller and only featuring our Nacon Racing games. Of course with TDUSC being one of our biggest, you can expect to hear new information about the future of TDUSC in these showcases, with the first arriving next month![/p][p][/p][h3]February Solar Club Letter[/h3][p]The Solar Club Letter for February will arrive at the end of the month, and will be giving you more details on the upcoming Season 6 launch of TDUSC including the vast amount of bug fixes from what you've seen in this letter so far! [/p][p][/p][h2]❤️ Final Message[/h2][p]The February update is filled with a lot of bug fixes and improvements, especially for those on console. The team is working hard to continue these improvements over the next updates too, and truly thank you for your support! No Pagani pictures in this letter, but maybe next time! 🙂[/p]
  • [p]The TDU Team[/p]