(MST/Speedmaniacs.de) – Less than a week after the announcement of the big summer update 2026 for RaceRoom, KW Studios released the new version 0.9.8.03 on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
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In addition to the new game content, the revision of two race tracks – detailed information further below – and the usual improvements, revisions, and bug fixes, there are also other directly visible innovations for sim racers.
Alongside the 7.2 GB update, the DTM 2026 Car Pack was also released, which is offered for 29.99 EUR in the RaceRoom store and contains the current vehicle designs of the DTM season 2026 as well as the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, BMW M4 GT3 Evo, Ford Mustang GT3 Evo, Lamborghini Temerario GT3, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, Mercedes-AMG GT3, and Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo. The Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, Ford Mustang GT3 Evo, Lamborghini Temerario GT3, and Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo are new and drivable for the first time in the PC racing simulation.
New customizable HUD
This includes the new HUD, which is now in use and was originally planned to be introduced later together with the new rendering engine.
However, the developers found a way to make the HUD developed internally under the project name COSMO, which replaces the Flash-based system used since 2013 based on Scaleform, usable with RaceRoom’s currently used DirectX 9 codebase.
As a result, the first version of the new head-up display is now in use, containing a wide selection of new widgets. In the new HUD, each element can be moved, its size adjusted, and elements individually activated and deactivated.
Dedicated server optimizations enable larger starting grids
“Our focus is now on completing the COSMO integration and gradually converting the existing displays in RaceRoom vehicles. We already have experimental conversion tools that could help speed up this process. Once the conversion is complete, future displays can be developed directly in COSMO.”
With the new version come dedicated server optimizations that lift the previous limitation of approximately 38 participants in starting grids. From a technical perspective, there is a change in the update rate. Previously, the position of each vehicle was sent to every player at the full update rate, regardless of where the cars were on the race track. From now on, the server determines which cars are relevant for the respective player.
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Specifically, this means that cars within a radius of 150 meters continue to be updated at the full update rate. For more distant cars, for example on the opposite side of the race track, the update rate drops to about 25 percent of the full rate. These cars cannot be seen directly, and the game client can seamlessly fill the gaps between the less frequent updates.
Nürburgring Nordschleife: What has been improved in detail
The reduction of position data sent by the server is significant according to the developer studio. They determined about 43 percent less data traffic with 20 cars and about 60 percent less data traffic with 40 cars. With 99 cars, there would be a theoretical reduction of about 68 percent in data traffic.
With the update, the Nürburgring Nordschleife appears even closer to the original. The developers made a whole series of adjustments. The tourist parking lot was comprehensively modernized with new signs, entrance and exit barriers. New buildings and charging stations for electric vehicles were constructed. A new exit road was created in front of the entrance to the tourist parking lot. The racing line through the Hohenrain chicane was moved closer to the guardrail. Higher entry and exit curbs were installed in Hatzenbach. Additional grass was laid at the Piff-Paff, Exmühle, Eiskurve, and Kleines Karussell locations.
The green carpets were removed from the Grand Prix track and Hohe Acht, with the guardrail at Hohe Acht also moved closer to the track. New banners were added in Breidscheid, along with the previously missing orange wall marking. The curb at Brünnchen is now modeled in 3D with a height of three centimeters. Previously, it was flat.
Monza also slightly modernized
A re-profiling of the Pflanzgarten-2 uphill section was carried out. New asphalt and track markings were added in numerous places. Charging stations for electric vehicles were installed at Terminal T13. Various other details and surrounding areas were updated.
Monza also received a new look. After the Italian race track had already been adapted in RaceRoom following resurfacing and a general overhaul, the course now shows typical features for regular racing operation such as rubber deposits, dirt particles, and fading color markings.
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The changelog for V0.9.8.03 and the trailer for the DTM 2026 Car Pack can be viewed directly via the link. In addition, there are a number of new RaceRoom screenshots.
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