Anti-cheat, revised track surface physics, LiveSteward, engineer mode and more – here’s everything you need to know about Le Mans Ultimate’s Version 1.2 update, releasing 9th December 2025.
- Version 1.2 of Le Mans Ultimate launches on 9th December 2025, for free, alongside optional ELMS DLC
- Physics changes include track surface, wet time and rim heating updates
- Engineer mode for multiplayer finally arrives
- Anti-cheat, badge system with automatic bans and LiveSteward testing begins to try to improve driving standards
- Damage changes, Team Online Championships and native Japanese language are also included
It’s all been a little bit quiet for Le Mans Ultimate in the past two months, aside from test online events. Following the first European Le Mans Series content in September, it turns out the Studio 397 development team has been busy on a significant update, bringing several much-requested features.
There’s a lot to take in, so we’re going to break down each major point ahead of its 9th December 2025 release date.
A new car and track DLC will also be released on the same day, the Ginetta LMP3 and Circuit Paul Ricard, but we’ve covered that in a dedicated post. This ELMS content is paid-for, while the Version 1.2 update is free.
Engineer Mode
After a delay – “we’re sincerely sorry” says the development team – the highly anticipated (by the Traxion team) engineer mode will be in this update. During only races, a team-mate can configure your race strategy. Tyres, fuel, virtual energy and driver swaps, which can be tricky solo while also trying to race otherwise.
This feature will work across the large team-based multiplayer races, but also single-driver special events and online championships
Driving standards crackdown
In our experience, the racing in Le Mans Ultimate is generally very considered and closely competitive, but there are frailties to the system, which allow revenge-based attacks, despite driver and safety ratings.
Three key systems will be added in version 1.2 to, in theory, combat this:
- Badges and bans
- LiveSteward
- Anti-Cheat
The badge system sits alongside the current rates and takes into account a driver’s last 10 races. There are ‘good’ and ‘trusted’ rates, which competitors can see in-game, but should someone have been particularly naughty in recent events, a ‘warning’ will appear.
Drive into someone again under a warning, get banned, and placed into a ‘probation’ state for reevaluation. Each automotive ban is longer.
Other badges include ‘rookie’ for your first-ever 10 races, and then ‘creator’, ‘driver’ (real-world) and ‘staff’ (developers).
This tracking has already happened behind the scenes, so appropriate badges will kick in on 9th December.
‘LiveSteward’, meanwhile, is a new backend system to monitor “intentional wrecks”, and for now will be used in a behind-the-scenes training phase.
Anti-Cheat won’t necessarily prevent those who choose to crash, but it should prevent those trying to use exploits, and thus ruin competitive scenarios. Le Mans Ultimate will use a kernel-level system (not without privacy concerns). In this instance, Epic Games’ Easy Anti-Cheat System (EAC), also deployed by iRacing.
Visual enhancements
Firstly, the visual damage system will now show scratches and the ‘trading of paint’ more obviously (see Porsche image).
Secondly, texture streaming is now part of Le Mans Ultimate’s graphical setup. Now, textures will “dynamically improve” as you near an object, assisting those with “lower-to-mid tier graphics cards” according to Motorsport Games. The company also claims this can help increase the level of detail during driver-swap events.
Vehicle and track dynamic changes
It wouldn’t be a title by Studio 397 without some further tinkering with the physics.
Le Mans Ultimate v1.2, the tyre model for LMP2, LMP3 and LMGT3 should now have a smoother drop-off due to less aggressive temperature peaks. On paper, this should equate to easier control at the limit.
This is combined with wheel rim heating, whereby brake temperatures should have a greater effect on tyre temperatures, in particular when the ambient is low.
The ‘RealRoad’ track simulation system has been altered for this update, changing where rubber builds up over the course of a race, generally making the area wider.
During rain, there have also been tweaks to try and make wet lines – away from the traditional, rubbered-up, racing line – more accurate.
There’s more, too
Other items include the addition of Team Online Championships for those who subscribe to the optional Race Control service, smaller time penalties to be taken at pitstops or the end of the race, a new telemetry system behind the scenes, native Japanese language, tweaks to custom livery creation and a new end-of-race procedure.
The full patch notes are expected on the 9th December, alongside the update release.