The simulation’s "soft-body" physics sets it apart from traditional racing games by modeling vehicles as a network of mass points (nodes) and springs (beams).
: Received new body styles (side-door/passenger), reworked interiors, and new "moving van" props.
: Every car is an invisible skeleton of thousands of nodes connected by beams. When a beam is stressed beyond its limit, it permanently deforms or snaps, allowing for real-time, emergent damage.
The 0.24 update series, often called the "2021 Winter Release," moved the game closer to its full release by revamping core systems.
: A massive graphical upgrade that transitioned terrain, roads, and decals on maps like Utah, Jungle Rock Island, and Small Island to PBR materials for realistic lighting and textures. Vehicle Remasters :
: Introduced a new way to play by adding "Missions" directly into Freeroam mode. These include: Time Trials and Bus Mode across all maps. Drag Racing on West Coast USA and Gridmap V2. Long Jump challenges on the Utah map.
: The engine runs at 2,000Hz , calculating physics equations for every node and beam 2,000 times per second to ensure stability and accuracy. Research and Industrial Application Soft-body Physics - BeamNG.drive