Highway Patrol Expansion: Thank you – and our Next Steps!
Fellow Officers,
The Highway Patrol Expansion has been out for more than a day now – and we hope you’re all enjoying your time on the fast lane! Thank you so much for your kind words but also the great amount of feedback across all our channels. We’ve been looking through it pretty much 24/7 since the official release and have been collecting all your comments while working on our next set of improvements.
First, we want to confirm that we are working on an update that will introduce various improvements to the AI on the highway. We are aware that it is one of the most frequently feedbacked topics at the moment, which is why we put this high on our priority list. Here’s already a little work-in-progress sneak-peek from a build earlier today that displays current improvements to NPV AI behavior, especially when driving with the siren on:
Beside minor bug fixes and other general improvements, we want to highlight following changes as well – please keep in mind that this list is not complete and changes are possible based on our upcoming testing results:
Improved lane switching AI on Highway when siren is activated
Increased turn light strength
Increased turn signal usage range on Highway
Fixed Freeze when calling Arrest Transport on the Highway
Fixed Injured NPC spawn rate being too low during Dynamic Accident Callouts
Fixed parked NPV being in a wrong state
Fixed soft lock occurring after issuing commercial driver ticket or verbal warning
Fixed being unable to finish crime scenes on the Highway
Fixed wrong body depending on character
Fixed falsely assigned skin changes
Fixed map cursor speed being too slow
Fixed navigation on Highway Map UI appearing slightly off
Fixed wanted NPV callout crash
Fixed crash because of invalid debris
Of course, you want to know when the update will be released exactly – understandably so! Today, we will finish the merge of the respective builds while all our teams will start testing the fixes, improvements, and overall stability afterwards. Once that is done, the updates will be pushed into submission – this will take a few days until we receive all the necessary green lights. While we expect that to happen until the end of the week, an exact timing can only be shared once the approvals have been given. More details to follow!
Once again, it’s awesome to see how many of you enjoy the new features – please continue to share your feedback as we love hearing from you both what you love and also what you’d like to see being improved!
Last but not least, we also want to take the time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions:
How many Duty Stars do I need to unlock the Highway?
You need at least 3 Duty Stars to receive access to the Highway District.
How do I unlock the Highway District?
You have 3 Duty Stars? Perfect! Just finish a normal shift as usual – afterwards, the content of the Highway District will be unlocked and you will be able to start a shift on the Highway (either as a normal shift or in open patrol) right afterwards.
Which bugs are you aware of?
We are actively investigating issues with AI, mismatching voice-overs, problems with character models, issues with license plates identification in multiplayer, crashes, multiplayer stability problems, arrest transport not arriving at the weigh stations, among others.
The State of Franklin requires your attention, officers: Welcome to the Highway Patrol Expansion, now finally available for Police Simulator: Patrol Officers!🔥
For a limited time, you can still save 10% - so act fast!
To celebrate the release accordingly, we’ve also created a huge sale for everyone who doesn’t own the game yet or still needs to complete their collection. Save up to 35% for a very short time!
With the Highway Patrol Expansion, the area you’re serving will be greatly expanded: Your attention is no longer required solely in the inner city of Brighton, but now also on the vastly stretching highways surrounding the wider state of Franklin.
You won’t be patrolling just one highway; instead, there are multiple highways, all seamlessly integrated into the existing map. Exits at the border of Brighton lead you outside the city, while multiple interchanges with giant overpasses plus entrance and exit ramps connect the different highways with each other, enabling you to switch between them without interruptions.
From precincts on the highway to gas stations, motels, rest areas, and weigh stations – all these new places must be policed by you as a highway patrol officer.
Note: 3 Duty Stars are required to unlock the Highway District.
The highways surrounding Brighton offer new challenges as they are known for being fast-paced and eventful. That’s also why we’re finally introducing a long-awaited feature into the game: Intense highway chases are inevitable, and when fleeing suspects do not obey, requesting roadblocks, executing PIT maneuvers, utilizing the brand-new spike strips, and employing other strategies may become necessary. You can now also use your gun to order the fleeing driver to leave their car and surrender!
The highway also introduces other new dangers: The grand reopening has led to a concerning surge of car thefts, while drunk drivers pose an even greater risk to other users of the road. Larger accidents may include fires you must extinguish with the brand-new fire extinguisher, and scattered debris that you must pick up. After all, it’s your responsibility to ensure that not only the streets of Brighton but also the highways of Franklin are always safe!
The Highway Patrol Expansion will include two beautiful new patrol cars: The Interstate Police Vehicle might be a throwback to the past, but even in our modern present it will always look and feel cool. The Endurance Police Vehicle is an incredibly powerful SUV, tailored for pursuits and perfect for intercepting fleeing drivers, thanks to a heavy-duty device that can be used to stop fleeing vehicles at full speed.
One outfit can’t be enough, can it? With the Highway Patrol Expansion, you can finally change your uniforms right from the precinct. Head to the lockers and choose your favorite outfit to patrol the streets in style!
Today’s release of the Highway Patrol Expansion is accompanied by a larger update with version number 14.0.7 – we’re introducing both a bunch of free new features and improvements that can be enjoyed by everybody as well as the content exclusive to owners of the DLC.
In preparation for the Highway Patrol Expansion, we’ve already overhauled the entire NPV lane switching behavior, letting the AI react smarter to your moves. In addition, car physics and damage models have been greatly improved, while new NPV designs have been added.
Within the City of Brighton, everyone will also be able to experience carnapping: NPCs can steal a car and drive away, which – should you observe that - might require you to stop them with a PIT maneuver as long as they’re still in your area of responsibility! That might not really be justified… but the option is there anyway. Have fun!
At car accident sites, debris can spawn that has to be picked up so that it won’t cause a danger for other road users. Make sure to remove every single bit – sometimes, you’ll even receive a callout just for that.
In addition, cars can now break down and become stranded at the side of the road. Not good! Make sure to assist the drivers, find out what’s wrong with the vehicle, and call for a tow truck.
We hope you’ll enjoy all features of both the Highway Patrol Expansion and the update itself – and now, off to the highway, officers!💥
You don't own the game yet? Well, time to finally grab it! If you want to save even more, check out the new Gold Edition that includes the main game, all DLC as part of the Garage Bundle, and the new expansion at one small price point!
Are you ready for the Highway Patrol Expansion and all the exciting, fast-paced and action-fueled new content it provides? For a very short time, you can still save 10%!
Celebrate the release of the Highway Patrol Expansion with the Police Simulator Midweek Deal and check out all discounts while they last! 👋
One more surprise included in the Highway Patrol Expansion...
The brand-new Highway Patrol Expansion is just two weeks away – and we can't wait to finally introduce all the frequently requested features like car chases, PIT maneuvers, two new patrol cars, and much more! 🎉
This will be by far the biggest addition to Police Simulator: Patrol Officers yet. However, we have one more surprise left in store: An option to change your uniforms will finally come into the game as part of the Highway Patrol Expansion! And maybe it will become even more in the future...
Watch the new episode of ON PATROL above to see the outfits in action! 🔥
The Highway Patrol Expansion will be available on June 18, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at a price of 19.99€ / $19.99.
Patch 13.5.3 – Bug fixes, gameplay changes, & 2 new skins for your patrol cars!
Fellow Officers,
we just released a new patch for Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, this time with version number 13.5.3. It includes a bunch of bug fixes, gameplay changes, balancing adjustments, and something very special: Two additional skins for your patrol cars!
Here they are in action:
These two new skins can be put on all your patrol cars, right from the garage. And they're free for everyone! Check them out and choose your favorite livery!
(Well, this is just the beginning... we'll let you speculate on what's coming next. So much potential. Hehe.)
Check out the full changelog down below.
Changelog - Update 13.5.3
Patrol Car Skins
Added two additional patrol car skins, now available to all players for all cars inside the garage
Gameplay
Fixed option to search vehicle being unavailable
Fixed option to call a tow truck being unavailable
Fixed an issue causing the Injured NPC Callout to not be cleaned up correctly
Adjusted the amount of SP gained or CP lost for CPR and some other actions
Fixed an issue causing CP Loss when arresting someone for owning an illegal handgun when they are carrying a stolen or fake ID (this caused a lot of confusion and frustration in the past)
Reduced chance and increased cooldown for car thefts to appear
Rebalanced some callout probability
NPCs
Fixed an issue causing driving NPCs to stay in driving state when involved in a passive accident scene
Fixed an issue causing the NPC driver to be sometimes not interactable in accidents
Fixed an issue causing the NPC driver to be sometimes not interactable after pulling them over
Fixed random NPCs to appear critically injured for no reason
Fixed NPCs exiting the vehicle after already having exited it
Patrol Car & Traffic Cars
Adjusted the damaged model of the Cruiser
Fixed that after blipping an NPV near intersection while it is still moving it sometimes jumps to a parking slot
Graphics & Game World
Fixed the glass of the lights for the Pickup looking weird
Moved plant away from a pedestrian crossing in Baytown
Fixed some issues causing NPVs to overlap in accidents
UI
Changed Intuition Feedback of pulling over the WPV
Changed the 'Recharge Tools' icon
Created 'Please stand up' icon
Fixed an issue causing the Escorting NPC Callout Marker to stay on location
Here’s what will be free with the release of the Highway Patrol Expansion
Fellow Officers,
the Highway Patrol Expansion is coming closer and closer, and we really can’t wait for the release. While some things will obviously be only available for owners of the expansion, other things will be free for absolutely everybody owning the game. Today, we want to break this down in more detail to explain what you can expect on June 18 when the highway finally opens.
Coming for free for everybody
As you can imagine, the highway is always busy and also much faster than the inner city of Brighton. That’s why, in preparation for the release of the expansion, we overhauled the entire car lane switching behavior to allow the AI to perform smarter moves. We also expanded the variety of NPC cars and added new designs. In addition, we improved car physics and overall damage models. Within the city, you can also sometimes observe NPCs unparking their cars!
During your daily shift on the streets of Brighton there’s now a good chance that you can witness someone trying to break into a car: Carnapping is finally here! NPCs can steal a car and drive away, requiring you to pursue and stop them. Maybe you should perform a PIT maneuver… yes, this is also new! And it looks cool. And it’s fun. Believe us.
Accident sites will require your attention even more now – after all, these cars take a lot of damage. Debris will now spawn around the cars which you have to pick up and remove. Otherwise, they will pose a great danger to other cars! Sometimes, you will also receive a callout for that.
Cars can now also break down and become stranded at the side of the road. Make sure to help the drivers, assist them, and call for a tow truck.
Exclusive to the Highway Patrol Expansion
This might seem obvious: Stuff that happens on the highway, stays on the highway. This, of course, includes larger accidents on the highway (and they’re really large), sometimes requiring you to equip the new fire extinguisher.
More advanced car chases are also part of your duties, but a PIT maneuver isn’t your only option to stop them: You can also request roadblocks! If you receive a callout that you need to support your colleagues, it’s your responsibility to set up a roadblock and even spike strips. Other violations are also observable, for example drunk drivers. They might act quite suspiciously on the street… make sure to check them out.
The safety of other road users is of utmost importance – that’s why trucks (also new!) need to follow all rules. To make sure they do just that, trucks need to leave the highway to regularly perform a check at theweigh stations. These will be manned by you: Check the trunk, make sure nothing illegal is being transported, inspect the papers and ensure they’re still within the legal weight limit.
There are also two new patrol cars, exclusive to owners of the expansion: The Interstate Police Vehicle (IPV) and the Endurance Police Vehicle (EPV). You wanted an SUV, you’re getting an SUV. Isn’t that nice?
We have even more surprises around the Highway Patrol Expansion available for you, both at release and afterwards. Stay tuned for more!
The Highway Patrol Expansion will be available on June 18, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at a price of 19.99€ / $19.99.
For rookie officers, the new Gold Edition, which will launch at the same time, will include both the main game plus the Highway Patrol Expansion and the Garage Bundle. It will cost just 39.99€ / $39.99 or the regional equivalent on all available platforms. In select countries, the Gold Edition will be available in retail for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at the same date and price.
Your Police Simulator Team
Hotfix Update 13.4.1
Fellow Officers,
a few issues sneaked in with the last patch which we wanted to resolve asap. Today's hotfix will take care of that - enjoy!
Check out the full changelog down below.
A note regarding the change in balancing: With today‘s update, we have fixed the technical reason why some callouts have not been appearing any longer. However, we still need to tweak it a little bit to find the right balance of frequency. For that, we will have to playtest quite extensively with different balancing values to find something that feels and plays good. Details will follow soon!
FYI: The next update with bigger fixes is already in the works and will release very soon.
Changelog - Update 13.4.1
Fixed an issue with crime scenes not showing up by improving the overall callout spawning behavior - however, this is not perfect yet (see message above)
Fixed quick repair not working inside the garage
Fixed an issue with the window glass looking weird on the pickup cars
it's a public holiday here, but the show must go on. That's why we just released the promised new hotfix, resolving a bunch of issues with NPCs, fixing many progress-related problems, hammering down on service personell not reaching their destination, and much more.
Introducing the brand-new areas in the Highway Patrol Expansion!
Fellow Officers, With the upcoming Highway Patrol Expansion, the area you’re serving will be greatly expanded: Your attention is no longer required solely in the inner city of Brighton, but now also on the vastly stretching highways surrounding the wider state of Franklin.
You won’t be patrolling just one highway; instead, there are multiple ones, all seamlessly integrated into the existing map. Exits at the border of Brighton lead you outside the city, while multiple interchanges with giant overpasses plus entrance and exit ramps connect the different highways with each other, enabling you to switch between them without interruptions.
Wider Views
The new and expanded map, seamlessly integrated
While the City of Brighton is always busy and never resting, its suburban areas offer some fantastic views in an almost recreational, relaxing fashion. While the huge Swan House Lake with an impressive depth of 1135ft can be passed over via a large bridge, enormous trailer parks, sharp shorelines of the ocean, cozy farmhouses, powerful wind turbines, dense forests, suburban villages, and many other places can be observed right from the comfort of the roadway.
The New Precincts
Given the hectic and fast-paced nature of highway work, you, as an officer, will need an appropriate location to wind down. That’s why the Brighton Police Department has opened up new and large precincts along the highway, perfectly suited for your next shift. Of course, they are also equipped with a handy garage and a sizeable parking lot!
In addition, smaller satellite precincts have been installed in strategically placed locations, for example at the weigh stations. If you decide to end your shift after a long day of checking on documents, you can choose this option as well!
From Diners to Motels
When the citizens of Brighton embark on their next journey, they need to replenish their supplies on the go. Dustin’s Traditional Diner is an established institution all over the State of Franklin and their beautiful branches right on the highway surely worth a visit – and the same applies to the local chain of motels and the gas stations! Who knows, maybe you’ll spot an offense while you’re hanging out in the parking lot?
Duty at the Weigh Stations
At the weigh stations, you must investigate if all regulations are met by the truck drivers roaming around the highway. Pick up the badge and inspect all papers, investigate the insides of the truck for potentially illegal items, make sure the weight limit is not being exceeded, check out the driver, and more. Let’s hope everything’s fine and no one is trying to flee!
There’s something to see at every corner
Our goal was to make the highway as lively and vibrant as possible – ensuring that you’ll discover new and exciting details with every shift. From construction sites at one place to a place for lunch at another, keep your eyes open as there’s a lot more to discover.
The Highway Patrol Expansion will be available on June 18, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at a price of 19.99€ / $19.99.
For rookie officers, the new Gold Edition, which will launch at the same time, will include both the main game plus the Highway Patrol Expansion and the Garage Bundle. It will cost just 39.99€ / $39.99 or the regional equivalent on all available platforms. In select countries, the Gold Edition will be available in retail for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at the same date and price.
Your Police Simulator Team
The Highway Patrol Expansion is coming on June 18, 2024!
Officers, we’ve got an urgent radio message coming in from dispatch:
📢 “Dispatch to all units: The Highway Patrol Expansion is coming on June 18, 2024!”
With the release of the Highway Patrol Expansion on the horizon, it’s time for a briefing on your new highway duties! 👮
Watch the Highway Duties Trailer here:
📢 “We have a reported highway accident.”
Out of the city, onto the highway: Get ready for new types of accidents – some larger, some smaller. Equipped with the brand-new fire extinguisher, you’ll easily be able to handle burning cars. And don’t forget to pick up scattered debris to keep the highways of Franklin safe!
📢 “There’s a broken-down car on the highway, please assist the driver.”
Cars might break down and get stuck on the shoulder of the highway. Be sure to lend a hand to the drivers, figure out what’s up with the car, and get a tow truck on the way!
📢 “We have an open weigh station that needs to be managed.”
At the weigh stations, you must investigate if all regulations are met. In addition, papers must be inspected, and the trucks should be checked for potentially illegal items. 🦷
Be prepared to tackle these and many other duties that await you on the highway… and get ready to pick up the chase!
The Highway Patrol Expansion will be available on June 18, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at a price of 19.99€ / $19.99.
For rookie officers, the new Gold Edition, which will launch at the same time, will include both the main game plus the Highway Patrol Expansion and the Garage Bundle. It will cost just 39.99€ / $39.99 or the regional equivalent on all available platforms. In select countries, the Gold Edition will be available in retail for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One at the same date and price.
