American Truck Simulator News & Announcements
Welcome back to another episode of the SCS On The Road series. This time, we take you to the state of Washington in the US and show you how our sound engineers capture ambient and truck sounds for American Truck Simulator.
Today's episode is hosted by Nemiro, who, alongside our talented sound engineers, will take you on a journey through the art of sound recording. We'll explore the capture of ambient sounds in Washington's beautiful nature and the process of recording truck sounds at the PACCAR Technical Center. Our sound engineer, Ondřej, will tell you all about it and show you how multiple microphones are strategically placed on different parts of a truck to capture its unique sound in various situations on the road. So, without further ado, let's watch it!
And that's it for today, we hope you enjoyed it. Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Keep on trucking!
Today's episode is hosted by Nemiro, who, alongside our talented sound engineers, will take you on a journey through the art of sound recording. We'll explore the capture of ambient sounds in Washington's beautiful nature and the process of recording truck sounds at the PACCAR Technical Center. Our sound engineer, Ondřej, will tell you all about it and show you how multiple microphones are strategically placed on different parts of a truck to capture its unique sound in various situations on the road. So, without further ado, let's watch it!
And that's it for today, we hope you enjoyed it. Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Keep on trucking!
On your travels in American Truck Simulator, you’ll encounter bustling metropolises as well as smaller, more remote residential towns. Today, we’re showcasing some of these smaller settlements that you’ll be able to drive through and even stop at in our upcoming Iowa DLC.
More than 15 settlements have been created for the Iowa DLC, and in this blog, we will present the first half of them. Each settlement features its own landmarks, unique charm, and opportunities for drivers to refuel or take a much-needed break. Our talented map, art, and asset teams have carefully recreated each location to capture the essence of its real-life counterpart.
First stop, Algona. Founded in 1854 by two brothers, Ambrose and Asa Call, Algona (native for “Algonquin waters”) is a welcoming town, known for its historical railroad significance. Whether you're visiting, or just passing through, you're on the right track, which is the town's unofficial slogan.
In the west of Iowa, you’ll find Auburn, a quiet and small settlement that embodies the peaceful countryside of the State. Nestled in Sac County, Auburn provides a scenic drive with classic Midwestern landscapes. It’s an ideal place to pull over, refuel, and take in the rural beauty.
In the northeast, you’ll come across Dyersville, known as the "Farm Toy Capital of the World" and the filming location of the famous movie Field of Dreams. Originally settled by ten Bavarian farming families in 1845, this town is a must-see for movie buffs and history enthusiasts alike.
This settlement is a little different to the others, in the fact that it's not located in Iowa! Laurel is a small settlement located in Nebraska, and despite its size, is a thriving and progressive farming community. With its quiet streets and welcoming atmosphere, it’s small town atmosphere is a welcome sight and stop for travellers passing through towards Iowa! We included this settlement because of its location along the US-20 towards Iowa.
Not far from the Mississippi River is Postville, a unique town with a diverse cultural heritage. Often referred to as Iowa’s “Hometown to the World,” Postville has been shaped by its diverse community, and features the St Paul Lutheran Church which was built in 1891, and stands as the tallest building in the town.
Up next, Traer, a vibrant, small-town community that was established in 1873, following the construction of Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway through the territory. In this town, you'll come across not one, but two churches which have been built next to each other! Both have their own unique look, but are built with beautiful red brick.
In the Northwest, you’ll find the settlement of Sheldon, a town established in 1873 during the construction of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad. It’s home to one of Iowa’s historic railroad hubs, giving it a classic small-town railroad charm.
Lastly, close to the Mississippi River, you'll reach Wapello. Named after a Meskwaki chief, this town embraces its rich Native American history while offering picturesque views of the river.
These settlements come in all shapes and sizes, from larger populations to none! Each offer their own story as you travel the open road. We encourage you to slow down or maybe even take a rest stop and check out the scenery and details of each of them.
Whether you're rolling through a historic small town, fueling up at a local truck stop, or admiring the everyday life of Iowa’s communities, the road ahead is full of discovery. We look forward to showcasing more of these settlements in Part 2 of this blog, which we will be delivering soon.
Can't wait to explore Iowa? Be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! You can also stay up to date with the latest development news on X/Twitter, BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or by subscribing to our newsletter! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3025440/American_Truck_Simulator__Iowa/
More than 15 settlements have been created for the Iowa DLC, and in this blog, we will present the first half of them. Each settlement features its own landmarks, unique charm, and opportunities for drivers to refuel or take a much-needed break. Our talented map, art, and asset teams have carefully recreated each location to capture the essence of its real-life counterpart.
First stop, Algona. Founded in 1854 by two brothers, Ambrose and Asa Call, Algona (native for “Algonquin waters”) is a welcoming town, known for its historical railroad significance. Whether you're visiting, or just passing through, you're on the right track, which is the town's unofficial slogan.
In the west of Iowa, you’ll find Auburn, a quiet and small settlement that embodies the peaceful countryside of the State. Nestled in Sac County, Auburn provides a scenic drive with classic Midwestern landscapes. It’s an ideal place to pull over, refuel, and take in the rural beauty.
In the northeast, you’ll come across Dyersville, known as the "Farm Toy Capital of the World" and the filming location of the famous movie Field of Dreams. Originally settled by ten Bavarian farming families in 1845, this town is a must-see for movie buffs and history enthusiasts alike.
This settlement is a little different to the others, in the fact that it's not located in Iowa! Laurel is a small settlement located in Nebraska, and despite its size, is a thriving and progressive farming community. With its quiet streets and welcoming atmosphere, it’s small town atmosphere is a welcome sight and stop for travellers passing through towards Iowa! We included this settlement because of its location along the US-20 towards Iowa.
Not far from the Mississippi River is Postville, a unique town with a diverse cultural heritage. Often referred to as Iowa’s “Hometown to the World,” Postville has been shaped by its diverse community, and features the St Paul Lutheran Church which was built in 1891, and stands as the tallest building in the town.
Up next, Traer, a vibrant, small-town community that was established in 1873, following the construction of Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway through the territory. In this town, you'll come across not one, but two churches which have been built next to each other! Both have their own unique look, but are built with beautiful red brick.
In the Northwest, you’ll find the settlement of Sheldon, a town established in 1873 during the construction of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad. It’s home to one of Iowa’s historic railroad hubs, giving it a classic small-town railroad charm.
Lastly, close to the Mississippi River, you'll reach Wapello. Named after a Meskwaki chief, this town embraces its rich Native American history while offering picturesque views of the river.
These settlements come in all shapes and sizes, from larger populations to none! Each offer their own story as you travel the open road. We encourage you to slow down or maybe even take a rest stop and check out the scenery and details of each of them.
Whether you're rolling through a historic small town, fueling up at a local truck stop, or admiring the everyday life of Iowa’s communities, the road ahead is full of discovery. We look forward to showcasing more of these settlements in Part 2 of this blog, which we will be delivering soon.
Can't wait to explore Iowa? Be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! You can also stay up to date with the latest development news on X/Twitter, BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or by subscribing to our newsletter! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3025440/American_Truck_Simulator__Iowa/
Two blogs in one, double the fun! Today, we have some more news from the upcoming Missouri map expansion for American Truck Simulator. The first part is about new industries, and the second part is about new cargo, so let's get into it!
There will be three new industries waiting for truckers in the Show Me State. You will find the first one just outside of St. Joseph, in the northwestern part of the state - the Superstructure Factory. This industry supplies bodywork for pickup trucks. You will deliver the necessary parts for production and then distribute the finished vehicles all over the map.
Your favourite Farmers Barn brand will also have branches in Missouri along with its new type of production plant - the Feedmill. This massive plant is used to produce animal food. Deliver the necessary raw materials and distribute the finished product across the U.S. High silos, conveyors, road scales, a large packing house and a finished goods warehouse - everything a proper Feedmill should have.
Anyone driving through southeast St. Louis on I-55 will notice that there is a historic beverage factory nearby. You will recognize it by its distinctive 19th and early 20th-century buildings which may look like historic castles, but they are still in production today. And its products need to be shipped out into the world. Guess who's job is that going to be?
New Cargoes to Haul
Our vehicle team has prepared new cargo for you to haul when Missouri is released, adding more variety to the haulable loads in our games. It's not just the regular cargo getting new additions - our Heavy Cargo Pack DLC will also feature massive new loads. Let's take a look!
Among the new regular loads you'll be able to haul are Scaffolding, Cattle Barriers, Moving Pods, a Forklift, and Body Crane Trucks.
Now, let's move on to the huge and heavy cargoes! Our Heavy Cargo Pack DLC is getting an upgrade with three new cargoes - a Mobile Screener, a Mobile Crusher, and a Mobile Stacker.
Enjoy this upcoming map expansion to the fullest and amplify your trucking experience with new loads from the Heavy Cargo Pack DLC which you can get on Steam.
If you are looking forward to trucking in the Show Me State, make sure to add this map expansion to your Steam Wishlist! Don't forget to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Keep on truckin'!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/620610/American_Truck_Simulator__Heavy_Cargo_Pack/
There will be three new industries waiting for truckers in the Show Me State. You will find the first one just outside of St. Joseph, in the northwestern part of the state - the Superstructure Factory. This industry supplies bodywork for pickup trucks. You will deliver the necessary parts for production and then distribute the finished vehicles all over the map.
Your favourite Farmers Barn brand will also have branches in Missouri along with its new type of production plant - the Feedmill. This massive plant is used to produce animal food. Deliver the necessary raw materials and distribute the finished product across the U.S. High silos, conveyors, road scales, a large packing house and a finished goods warehouse - everything a proper Feedmill should have.
Anyone driving through southeast St. Louis on I-55 will notice that there is a historic beverage factory nearby. You will recognize it by its distinctive 19th and early 20th-century buildings which may look like historic castles, but they are still in production today. And its products need to be shipped out into the world. Guess who's job is that going to be?
New Cargoes to Haul
Our vehicle team has prepared new cargo for you to haul when Missouri is released, adding more variety to the haulable loads in our games. It's not just the regular cargo getting new additions - our Heavy Cargo Pack DLC will also feature massive new loads. Let's take a look!
Among the new regular loads you'll be able to haul are Scaffolding, Cattle Barriers, Moving Pods, a Forklift, and Body Crane Trucks.
Now, let's move on to the huge and heavy cargoes! Our Heavy Cargo Pack DLC is getting an upgrade with three new cargoes - a Mobile Screener, a Mobile Crusher, and a Mobile Stacker.
Enjoy this upcoming map expansion to the fullest and amplify your trucking experience with new loads from the Heavy Cargo Pack DLC which you can get on Steam.
If you are looking forward to trucking in the Show Me State, make sure to add this map expansion to your Steam Wishlist! Don't forget to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Keep on truckin'!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/620610/American_Truck_Simulator__Heavy_Cargo_Pack/
We are excited to announce that after our collaboration last year, we are once again teaming up with our good friends at Western Star to offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to two lucky members of the American Truck Simulator community. This includes an all-expenses-paid trip to Oregon, USA, to take part in the Star Nation Experience 2025. Ready to learn more? Let’s take a closer look at what the Star Nation Experience is all about!
Last year, our lucky 2024 Star Nation winners gathered in Bend, Oregon, for a unique four-day event unlike any other in the trucking industry. This unique experience included a behind-the-scenes tour of Daimler Truck North America's facilities, the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Western Star X-Series line up at Daimler Truck's High Desert Proving Grounds in Madras, and even a chance to meet Starsquatch!
They also got to experience the natural beauty of Oregon and take part in exciting outdoor activities, including fly-fishing, off-roading in ATVs, and more. Though they arrived as strangers, their shared love for trucking quickly turned them into friends and even led one of our winners to pursue a trucking career. You can watch a recap of the 2024 Star Nation experience at our YouTube channel below with Nemiro and Mark who also were in attendance!
So what can you expect for Star Nation 2025? Two lucky winners will be treated to an all-expenses-paid, four-day adventure, hosted in Bend, Oregon between the 6th-9th of June 2025 by the Western Star team. If you win, you’ll be treated to top dining options and adventures, including activities like whitewater rafting, the X-Series Ride & Drive Challenge at the Madras Proving Grounds, a Star Nation photo shoot in the mountains and so much more!
You will also have the chance to help shape future Western Star innovation by sharing your insights with Western Star engineers, marketers, researchers, and product development leadership. It's the ultimate prize for any American Truck Enthusiast!
In addition to the fantastic activities awaiting participants at the event, we're happy to reveal that Oscar and Nemiro from our team will also be attending. They'll not only meet with the participants and winners but will also be on hand to capture all the moments and memories throughout the Star Nation Experience 2025!
So how can you enter? Before entering, we strongly advise you to review Western Star's Terms and Conditions, read the FAQ, and thoroughly examine the application form as there are specific limitations for applicants. For instance, this opportunity is exclusively available to individuals from the USA or Canada who are 21 years of age or older. Also, while not required for entry, a Commercial Driver's License will be required to participate in all Grand Prize trip activities. Western Star Trucks will then select two winners from applicants who meet all requirements. We wish everyone the best of luck!
Ready to apply? First you'll need to sign up to the Western Star newsletter before continuing the Entry form, which you can all find on the Star Nation page here.
We look forward to spending a fun-filled few days at Star Nation 2025, and we will be sure to keep you along for the ride with social media updates, videos and more from our journey. Be sure to keep a close eye on Western Star's Facebook, Instagram and Newsletter for the latest Star Nation news, and our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and BlueSky too. Until then, keep on truckin'!
Last year, our lucky 2024 Star Nation winners gathered in Bend, Oregon, for a unique four-day event unlike any other in the trucking industry. This unique experience included a behind-the-scenes tour of Daimler Truck North America's facilities, the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Western Star X-Series line up at Daimler Truck's High Desert Proving Grounds in Madras, and even a chance to meet Starsquatch!
They also got to experience the natural beauty of Oregon and take part in exciting outdoor activities, including fly-fishing, off-roading in ATVs, and more. Though they arrived as strangers, their shared love for trucking quickly turned them into friends and even led one of our winners to pursue a trucking career. You can watch a recap of the 2024 Star Nation experience at our YouTube channel below with Nemiro and Mark who also were in attendance!
So what can you expect for Star Nation 2025? Two lucky winners will be treated to an all-expenses-paid, four-day adventure, hosted in Bend, Oregon between the 6th-9th of June 2025 by the Western Star team. If you win, you’ll be treated to top dining options and adventures, including activities like whitewater rafting, the X-Series Ride & Drive Challenge at the Madras Proving Grounds, a Star Nation photo shoot in the mountains and so much more!
You will also have the chance to help shape future Western Star innovation by sharing your insights with Western Star engineers, marketers, researchers, and product development leadership. It's the ultimate prize for any American Truck Enthusiast!
In addition to the fantastic activities awaiting participants at the event, we're happy to reveal that Oscar and Nemiro from our team will also be attending. They'll not only meet with the participants and winners but will also be on hand to capture all the moments and memories throughout the Star Nation Experience 2025!
So how can you enter? Before entering, we strongly advise you to review Western Star's Terms and Conditions, read the FAQ, and thoroughly examine the application form as there are specific limitations for applicants. For instance, this opportunity is exclusively available to individuals from the USA or Canada who are 21 years of age or older. Also, while not required for entry, a Commercial Driver's License will be required to participate in all Grand Prize trip activities. Western Star Trucks will then select two winners from applicants who meet all requirements. We wish everyone the best of luck!
Ready to apply? First you'll need to sign up to the Western Star newsletter before continuing the Entry form, which you can all find on the Star Nation page here.
We look forward to spending a fun-filled few days at Star Nation 2025, and we will be sure to keep you along for the ride with social media updates, videos and more from our journey. Be sure to keep a close eye on Western Star's Facebook, Instagram and Newsletter for the latest Star Nation news, and our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and BlueSky too. Until then, keep on truckin'!
We're back with another SCS On The Road episode, and this time, we've got something a bit different for you! Join Mark, our Vehicle Production Coordinator at SCS Software, as he returns to his trucking roots in Canada and takes you behind the wheel to experience what it takes to be a real trucker hauling across Canada and the USA!
Starting off in Whitby, Ontario, Mark will take you along for the ride on a one-week journey to Fort Worth, Texas. You'll experience the highs and lows of trucking and discover what makes it such a unique yet challenging job. So, it's time to hit the road, grab a drink and some snacks as you take the passenger seat on this long haul! We're sure you'll be comfortable in the beautiful Peterbilt 389 truck, which was kindfully provided by Mark's father, and which has been a reliable workhorse in his company for many years.
A huge thank you, of course, goes out to Mark, who put a lot of work into recording this journey, and to everyone who made this trip possible for him to share with you, our #BestCommunityEver. We hope you learn something new about the trucking world, and who knows, it might even inspire a few of you to pursue a CDL! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a comment, like, and subscribe, Mark would love to hear your thoughts! Until next time, keep on truckin’!
Starting off in Whitby, Ontario, Mark will take you along for the ride on a one-week journey to Fort Worth, Texas. You'll experience the highs and lows of trucking and discover what makes it such a unique yet challenging job. So, it's time to hit the road, grab a drink and some snacks as you take the passenger seat on this long haul! We're sure you'll be comfortable in the beautiful Peterbilt 389 truck, which was kindfully provided by Mark's father, and which has been a reliable workhorse in his company for many years.
A huge thank you, of course, goes out to Mark, who put a lot of work into recording this journey, and to everyone who made this trip possible for him to share with you, our #BestCommunityEver. We hope you learn something new about the trucking world, and who knows, it might even inspire a few of you to pursue a CDL! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a comment, like, and subscribe, Mark would love to hear your thoughts! Until next time, keep on truckin’!
Today, we have an update regarding Driving Academy. Our teams are currently working on a new set of scenarios for Driving Academy for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator which are really going to test your trucker skills when it arrives in the future!
We released Driving Academy as a free update in October last year where we introduced sets of scenarios in 5 chapters from truck driving basics to more advanced challenges. We were inspired by many of our players who have used our games to get a sense of handling a truck and trailer, and learning how to maneuver and reverse. Now, after a few months, we wanted to take it a step further with a set of much more challenging scenarios which will be a part of the upcoming module called Truck Driving Proficiency and will test even the most skilled drivers to the limit. Please keep in mind that everything you see in this blog can change as the Truck Driving Proficiency for Driving Academy is still a work in progress.
For this new module and set of scenarios, we will also introduce a new reward system. The most important thing is still to precisely complete a scenario by driving along the designated path and avoiding any collision. For proficiency level, there may be additional conditions you will have to meet to successfully pass the scenario.
New in this upcoming module, players will be able to achieve up to 3 collectable stars, which can be earned by meeting additional conditions such as only using the interior camera, limiting gear shifts between drive and reverse, or completing the scenario in the set time.
Our goal is to test the players' skills and let them prove themselves as top-tier drivers, solving each scenario on their own without step-by-step guidance. That's why in this module you won't find any pre-recorded video tutorials, and you will have to use all the knowledge we taught you in our first module of Driving Academy.
But there is more. As we already mentioned in the 1.54 Open Beta blog, Driving Academy will also get new content in the upcoming 1.54 update. Everyone who has completed or will complete the entire first module of Driving Academy will receive special rewards to use in the base game - a hanging blue traffic cone cabin accessory and a customizable Driving Academy paint job for your truck. And that's not all - more rewards will be available for completing the upcoming Truck Driving Proficiency!
Make sure to follow us on social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube). We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Until next time, drive safe!
We released Driving Academy as a free update in October last year where we introduced sets of scenarios in 5 chapters from truck driving basics to more advanced challenges. We were inspired by many of our players who have used our games to get a sense of handling a truck and trailer, and learning how to maneuver and reverse. Now, after a few months, we wanted to take it a step further with a set of much more challenging scenarios which will be a part of the upcoming module called Truck Driving Proficiency and will test even the most skilled drivers to the limit. Please keep in mind that everything you see in this blog can change as the Truck Driving Proficiency for Driving Academy is still a work in progress.
For this new module and set of scenarios, we will also introduce a new reward system. The most important thing is still to precisely complete a scenario by driving along the designated path and avoiding any collision. For proficiency level, there may be additional conditions you will have to meet to successfully pass the scenario.
New in this upcoming module, players will be able to achieve up to 3 collectable stars, which can be earned by meeting additional conditions such as only using the interior camera, limiting gear shifts between drive and reverse, or completing the scenario in the set time.
Our goal is to test the players' skills and let them prove themselves as top-tier drivers, solving each scenario on their own without step-by-step guidance. That's why in this module you won't find any pre-recorded video tutorials, and you will have to use all the knowledge we taught you in our first module of Driving Academy.
But there is more. As we already mentioned in the 1.54 Open Beta blog, Driving Academy will also get new content in the upcoming 1.54 update. Everyone who has completed or will complete the entire first module of Driving Academy will receive special rewards to use in the base game - a hanging blue traffic cone cabin accessory and a customizable Driving Academy paint job for your truck. And that's not all - more rewards will be available for completing the upcoming Truck Driving Proficiency!
Make sure to follow us on social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube). We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Until next time, drive safe!
As you journey through our upcoming Louisiana DLC for American Truck Simulator, you'll encounter a variety of truck stops designed to support truckers and travelers making their way through the Deep South. Let’s check out what they have to offer!
Whether you're filling up the tank, making some adjustments to your rig, or simply taking a well-deserved break, these truck stops provide all the essentials for life on the road. Keeping both yourself and your truck happy and healthy is crucial whilst on the road.
Truck stops come in all shapes and sizes! From large complexes offering generous parking and multiple fuel pumps to small town roadside stops, drivers will never be too far away from an area they can pull into for a gas'n'go or a well deserved rest stop.
They also make a great place to meet fellow truckers on the road, especially if you're playing in convoy mode! Be sure to take advantage of all the dedicated spots to make some great photos for your album.
We look forward to meeting you at a Louisiana truck stop in the future. Until then, stay tuned by following us on social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, BlueSky) for the latest updates on the development of this DLC and more. Until next time, drive safe and keep on truckin’!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3012580/American_Truck_Simulator__Louisiana/
Whether you're filling up the tank, making some adjustments to your rig, or simply taking a well-deserved break, these truck stops provide all the essentials for life on the road. Keeping both yourself and your truck happy and healthy is crucial whilst on the road.
Truck stops come in all shapes and sizes! From large complexes offering generous parking and multiple fuel pumps to small town roadside stops, drivers will never be too far away from an area they can pull into for a gas'n'go or a well deserved rest stop.
They also make a great place to meet fellow truckers on the road, especially if you're playing in convoy mode! Be sure to take advantage of all the dedicated spots to make some great photos for your album.
We look forward to meeting you at a Louisiana truck stop in the future. Until then, stay tuned by following us on social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, BlueSky) for the latest updates on the development of this DLC and more. Until next time, drive safe and keep on truckin’!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3012580/American_Truck_Simulator__Louisiana/
The first video preview of the upcoming Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator is here! In today's blog, we bring you the first gameplay video from this map expansion, so don't wait up, and let's watch it.
In this video, we take you on a beautiful ride from the city of Kirksville located in the northern part of Missouri along Route 63 through the Show Me State capital Jefferson City, and then further south to our destination in the underground warehouse in Springfield.
We can't wait to explore Missouri once it is released for ATS! Want to show us that you are also looking forward to trucking in this map expansion? Then add it to your Steam Wishlist! Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Safe travels!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
In this video, we take you on a beautiful ride from the city of Kirksville located in the northern part of Missouri along Route 63 through the Show Me State capital Jefferson City, and then further south to our destination in the underground warehouse in Springfield.
We can't wait to explore Missouri once it is released for ATS! Want to show us that you are also looking forward to trucking in this map expansion? Then add it to your Steam Wishlist! Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Safe travels!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
We're back in the USA for our newest SCS On The Road episode! Join us in Allentown, Pennsylvania, at the Mack Experience Centre as we are given a detailed walk-around of the limited Mack Anthem® Black Edition, which is also available to drive in American Truck Simulator (read more here).
During our visit, Nemiro had the pleasure of meeting with Justin Yost, a Sales Engineer at Mack Trucks, who gave us an in-depth tour of the Mack Anthem® Black Edition, both inside and out. This episode is packed with valuable insights into its design, driver features, technology, and of course what makes this truck a fantastic choice for drivers.
We'd like to thank our partners at Mack Trucks for allowing us to film and share this episode with you, and for the team's kind hospitality when we visited them in Allentown. We really learnt a lot about this awesome truck, and we are sure you will too.
If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear your comments. Be sure to let us know something new you learned about the Mack Anthem® Black Edition, along with a like and a subscribe, it really helps support our channel and videos. We will see you soon for the next episode, until then, keep on truckin'!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1236650/American_Truck_Simulator__Mack_Anthem/
During our visit, Nemiro had the pleasure of meeting with Justin Yost, a Sales Engineer at Mack Trucks, who gave us an in-depth tour of the Mack Anthem® Black Edition, both inside and out. This episode is packed with valuable insights into its design, driver features, technology, and of course what makes this truck a fantastic choice for drivers.
We'd like to thank our partners at Mack Trucks for allowing us to film and share this episode with you, and for the team's kind hospitality when we visited them in Allentown. We really learnt a lot about this awesome truck, and we are sure you will too.
If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear your comments. Be sure to let us know something new you learned about the Mack Anthem® Black Edition, along with a like and a subscribe, it really helps support our channel and videos. We will see you soon for the next episode, until then, keep on truckin'!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1236650/American_Truck_Simulator__Mack_Anthem/
On the 26th of February, this year's Valentine's Event "Cupid's Express" came to a close. So let's officially wrap it up together, look back at what it was about and what rewards our truckers earned!
First, a huge thank you to everyone who took part! We are so happy seeing you on the road hauling, especially when you share those moments with us on social media through photos, videos and other content. A special thanks also goes to the team behind it all!
As always, we set two challenges - one for individual players and one for the entire trucking community. The personal goal that every player had to accomplish to get the rewards was to complete 14 deliveries of Valentine's Presents. Our whole #BestCommunityEver then had to collectively finish 600,000 deliveries to accomplish the community goal.
So how did you do? Over 62,000 truckers completed all 14 deliveries for this event. Congratulations! And you have crushed the community milestone in just one week, that is incredible! In total, players completed 1,234,037 deliveries, double of what was the set goal. While hauling Valentine's Presents, you have travelled a distance of over 496,000,000 kilometres in both games!
And now let's take a look at the rewards. Those who completed their deliveries were awarded a unique World of Trucks Achievement as well as a Neon Heart dashboard item for both ETS2 and ATS. Because the collective target was reached as well, they will also get the Cupid's Dice hanging item!
We hope you are as excited as we are for the next event to come, but we won't tell you now what it is! Make sure to stay connected with us for all the updates by following our Twitter, Facebook. Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Until next time, we will see you on the road.
First, a huge thank you to everyone who took part! We are so happy seeing you on the road hauling, especially when you share those moments with us on social media through photos, videos and other content. A special thanks also goes to the team behind it all!
As always, we set two challenges - one for individual players and one for the entire trucking community. The personal goal that every player had to accomplish to get the rewards was to complete 14 deliveries of Valentine's Presents. Our whole #BestCommunityEver then had to collectively finish 600,000 deliveries to accomplish the community goal.
So how did you do? Over 62,000 truckers completed all 14 deliveries for this event. Congratulations! And you have crushed the community milestone in just one week, that is incredible! In total, players completed 1,234,037 deliveries, double of what was the set goal. While hauling Valentine's Presents, you have travelled a distance of over 496,000,000 kilometres in both games!
And now let's take a look at the rewards. Those who completed their deliveries were awarded a unique World of Trucks Achievement as well as a Neon Heart dashboard item for both ETS2 and ATS. Because the collective target was reached as well, they will also get the Cupid's Dice hanging item!
We hope you are as excited as we are for the next event to come, but we won't tell you now what it is! Make sure to stay connected with us for all the updates by following our Twitter, Facebook. Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Until next time, we will see you on the road.
Pull on in and take a rest stop with us as we share more about some of the truck stops you'll encounter on your journeys through the upcoming Iowa DLC for American Truck Simulator!
We're happy to share that the Iowa DLC will feature over 20 truck stops! Ranging from smaller roadside stations to huge gas stops that are the size of a small town, our team has taken great care in recreating the atmosphere and layout of these truck stops.
Drivers will also have the opportunity to visit the largest truck stop we've ever built in American Truck Simulator. Boasting a large number of parking spots and gas pumps for trucks, this location is huge and features a variety of amenities for visitors. We highly recommend you make the time to check out this epic stop whilst travelling through Iowa.
As with previous DLC releases, many of the truck stops are inspired by real-world counterparts, featuring recognizable landmarks and layouts. We are sure some of you who are familiar with the roads of Iowa will be able to point out some of these locations.
Overall, Iowa truck stops offer drivers and passengers excellent service and amenities, and we look forward to having you relax, refuel, and rest at them. We hope you enjoyed this preview of Iowa's truck stops. If you're excited to hit the road, be sure to add the Iowa DLC to your Steam Wishlist! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3025440/American_Truck_Simulator__Iowa/
We're happy to share that the Iowa DLC will feature over 20 truck stops! Ranging from smaller roadside stations to huge gas stops that are the size of a small town, our team has taken great care in recreating the atmosphere and layout of these truck stops.
Drivers will also have the opportunity to visit the largest truck stop we've ever built in American Truck Simulator. Boasting a large number of parking spots and gas pumps for trucks, this location is huge and features a variety of amenities for visitors. We highly recommend you make the time to check out this epic stop whilst travelling through Iowa.
As with previous DLC releases, many of the truck stops are inspired by real-world counterparts, featuring recognizable landmarks and layouts. We are sure some of you who are familiar with the roads of Iowa will be able to point out some of these locations.
Overall, Iowa truck stops offer drivers and passengers excellent service and amenities, and we look forward to having you relax, refuel, and rest at them. We hope you enjoyed this preview of Iowa's truck stops. If you're excited to hit the road, be sure to add the Iowa DLC to your Steam Wishlist! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3025440/American_Truck_Simulator__Iowa/
Today, we are excited to reveal that the 1.54 Open Beta branch for American Truck Simulator is now available to try and test out. If you plan on participating in this Open Beta, we ask that you please help us by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section(s) of our official forums.
Your feedback and reports are truly valuable to our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out. Now, without further ado, let's take a look at what the 1.54 Open Beta has in store.
Cargo System Redefined
Until now, what seemed like the game combining a trailer with cargo, such as a piece of machinery, was actually a manually created model, with each trailer-cargo pair stored separately on disk. This approach required an enormous number of unique models, making it harder to add new content efficiently and taking up disk space.
In the redefined cargo system, the code automatically merges cargo and trailers based on simplified rules. This means that each cargo will define its own model, loading methodology, and lashing method. This will make the work of our vehicle team much easier as it no longer requires our 3D artists to manually create pre-baked trailer-cargo pairs.
While there may be issues in the first iteration, it's a worthwhile goal to refine the system, as it not only improves efficiency but also saves disk space and memory by eliminating the need to store countless pre-made combinations. This project may also lead to other possibilities for both of our games, especially with dynamic cargo (un)loading and more. You can read about how this project was executed in our recent Under the Hood blog.
Truck Adjustment Menu Redesign
The Truck Adjustment Menu has been completely redesigned to provide a more user-friendly experience. Previously, each option for adjusting your driver's FOV, seat, mirrors etc had separate menus with different layouts. Now, they share a cohesive interface, making adjustments much more intuitive and easier. The new design also takes on a similar design from our previous UI overhaul and is optimized for both mouse and controller, ensuring accessibility for all users.
For keyboard and mouse users, adjustments are now more streamlined with the use of the WASD keys for navigation, along with sliders and buttons for finer tuning. Meanwhile, controller users will find the new system much smoother, with the left stick controlling adjustments, the right stick handling camera movement for mirror positioning, and the D-pad or shoulder buttons navigating the menu.
The addition of shoulder button support makes menu navigation more fluid for controller players. This update makes adjusting mirrors and seats much easier, particularly for those using controllers, ensuring a more seamless and enjoyable driving experience. Accessing the Truck Adjustment Menu remains the same. You can use the F4 by default, a custom assigned key of your choice, or through the adviser services menu.
We hope you enjoy this redesign, and that you find it easy to use and navigate through. If you have any feedback, we'd love to hear from you. You can share your comments and ideas through our official forum.
PhysX System Implementation
As part of the 1.54 Open Beta, we are adopting the NVIDIA PhysX physics engine as an alternative to our current Bullet physics engine for low-level simulation of physics in the game world that players interact with. This shift allows players to experience more precise collision detection results and more robust behaviour during scenarios involving collisions between vehicles and obstacles or other vehicles. PhysX also offers our teams better debugging tools, which indirectly benefits players by helping resolve bugs more efficiently.
One of the most noticeable improvements brought by PhysX can already be experienced in our recently introduced Driving Academy game mode. For example, collisions with cones and obstacles are now more accurate and objects no longer appear to "levitate" slightly above the ground after interaction, a flaw that occurred with Bullet. While players may not see drastic changes, certain interactions should exhibit slightly improved behaviour.
With the release of version 1.54, PhysX is now the default physics engine for all gameplay. Players who prefer the previous Bullet physics engine can switch back by using the "-bullet" command line argument in their Steam launch options.
Driving Academy Rewards
Everyone who has already completed or will complete the entire first module of Driving Academy will receive special rewards to use in the base game - a hanging blue traffic cone cabin accessory and a customizable Driving Academy paint job for your truck. So make sure to complete your scenarios and grab your rewards, there will be more to come!
Changelog
Gameplay
So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version - so you may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get there faster, we'll appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in the dedicated section.
Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.
If you wish to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the public_beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → public_beta → 1.54. No password is required. Sometimes you have to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/270880/American_Truck_Simulator/
Your feedback and reports are truly valuable to our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out. Now, without further ado, let's take a look at what the 1.54 Open Beta has in store.
Cargo System Redefined
Until now, what seemed like the game combining a trailer with cargo, such as a piece of machinery, was actually a manually created model, with each trailer-cargo pair stored separately on disk. This approach required an enormous number of unique models, making it harder to add new content efficiently and taking up disk space.
In the redefined cargo system, the code automatically merges cargo and trailers based on simplified rules. This means that each cargo will define its own model, loading methodology, and lashing method. This will make the work of our vehicle team much easier as it no longer requires our 3D artists to manually create pre-baked trailer-cargo pairs.
While there may be issues in the first iteration, it's a worthwhile goal to refine the system, as it not only improves efficiency but also saves disk space and memory by eliminating the need to store countless pre-made combinations. This project may also lead to other possibilities for both of our games, especially with dynamic cargo (un)loading and more. You can read about how this project was executed in our recent Under the Hood blog.
Truck Adjustment Menu Redesign
The Truck Adjustment Menu has been completely redesigned to provide a more user-friendly experience. Previously, each option for adjusting your driver's FOV, seat, mirrors etc had separate menus with different layouts. Now, they share a cohesive interface, making adjustments much more intuitive and easier. The new design also takes on a similar design from our previous UI overhaul and is optimized for both mouse and controller, ensuring accessibility for all users.
For keyboard and mouse users, adjustments are now more streamlined with the use of the WASD keys for navigation, along with sliders and buttons for finer tuning. Meanwhile, controller users will find the new system much smoother, with the left stick controlling adjustments, the right stick handling camera movement for mirror positioning, and the D-pad or shoulder buttons navigating the menu.
The addition of shoulder button support makes menu navigation more fluid for controller players. This update makes adjusting mirrors and seats much easier, particularly for those using controllers, ensuring a more seamless and enjoyable driving experience. Accessing the Truck Adjustment Menu remains the same. You can use the F4 by default, a custom assigned key of your choice, or through the adviser services menu.
We hope you enjoy this redesign, and that you find it easy to use and navigate through. If you have any feedback, we'd love to hear from you. You can share your comments and ideas through our official forum.
PhysX System Implementation
As part of the 1.54 Open Beta, we are adopting the NVIDIA PhysX physics engine as an alternative to our current Bullet physics engine for low-level simulation of physics in the game world that players interact with. This shift allows players to experience more precise collision detection results and more robust behaviour during scenarios involving collisions between vehicles and obstacles or other vehicles. PhysX also offers our teams better debugging tools, which indirectly benefits players by helping resolve bugs more efficiently.
One of the most noticeable improvements brought by PhysX can already be experienced in our recently introduced Driving Academy game mode. For example, collisions with cones and obstacles are now more accurate and objects no longer appear to "levitate" slightly above the ground after interaction, a flaw that occurred with Bullet. While players may not see drastic changes, certain interactions should exhibit slightly improved behaviour.
With the release of version 1.54, PhysX is now the default physics engine for all gameplay. Players who prefer the previous Bullet physics engine can switch back by using the "-bullet" command line argument in their Steam launch options.
Driving Academy Rewards
Everyone who has already completed or will complete the entire first module of Driving Academy will receive special rewards to use in the base game - a hanging blue traffic cone cabin accessory and a customizable Driving Academy paint job for your truck. So make sure to complete your scenarios and grab your rewards, there will be more to come!
Changelog
Gameplay
- Cargo System Redefined
- Driving Academy Rewards
- Truck Adjustment Menu Redesign
- First Launch Screen Flow Refresh
- Lode King & Prestige Trailers Pack bug fixes
- PhysX Implementation
So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version - so you may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get there faster, we'll appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in the dedicated section.
Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.
If you wish to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the public_beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → public_beta → 1.54. No password is required. Sometimes you have to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/270880/American_Truck_Simulator/
Welcome to St. Louis! When you are cruising through Missouri, make sure to stop by its second-largest city with plenty of beautiful landmarks, industries and more. Let's take a closer look.
St. Louis, also known as the Mound City, is nestled on the west bank of the Mississippi River which marks the state's border with Illinois. It is a major transportation and distribution centre, and the Mississippi River plays a big part in that as the city is the country's second-largest inland port. St. Louis is also one of the largest rail hubs in the US, with an international airport and a broad network of interstate highways.
Truckers passing through are in for a treat as Mound City is full of amazing historic buildings and other landmarks that our map teams meticulously recreated for this upcoming map expansion. The most famous and recognizable of them all is probably the iconic Gateway Arch which commemorates the city's role in the westward expansion of the USA.
But there are more landmarks inspired by their real-world counterparts such as the Old Courthouse or the St. Louis Hotel, the Basilica of Saint Louis, multiple lawyer centres and a luxury apartment building. Can you recognise these locations?
There are also some beautiful bridges in the city like the Jefferson Barracks Bridge, Blanchette Bridge, and the St. Louis Memorial Bridge. More iconic buildings can be seen in the distance as part of the city's skyline, among them are a stadium, courthouse, and many others.
Truckers can look forward to a wide range of various depots waiting for cargo in the city, two of which are really unique. If you head south of St. Louis, you will come across an underground warehouse located in an old limestone mine where you will be able to deliver plenty of different types of cargo.
Our map designers have also recreated a local well-known beer brewery with great attention to detail along with its 1:1 landmarks which are the gem of the whole area. Apart from that, you will find other industries such as the rail supply depot, a chemical plant, a big car factory, and others.
Can't wait to explore St. Louis in ATS? Then add the Missouri DLC to your Steam Wishlist! Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Drive safe!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
St. Louis, also known as the Mound City, is nestled on the west bank of the Mississippi River which marks the state's border with Illinois. It is a major transportation and distribution centre, and the Mississippi River plays a big part in that as the city is the country's second-largest inland port. St. Louis is also one of the largest rail hubs in the US, with an international airport and a broad network of interstate highways.
Truckers passing through are in for a treat as Mound City is full of amazing historic buildings and other landmarks that our map teams meticulously recreated for this upcoming map expansion. The most famous and recognizable of them all is probably the iconic Gateway Arch which commemorates the city's role in the westward expansion of the USA.
But there are more landmarks inspired by their real-world counterparts such as the Old Courthouse or the St. Louis Hotel, the Basilica of Saint Louis, multiple lawyer centres and a luxury apartment building. Can you recognise these locations?
There are also some beautiful bridges in the city like the Jefferson Barracks Bridge, Blanchette Bridge, and the St. Louis Memorial Bridge. More iconic buildings can be seen in the distance as part of the city's skyline, among them are a stadium, courthouse, and many others.
Truckers can look forward to a wide range of various depots waiting for cargo in the city, two of which are really unique. If you head south of St. Louis, you will come across an underground warehouse located in an old limestone mine where you will be able to deliver plenty of different types of cargo.
Our map designers have also recreated a local well-known beer brewery with great attention to detail along with its 1:1 landmarks which are the gem of the whole area. Apart from that, you will find other industries such as the rail supply depot, a chemical plant, a big car factory, and others.
Can't wait to explore St. Louis in ATS? Then add the Missouri DLC to your Steam Wishlist! Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Drive safe!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
Another SCS On The Road episode is here! Today, Nemiro, Mark, and Oscar are taking you along on their visit to Hammett Excavation in Dodd City, Texas, where they got an exclusive look at some incredible trucks from their collection.
Our visit to Hammett Excavation - an amazing company specializing in excavation machinery and transportation in Texas - was primarily to gather reference materials from their extensive truck collection as they generously helped us get some of the missing references needed for our vehicle department projects, mostly on the Peterbilt 389.
While we were there, we got so captivated by their stories that we decided to record a short SCS On The Road episode showcasing their work. Their passion for trucks has led them to design and build some truly unique, custom-made, and legendary vehicles, many of which have earned them top awards at some of the most prestigious truck shows. We would like to give a huge thanks to Kaleb Hammett and Brandon Mendenhall from Hammett Excavation who both helped us greatly in creating this episode. Now, without further ado, let's watch it!
We hope you have enjoyed this episode! Stay tuned for more updates by following us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Keep on truckin'!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/270880/American_Truck_Simulator/
Our visit to Hammett Excavation - an amazing company specializing in excavation machinery and transportation in Texas - was primarily to gather reference materials from their extensive truck collection as they generously helped us get some of the missing references needed for our vehicle department projects, mostly on the Peterbilt 389.
While we were there, we got so captivated by their stories that we decided to record a short SCS On The Road episode showcasing their work. Their passion for trucks has led them to design and build some truly unique, custom-made, and legendary vehicles, many of which have earned them top awards at some of the most prestigious truck shows. We would like to give a huge thanks to Kaleb Hammett and Brandon Mendenhall from Hammett Excavation who both helped us greatly in creating this episode. Now, without further ado, let's watch it!
We hope you have enjoyed this episode! Stay tuned for more updates by following us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Keep on truckin'!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/270880/American_Truck_Simulator/
At SCS Software, we love celebrating the passionate individuals who bring our trucking simulators to life. Today, we’re excited to feature a dedicated content creator and truck-sim enthusiast, Mark Armstrong. Mark has built an impressive setup and a thriving community (Armstrong Gaming) around his love for virtual trucking, making him a well-known figure in the simulation world. Let’s dive into his journey!
“I am Mark Armstrong, I am from the northeast of England, born and raised. I currently am 34 and I'm a huge driving simulator enthusiast!”
Before discovering his love for trucking and simulation gaming, Mark was an avid cyclist, riding competitively with his father. His dad wasn’t just a parent, he was a best friend and mentor. They shared a passion for road biking, mountain biking, and trials-riding, always pushing each other to be better. “My dad was more of a friend than a dad, really. He was my riding partner, my motivator. We did everything together, whether it was fixing bikes in the garage or hitting the roads. He was always there.”
However, a severe accident at 20 years old changed Mark’s path, leaving him unable to continue cycling. Looking for a new passion, he turned to gaming, a decision that would shape his future. “I had a severe accident, which caused me to be unable to ride... I was housebound and I actually sat one day on the sofa and made a joke about 'Farming Simulator' and then for Christmas, my wife at the time and my dad actually got me the game, and that's where it all started.”
From there, Mark quickly became engrossed in the simulation gaming world, exploring different titles until he discovered Euro Truck Simulator 2 through a friend, which he instantly loved. His passion for virtual trucking led him to build his first simulator setup, starting with a basic wooden rig and an affordable steering wheel. “I started on a wooden shoe rack that I took apart, put it back together into the shape of a simulator, and bolted a seat from a Renault Clio onto it. Then I put a 30-pound steering wheel on. You don’t start where you end up, you have to start small.”
His love for simulation extended to American Truck Simulator, where he developed a deep appreciation for American trucks, particularly the Peterbilt 389. “I like the big chrome, big shifter, laid-back seating position. That’s what I like. But as soon as I go on ETS2, I want to sit like a Scania driver, so I change everything around.”
Mark’s journey into content creation was heavily inspired by his father, who had experimented with uploading RC tank videos to YouTube. “My dad mentioned one day, 'Start a YouTube channel, record some videos, bring them to my house, and I'll upload them for you because I have internet.' Brilliant. That’s what I did.”
Over time, Mark transitioned into livestreaming and built a loyal following. His father played a huge role in this, not only as a supporter but as a gamer himself. “My dad was gaming before I even was. I remember him getting into Colin McRae Rally back in the early 2000s when we still had dial-up internet. He was always ahead of the game, even buying a new graphics card every few months since the technology moved so quickly. He swore he’d never get back into gaming, but when I started trucking, he couldn’t resist joining me again.”
Mark’s father became an integral part of his streaming journey, joining in on multiplayer convoys and even taking over the channel occasionally. “He loved it. He went full in, bought himself a full gaming rig, triple monitors, everything. He would take over my streams so I could take a break. He was just as passionate about it as I was.”
Unfortunately, in November 2023, Mark’s father passed away unexpectedly. The loss was devastating. “Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. We had built so much together. He wasn’t just my dad, he was my best mate, my biggest supporter. And suddenly, he was gone.”
Mark not only lost his father but also his home, as his dad had taken over financial responsibilities after Mark’s wife left.”After he passed, I lost the house too. I was basically homeless for five months, bouncing between friends' houses and staying with my 91-year-old Nan. It was a hard time, but the community kept me going.” Despite the immense personal challenges, Mark continued to stream, leaning on his audience for support. He eventually found a new home and rebuilt his studio, determined to carry on his father’s legacy.
Mark’s current setup is a testament to years of dedication from both himself and his father. His simulator consists of a triple 65-inch 4K 120Hz TV setup, a SimMagic Alpha Mini wheelbase, and a collection of truck shifters built by a dedicated community member. For those who have had the pleasure of tuning into Marks stream, you'll know his streams almost look like the real deal! “I stream in kind of a POV style, I have my GoPro camera located behind me, like your sitting on the bunk in the cabin. It gives you that aspect that you’re driving with me.”
While Mark’s simulator setup is already impressive, he always looks for ways to improve. “The simulator side of things is limited, because I want my community to be able to enjoy the view and setup as much as I do. If I were to set it up just for me, I’d make the rig a lot more enclosed and immersive. But I choose to balance it so that everyone can enjoy it”
With over 300,000 followers across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Discord, Mark has built an incredible community. He credits his audience for keeping him motivated and finds joy in interacting with fellow truck sim enthusiasts. “The community has been fantastic. People think you need emotional or financial support, but you really don’t. If you turn your stream on and there are 10 people there in a happy mood, that’s my support.
Mark also tells us of how the kindness of one of his followers led to a relationship, “One of my subscribers, Mitch, very kindly gifted a Fanatec McLaren wheel for my setup. Through my streams, he met two other community members, one who became a very close friend, and the other he recently became engaged to; our community really is special”
Streaming is more than just a hobby for Mark, it’s his full-time passion and job “I can never drive in real life, so I am literally driving for a living through my channel, which is amazing. If you’re looking for a community to join, we are very, very laid back, and we'd love to have you join us, whether you choose to just watch or drive along with us.”
For those looking to follow Mark’s adventures, you can find him streaming on YouTube and Twitch under ArmstrongGaming. “We don’t have a set schedule because of my health. But we go live when we can and as much as possible. We just keep things very calm and collective, no drama, just trucking with friends. Thank you, Mark, for sharing your incredible journey with us! Keep on trucking, and we’ll see you out on the virtual highways.
Has Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator played a vital role in your life? If so, we'd love for you to share your story with our community! If you're interested, you can contact us on X/Twitter, Instagram, or BlueSky!
“I am Mark Armstrong, I am from the northeast of England, born and raised. I currently am 34 and I'm a huge driving simulator enthusiast!”
Before discovering his love for trucking and simulation gaming, Mark was an avid cyclist, riding competitively with his father. His dad wasn’t just a parent, he was a best friend and mentor. They shared a passion for road biking, mountain biking, and trials-riding, always pushing each other to be better. “My dad was more of a friend than a dad, really. He was my riding partner, my motivator. We did everything together, whether it was fixing bikes in the garage or hitting the roads. He was always there.”
However, a severe accident at 20 years old changed Mark’s path, leaving him unable to continue cycling. Looking for a new passion, he turned to gaming, a decision that would shape his future. “I had a severe accident, which caused me to be unable to ride... I was housebound and I actually sat one day on the sofa and made a joke about 'Farming Simulator' and then for Christmas, my wife at the time and my dad actually got me the game, and that's where it all started.”
From there, Mark quickly became engrossed in the simulation gaming world, exploring different titles until he discovered Euro Truck Simulator 2 through a friend, which he instantly loved. His passion for virtual trucking led him to build his first simulator setup, starting with a basic wooden rig and an affordable steering wheel. “I started on a wooden shoe rack that I took apart, put it back together into the shape of a simulator, and bolted a seat from a Renault Clio onto it. Then I put a 30-pound steering wheel on. You don’t start where you end up, you have to start small.”
His love for simulation extended to American Truck Simulator, where he developed a deep appreciation for American trucks, particularly the Peterbilt 389. “I like the big chrome, big shifter, laid-back seating position. That’s what I like. But as soon as I go on ETS2, I want to sit like a Scania driver, so I change everything around.”
Mark’s journey into content creation was heavily inspired by his father, who had experimented with uploading RC tank videos to YouTube. “My dad mentioned one day, 'Start a YouTube channel, record some videos, bring them to my house, and I'll upload them for you because I have internet.' Brilliant. That’s what I did.”
Over time, Mark transitioned into livestreaming and built a loyal following. His father played a huge role in this, not only as a supporter but as a gamer himself. “My dad was gaming before I even was. I remember him getting into Colin McRae Rally back in the early 2000s when we still had dial-up internet. He was always ahead of the game, even buying a new graphics card every few months since the technology moved so quickly. He swore he’d never get back into gaming, but when I started trucking, he couldn’t resist joining me again.”
Mark’s father became an integral part of his streaming journey, joining in on multiplayer convoys and even taking over the channel occasionally. “He loved it. He went full in, bought himself a full gaming rig, triple monitors, everything. He would take over my streams so I could take a break. He was just as passionate about it as I was.”
Unfortunately, in November 2023, Mark’s father passed away unexpectedly. The loss was devastating. “Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. We had built so much together. He wasn’t just my dad, he was my best mate, my biggest supporter. And suddenly, he was gone.”
Mark not only lost his father but also his home, as his dad had taken over financial responsibilities after Mark’s wife left.”After he passed, I lost the house too. I was basically homeless for five months, bouncing between friends' houses and staying with my 91-year-old Nan. It was a hard time, but the community kept me going.” Despite the immense personal challenges, Mark continued to stream, leaning on his audience for support. He eventually found a new home and rebuilt his studio, determined to carry on his father’s legacy.
Mark’s current setup is a testament to years of dedication from both himself and his father. His simulator consists of a triple 65-inch 4K 120Hz TV setup, a SimMagic Alpha Mini wheelbase, and a collection of truck shifters built by a dedicated community member. For those who have had the pleasure of tuning into Marks stream, you'll know his streams almost look like the real deal! “I stream in kind of a POV style, I have my GoPro camera located behind me, like your sitting on the bunk in the cabin. It gives you that aspect that you’re driving with me.”
While Mark’s simulator setup is already impressive, he always looks for ways to improve. “The simulator side of things is limited, because I want my community to be able to enjoy the view and setup as much as I do. If I were to set it up just for me, I’d make the rig a lot more enclosed and immersive. But I choose to balance it so that everyone can enjoy it”
With over 300,000 followers across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Discord, Mark has built an incredible community. He credits his audience for keeping him motivated and finds joy in interacting with fellow truck sim enthusiasts. “The community has been fantastic. People think you need emotional or financial support, but you really don’t. If you turn your stream on and there are 10 people there in a happy mood, that’s my support.
Mark also tells us of how the kindness of one of his followers led to a relationship, “One of my subscribers, Mitch, very kindly gifted a Fanatec McLaren wheel for my setup. Through my streams, he met two other community members, one who became a very close friend, and the other he recently became engaged to; our community really is special”
Streaming is more than just a hobby for Mark, it’s his full-time passion and job “I can never drive in real life, so I am literally driving for a living through my channel, which is amazing. If you’re looking for a community to join, we are very, very laid back, and we'd love to have you join us, whether you choose to just watch or drive along with us.”
For those looking to follow Mark’s adventures, you can find him streaming on YouTube and Twitch under ArmstrongGaming. “We don’t have a set schedule because of my health. But we go live when we can and as much as possible. We just keep things very calm and collective, no drama, just trucking with friends. Thank you, Mark, for sharing your incredible journey with us! Keep on trucking, and we’ll see you out on the virtual highways.
Has Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator played a vital role in your life? If so, we'd love for you to share your story with our community! If you're interested, you can contact us on X/Twitter, Instagram, or BlueSky!
Today, we're excited to share more previews of the custom-made depots featured in our upcoming Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator! This blog serves as part 2 of a previous post, if you haven't read it yet, you can check it out here.
Also known as The Show-Me State, Missouri offers a diverse range of depots for drivers to deliver to and from. However, one particular industry in this DLC stands out as truly unique! Drivers should exercise extra caution when approaching this custom depot, as the results could be… explosive! It’s time to put your Hazardous cargo skills for transporting dangerous goods to use, as drivers will be required to have the Class 1 Explosives skill point to deliver dynamite from this location. It’s a risky job, but somebody’s got to do it!
Operating under a subsidiary of NAMIQ, one of our in-game companies, drivers will be able to transport not only dynamite to quarries and mines across the United States, but also other cargo to a variety of other locations. Based on a real life location, we are sure you'll enjoy haulin' to this unique depot.
Speaking of quarries, you'll find several throughout Missouri, but the one located nearby the city of Rolla stands out above the rest. This quarry is huge, and players will be able to drive right into its heart, navigating gravel roads and manoeuvring around heavy equipment and mining structures. What makes the Quarry unique is the depot itself, as it is split into two parts. The main hub is used for maintenance and general operations, and the second area which is the core of the quarry itself.
We urge you to explore everything that the quarry (and other depots in Missouri) has to offer, those who do may discover more than what appears on their GPS.
Missouri is also one of the leading producers of timber products. With numerous harvest sites scattered across the state, truckers will have no shortage of jobs. Be sure to equip your rig with the appropriate tires and accessories as you travel through forested areas and dirt roads. We are sure you will enjoy delivering to these custom depots.
We hope you enjoyed checking out more of the custom-made depots you'll be able to explore and deliver to in our upcoming Missouri DLC. If you like what you see, be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! Also, if you'd like to stay up to date with the latest news, you can have it delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
Also known as The Show-Me State, Missouri offers a diverse range of depots for drivers to deliver to and from. However, one particular industry in this DLC stands out as truly unique! Drivers should exercise extra caution when approaching this custom depot, as the results could be… explosive! It’s time to put your Hazardous cargo skills for transporting dangerous goods to use, as drivers will be required to have the Class 1 Explosives skill point to deliver dynamite from this location. It’s a risky job, but somebody’s got to do it!
Operating under a subsidiary of NAMIQ, one of our in-game companies, drivers will be able to transport not only dynamite to quarries and mines across the United States, but also other cargo to a variety of other locations. Based on a real life location, we are sure you'll enjoy haulin' to this unique depot.
Speaking of quarries, you'll find several throughout Missouri, but the one located nearby the city of Rolla stands out above the rest. This quarry is huge, and players will be able to drive right into its heart, navigating gravel roads and manoeuvring around heavy equipment and mining structures. What makes the Quarry unique is the depot itself, as it is split into two parts. The main hub is used for maintenance and general operations, and the second area which is the core of the quarry itself.
We urge you to explore everything that the quarry (and other depots in Missouri) has to offer, those who do may discover more than what appears on their GPS.
Missouri is also one of the leading producers of timber products. With numerous harvest sites scattered across the state, truckers will have no shortage of jobs. Be sure to equip your rig with the appropriate tires and accessories as you travel through forested areas and dirt roads. We are sure you will enjoy delivering to these custom depots.
We hope you enjoyed checking out more of the custom-made depots you'll be able to explore and deliver to in our upcoming Missouri DLC. If you like what you see, be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! Also, if you'd like to stay up to date with the latest news, you can have it delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
Today, we are happy to take you for another look Under the Hood! This time, we bring you an interview with some of the members of our team who are working on the redefined cargo system for both ETS2 and ATS in the upcoming 1.54 update. So without further delay, we'll let the experts explain what this new system is all about and take you behind the scenes of their work!
As our games continue to expand, the number of cargo types and trailers has grown significantly, making the old system increasingly difficult to manage. To understand why a change was necessary, it helps to look at how the previous system worked.
Until now, what seemed like the game combining a trailer with cargo, such as a piece of machinery, was actually a manually created model, with each trailer-cargo pair stored separately on disk. This approach required an enormous number of unique models, making it harder to add new content efficiently and taking up disk space.
Programmer Simon, also known as 50keda, who worked on this task from the very beginning, explains this in more depth.
"In our world, every cargo must be attached to a trailer in some way. The way cargo is visually linked to the trailer, including the chosen model for loading, is part of what we call the cargo system. This system manages how visual models of cargo are connected to the appropriate trailers, playing a role in the broader economy. As our projects expanded, the number of cargo and trailers increased to the point where the older approach became unsustainable. Managing the growing combinations of trailers and cargo became overwhelming, leading to longer release times and affecting the order in which new cargo and trailers could be integrated," he shares with us.
Smety, our Senior Vehicle Artist explains that this issue has been a growing problem for some time and needed solving. "Things were getting complicated with the arrival of new cargo and a lot of new branded trailers to the game. Each cargo was attached to all trailers of that type, meaning if we had 3 flatbeds, we also needed 3 specific cargo models - and every cargo variant usually has two or three visuals. Plus, we have branded trailers so the combinations were reaching huge numbers. I had the task of reworking the trailers."
Our goal was to simplify the process of connecting new cargo and trailers, eliminating the need to manually manage their combinations, as Simon explains here: "We could achieve this by having the code automatically merge cargo and trailers based on simplified rules, rather than creating separate models for each trailer type. This means that each cargo will define its own model, loading methodology, and lashing method. While this approach may have some initial challenges and might not be perfect at first, it lays the foundation for future expansion and improvement. For example, when loading cargo programmatically - such as a pallet - you will only need to model a single pallet. The code will then determine the correct number of models and position them on the trailer according to the chosen loading methodology."
So the new system's biggest advantage is that it no longer requires our 3D artists to manually create pre-baked trailer-cargo pairs. Instead, it dynamically matches any compatible trailer with any compatible cargo, procedurally decides its placement and generates believable lashing elements which will make the work of our vehicle team much easier.
Our producer, Karel, coordinated the project and played a key role in overseeing its progress, helping to ensure a smooth completion.
Karel - Producer
"When I joined the development team, I was initially just curious about how wooden logs would be handled in the new system, as I was mainly working on a related feature which is the dynamic cargo (un)loading. However, when I realized the massive amount of work required - replacing thousands of combinations of cargoes and trailers with just a few hundred "smart" ones - I took over production responsibilities so Simon could focus primarily on development. This included providing time estimates, planning, tracking progress, getting more 3D graphic vehicle designers and testers involved, scheduling the release, and more. And of course, a huge shoutout to our QA team, who took on the heavy task of testing all combinations and reporting countless issues," Karel shares with us.
Naturally, we also had to rework the cargo models to ensure they function seamlessly with the new system, which automatically pairs cargo with trailers. Matěj, our 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer, took on this task.
Matěj - 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer
"Instead of creating six or more different cargo models, I designed a single version and, when necessary, split it into multiple variants for more diverse cargo - such as two versions of air conditioning units. After finalizing the model, I checked to ensure everything was in order and placed special locators to define how and where the cargo would be secured to the trailer. The system then dynamically distributes the cargo based on its size and weight and the trailer's length. This new approach simplifies the creation of cargo models and allows for greater variety in the game," Matěj tells us.
Petr, another 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer on our team, is working on the same task - and, in his own words, he's enjoying it.
Petr - 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer
"I joined the New Cargo System project between August and September, working alongside Smety and Simon. My primary task - then and now - is converting existing cargo into the new system. It was an exciting shift for me, moving from 3D modelling to actively developing a new game feature, which I found both stimulating and fun," says Petr.
Our programmer, Max, played a key role in integrating the new cargo system into the games' economy, among other tasks, as he explains below.
Max - Programmer
"The main part of my work on the new cargo system was its design and connection to the rest of the game. Automatic placing and lashing of independent cargo models should simplify any modelling work for the future. Recalibrating the economy data ensures it should work with all current cargo and trailer combinations. There are some issues remaining, so we definitely have plans for improvements for the next time," Max says.
This change will significantly boost the work of our vehicle team as it allows them to create even more cargo and trailer combinations as we continue expanding our games. While there may be issues in the first iteration, it's a worthwhile goal to refine the system, as it not only improves efficiency but also saves disk space and memory by eliminating the need to store countless pre-made combinations.
Simon teases that this project may lead to other possibilities for both of our games. "For now, we're focusing on reworking all cargo and trailers to be compatible with the new system while ensuring they look visually believable. That said, the cargo system opens the door to countless possibilities. This project will definitely be integrated with dynamic cargo (un)loading, and we aim to improve the way we calculate how many items can fit on a trailer. Currently, the logic is fairly simple and won't be accurate in every case, but it already showcases the system's potential. With a bit of imagination, this could even lead to some level of player interaction - but we'll see where it takes us."
We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look into the new cargo system from the point of view of our colleagues who work on it. Make sure to stay connected with us for all future updates by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. We'll see you on the road!
As our games continue to expand, the number of cargo types and trailers has grown significantly, making the old system increasingly difficult to manage. To understand why a change was necessary, it helps to look at how the previous system worked.
Until now, what seemed like the game combining a trailer with cargo, such as a piece of machinery, was actually a manually created model, with each trailer-cargo pair stored separately on disk. This approach required an enormous number of unique models, making it harder to add new content efficiently and taking up disk space.
Programmer Simon, also known as 50keda, who worked on this task from the very beginning, explains this in more depth.
"In our world, every cargo must be attached to a trailer in some way. The way cargo is visually linked to the trailer, including the chosen model for loading, is part of what we call the cargo system. This system manages how visual models of cargo are connected to the appropriate trailers, playing a role in the broader economy. As our projects expanded, the number of cargo and trailers increased to the point where the older approach became unsustainable. Managing the growing combinations of trailers and cargo became overwhelming, leading to longer release times and affecting the order in which new cargo and trailers could be integrated," he shares with us.
Smety, our Senior Vehicle Artist explains that this issue has been a growing problem for some time and needed solving. "Things were getting complicated with the arrival of new cargo and a lot of new branded trailers to the game. Each cargo was attached to all trailers of that type, meaning if we had 3 flatbeds, we also needed 3 specific cargo models - and every cargo variant usually has two or three visuals. Plus, we have branded trailers so the combinations were reaching huge numbers. I had the task of reworking the trailers."
Our goal was to simplify the process of connecting new cargo and trailers, eliminating the need to manually manage their combinations, as Simon explains here: "We could achieve this by having the code automatically merge cargo and trailers based on simplified rules, rather than creating separate models for each trailer type. This means that each cargo will define its own model, loading methodology, and lashing method. While this approach may have some initial challenges and might not be perfect at first, it lays the foundation for future expansion and improvement. For example, when loading cargo programmatically - such as a pallet - you will only need to model a single pallet. The code will then determine the correct number of models and position them on the trailer according to the chosen loading methodology."
So the new system's biggest advantage is that it no longer requires our 3D artists to manually create pre-baked trailer-cargo pairs. Instead, it dynamically matches any compatible trailer with any compatible cargo, procedurally decides its placement and generates believable lashing elements which will make the work of our vehicle team much easier.
Our producer, Karel, coordinated the project and played a key role in overseeing its progress, helping to ensure a smooth completion.
Karel - Producer
"When I joined the development team, I was initially just curious about how wooden logs would be handled in the new system, as I was mainly working on a related feature which is the dynamic cargo (un)loading. However, when I realized the massive amount of work required - replacing thousands of combinations of cargoes and trailers with just a few hundred "smart" ones - I took over production responsibilities so Simon could focus primarily on development. This included providing time estimates, planning, tracking progress, getting more 3D graphic vehicle designers and testers involved, scheduling the release, and more. And of course, a huge shoutout to our QA team, who took on the heavy task of testing all combinations and reporting countless issues," Karel shares with us.
Naturally, we also had to rework the cargo models to ensure they function seamlessly with the new system, which automatically pairs cargo with trailers. Matěj, our 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer, took on this task.
Matěj - 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer
"Instead of creating six or more different cargo models, I designed a single version and, when necessary, split it into multiple variants for more diverse cargo - such as two versions of air conditioning units. After finalizing the model, I checked to ensure everything was in order and placed special locators to define how and where the cargo would be secured to the trailer. The system then dynamically distributes the cargo based on its size and weight and the trailer's length. This new approach simplifies the creation of cargo models and allows for greater variety in the game," Matěj tells us.
Petr, another 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer on our team, is working on the same task - and, in his own words, he's enjoying it.
Petr - 3D Graphic Vehicle Designer
"I joined the New Cargo System project between August and September, working alongside Smety and Simon. My primary task - then and now - is converting existing cargo into the new system. It was an exciting shift for me, moving from 3D modelling to actively developing a new game feature, which I found both stimulating and fun," says Petr.
Our programmer, Max, played a key role in integrating the new cargo system into the games' economy, among other tasks, as he explains below.
Max - Programmer
"The main part of my work on the new cargo system was its design and connection to the rest of the game. Automatic placing and lashing of independent cargo models should simplify any modelling work for the future. Recalibrating the economy data ensures it should work with all current cargo and trailer combinations. There are some issues remaining, so we definitely have plans for improvements for the next time," Max says.
This change will significantly boost the work of our vehicle team as it allows them to create even more cargo and trailer combinations as we continue expanding our games. While there may be issues in the first iteration, it's a worthwhile goal to refine the system, as it not only improves efficiency but also saves disk space and memory by eliminating the need to store countless pre-made combinations.
Simon teases that this project may lead to other possibilities for both of our games. "For now, we're focusing on reworking all cargo and trailers to be compatible with the new system while ensuring they look visually believable. That said, the cargo system opens the door to countless possibilities. This project will definitely be integrated with dynamic cargo (un)loading, and we aim to improve the way we calculate how many items can fit on a trailer. Currently, the logic is fairly simple and won't be accurate in every case, but it already showcases the system's potential. With a bit of imagination, this could even lead to some level of player interaction - but we'll see where it takes us."
We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look into the new cargo system from the point of view of our colleagues who work on it. Make sure to stay connected with us for all future updates by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. We'll see you on the road!
When driving through a virtual city, the details make all the difference in making it feel alive and immersive. One of our latest additions to our truck simulation titles is the introduction of Parallax Interiors, an innovative way to render detailed interiors through windows using a clever illusion. This enhances the visual depth of buildings in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, which you may have already spotted in recent releases such as the Greece DLC or our Return to Winterland World of Trucks event.
Today, we’re going Under the Hood on the process behind Parallax Interiors and exploring the research, development, and implementation that made this feature possible. We spoke with some members of the team behind this project. We will let them introduce themselves!
“Hi, my name is Sasha, and I work in the asset department of ETS2. My main focus is developing methodologies for solving various visual challenges. I collaborate with other departments on art-related tasks and occasionally take on different roles across various projects. During the development of parallax, I took on a role somewhere between an art lead and a project manager, helping to shape the process and guide the team.”
“Hi there, my name is Jan V. and my work at SCS for the last five years has mainly comprised high-level graphics programming with the occasional venture into internal tools development; more specifically, most of my tasks involve either researching and implementing new graphics features or improving existing ones, be it model materials or post-processing effects.”
“Hi, my name is Yurii H., and I joined the SCS Software team almost 3 years ago. I work as a 3D designer on the ETS Assets team. Over the past year, I've been focusing on specific tasks such as creating new menu scenes, working on the parallax project, and improving the interiors of assets.”
“Hi, I am Martin Č, I’ve been working as a tools programmer at SCS for over 5 years now. During that time, I’ve been mainly focused on supporting our artists by creating specialized tools in Maya and managing our asset pipeline with my colleague and good friend Petr B. One of these specialized tools was our so-called “Interior Window Tool” which allows artists to apply our new parallax interior shader to assets."
The Vision Behind Parallax Interiors
What was the motivation behind creating these new Parallax Interiors? “The idea came from one of our colleagues, Wave, who was inspired by how other games, such as Forza, implemented a similar technology.” Sasha tells us “He built the first prototype, proving that this approach could work within our games. From there, we refined the process and expanded it into a full-fledged feature, so big kudos to him for that!”
“It is commonly said that real-time computer graphics is all smoke and mirrors. Whenever we see an opportunity to improve our visuals on a mass scale without having to necessarily compromise on performance, we deem it especially worth looking into.” Jan V explains, “Seeing as we are far from the only developers out there building a virtual world closely modelled after reality, noticing similar tech being widely adopted with impressive results in other games provided us with the inspiration necessary to decide on adapting it ourselves, perhaps even coming up with new improvements to the technique as a result.”
“Having a straightforward, universal way of both creating and rendering realistic-looking building interiors would hopefully enable us to save time on both the asset authoring front (not having to manually create each and every room behind each and every window) as well as the rendering one - with parallax mapping, many interior instances can essentially be drawn at once using a single piece of specially parametrised geometry, among other things. Considering that we had also been using an extremely simplified version of the effect in our games for many years at this point, upgrading to a more up-to-date look just seemed like the logical thing to do”
Where did it all begin?
“In the early stages, way before the research and model artist crew got involved, we started off with a experimental phase” Jan V tells us " The team consisted of Wave and me, who took care of creating the initial textures and 3D modelling work. We were looking at what's realistically possible to implement, coming up with a basic list of requirements and procedurally iterating on what's called a vertical slice, an in-engine initial prototype used to represent what could realistically be formally implemented later into the production pipeline. In this particular case, this process consisted of taking an existing 3D asset and adapting it to use this new rendering technique.”
“Before starting work on creating parallax interiors, our programmers developed a shader, which we initially tested using simple blockout scenes.” Yurii H explains “Once the shader passed testing successfully, our researchers conducted an extensive study to determine the types of interiors we needed, their sizes, and how many would be required. Only after that did we move on to fully developing the atlas.”
“Our goal was to cover as many use cases as possible with the least amount of textures and tools.” Sasha explains “In other words, we needed to design interiors that would look natural and consistent across all countries, cities, and building types, in both ETS2 and ATS, while keeping the implementation as streamlined as possible. This required extensive research.
“We conducted a detailed study of interior types, their proportional distribution, and their relevance to both of our games. Beyond interiors themselves, our research extended to various types of curtains, blinds, shutters, decals, advertisements, and other related elements. The next step consisted of creating these interiors. Once we had a solid understanding of our needs, we began the process of assembling texture atlases to categorize interiors by type. This allowed us to create variations suited for different types of buildings, such as administrative offices, apartments, restaurants, and shops, while maintaining an efficient and manageable workflow.”
The Technology, Tools and Code.
The implementation of Parallax Interiors wouldn't be possible without the work of our talented programmers and artists. To make Parallax Interiors easy to work with, Martin Č, one of our tool programmers, developed the Interior Window Tool for Prismtool, which is what we call our internal tooling here at SCS. “A lot of it is centred around Autodesk Maya which is used in-house to create assets for our games including trucks and other vehicles, buildings, props, roads, vegetation, characters, and more.”
Martin goes on to explain the creation of this specialized tool “First and foremost, I wanted it to be simple to use and understand. Under the hood, it is a tool that helps artists with the process of UV mapping, during which artists determine how textures are mapped to an asset. The resulting tool is therefore very point and click. Artists see an overview of all rooms which can be assigned to a group of faces (polygons - i.e. geometry in the 3D scene).”
“At first sight, it might look simple, but behind the curtain the tool needs to determine which faces can form a so-called “portal” into a single room based on their orientation and proximity. There is also some additional logic which tries to determine whether the faces can be on the same floor or need to be separated into multiple floors. Additionally, to push some boundaries, I was determined to add a “Randomize Rooms” button which would automagically assign rooms to windows for a large selection of faces. This is my magnum opus when it comes to this tool!”
“Another interesting challenge was adjusting the tool during its lifetime to various changes made to the interior shader by Jan V, who continuously came up with improvements and optimizations. For example, Jan added an option to disable glass on different windows. Later on, he added an option for the windows to be tilted at any angle. So you can have a roof window or a hole in the ground with a caveat that the room will be tilted along with the window. The tool was not written with these possibilities in mind at first and it involved some rewrites and interesting maths for this to be supported.
As mentioned, Jan was responsible for the shader itself. We spoke with him more about the technical aspect of this project, and how he helped developed it. “The secret ingredient at work here is operating within the boundaries of a tightly-defined problem space.” Jan explains, “most building interiors we see can be geometrically approximated as open boxes - that is to say, if we simply decide that all we need to know about a room in order to render it is its position, dimensions and texture, things suddenly get a lot easier!”
“Working off such a simplified model in the first place is what allowed me to implement a working solution as a real-time effect that is both entirely shader-based and light on texture memory requirements; in other words, the crux of the work is done by compact programs living on the GPU with very little external overhead. In addition to basic texture projection, the same rendering procedure also takes care of simulating proper interior lighting (adapted to time of day) as well as any objects covering the interior space, such as glass or translucent window curtains.”
"Before making this effect a stable part of our toolset, we had to define the right technical constraints and artist-driven parameters, balancing performance, visual fidelity, and creative freedom. Getting it production-ready was challenging, requiring multiple revisions of tools and shaders to resolve pre-production roadblocks as artists adapted existing models. Despite the challenges, the final result was worth the effort. My favorite part of developing graphics features is the freedom to experiment, blending artistic vision with solving complex technical problems."
Interior Design
With so many types of buildings found across Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, creating a variety of interior designs to represent some of the more common shops, businesses, living spaces and more was an important task. We spoke with Yurii H to learn more about his role in creating them. "Although we had detailed research to guide us, it mainly served as inspiration for me." Yurii explains "My primary task was to design each interior from scratch and think about how to make the lighting more varied, since each scene needed three lighting variations, for different times of the day/night".
"Our selection criteria were roughly as follows: first, defining atlas types based on interior categories (administrative buildings, restaurants, shops, apartments)." Sasha explains to us "Then, segmenting each category by "price range", for example, deciding how many restaurants should appear high-end versus more affordable and which of these should be more prevalent. Finally, considering the size of each individual interior, and how large each room should be and how that would affect the overall atlas layout."
"Throughout this process, we had to keep one crucial aspect in mind: the atlases needed to be as generic as possible while still looking appropriate and believable across a wide range of scenarios where these interiors would be used. Once the atlas layouts were designed, discussed, and approved, we moved on to developing each interior individually."
"Once everything was ready, I created four renders, three for the lighting setups and one for the normal map." Yurii tells us "The time needed to complete an interior depended on its size, which could range from 1 to 4 sections, taking anywhere from 1 to 3 days in total."
"We encountered many interesting challenges." Sasha explains "To start with, we had only a very rough understanding of how to create these interiors in the first place, meaning we had to invent the workflow on the fly. Parallax mapping, while visually impressive, comes with strict limitations. What you see in the game isn’t actual geometry, it’s essentially a render projected onto the inner walls of a cube. Because of this, at certain angles and in specific conditions, the illusion can break, revealing noticeable distortions in furniture, lighting, and other visual artifacts."
"Fortunately, we dedicated plenty of time to pre-production and studied how similar technologies have been used in other games. For me personally, minimizing these distortions as much as possible was a key priority. We wanted to develop a toolset that would stand the test of time, remaining relevant for years both in terms of visual quality for players and ease of use for our artists. Beyond the technical challenges, what truly made this project special for me was the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across different departments. It was inspiring to see the level of effort and enthusiasm everyone put into the parallax project — even knowing that, in the end, it would be just a minor background improvement..."
The Future of Parallax
Will we continue to see Parallax interiors in the future and possibly more variety and additions? "Yes, absolutely!" Sasha tells us "New interiors will continue to be introduced with upcoming content, and we also have plans to rework some of the older assets, integrating parallax interiors into them. Over time, these interiors will become a standard feature across the game. As for new atlases, you can definitely expect more!". Yurii also goes on to share a little teaser with us, "Here’s a little insider info, these new parallax interiors will feature technology that allows them to be used not only behind "windows" but also in open spaces, like garages, which will further enhance the visuals in our game"
"Beyond generic atlases, we also have the flexibility to create specialized interiors, for example, for seasonal events." Sasha explains "You might have noticed some changes in this year's Christmas map, where we put together a holiday-themed interior atlas. You may expect more seasonal and event-related updates like this in the future. On top of that, we’ve been discussing expanding the functionality of the parallax shader itself. I’d love to spill the tea on those plans, but... let’s keep it a secret for now. ;)"
We'd like to thank you all for taking the time to read all about Parallax Interiors, and we hope you learnt quite a bit of the process involved in bringing these into virtual world! We asked the team to share a final message for you all reading.
"Thank you for your support, enthusiasm, and loyalty to our game. Seeing you enjoy what we create is the best motivation for our entire team. We always strive to make each new piece of content better and more exciting, and it’s truly rewarding to know that our work resonates with you. Love what you do, stay open to new opportunities, and enjoy every moment. Explore, experiment, and never stop seeking inspiration. Thank you for being with us — there’s so much more to come!"
If you enjoyed this Under the Hood blog, be sure to leave a message for the team, we’re sure they’ll appreciate your comments! We look forward to sharing more Under the Hood topics in the future. If you'd like to read previous articles, you can find them all here. Until next time, keep on truckin'!
Today, we’re going Under the Hood on the process behind Parallax Interiors and exploring the research, development, and implementation that made this feature possible. We spoke with some members of the team behind this project. We will let them introduce themselves!
“Hi, my name is Sasha, and I work in the asset department of ETS2. My main focus is developing methodologies for solving various visual challenges. I collaborate with other departments on art-related tasks and occasionally take on different roles across various projects. During the development of parallax, I took on a role somewhere between an art lead and a project manager, helping to shape the process and guide the team.”
“Hi there, my name is Jan V. and my work at SCS for the last five years has mainly comprised high-level graphics programming with the occasional venture into internal tools development; more specifically, most of my tasks involve either researching and implementing new graphics features or improving existing ones, be it model materials or post-processing effects.”
“Hi, my name is Yurii H., and I joined the SCS Software team almost 3 years ago. I work as a 3D designer on the ETS Assets team. Over the past year, I've been focusing on specific tasks such as creating new menu scenes, working on the parallax project, and improving the interiors of assets.”
“Hi, I am Martin Č, I’ve been working as a tools programmer at SCS for over 5 years now. During that time, I’ve been mainly focused on supporting our artists by creating specialized tools in Maya and managing our asset pipeline with my colleague and good friend Petr B. One of these specialized tools was our so-called “Interior Window Tool” which allows artists to apply our new parallax interior shader to assets."
The Vision Behind Parallax Interiors
What was the motivation behind creating these new Parallax Interiors? “The idea came from one of our colleagues, Wave, who was inspired by how other games, such as Forza, implemented a similar technology.” Sasha tells us “He built the first prototype, proving that this approach could work within our games. From there, we refined the process and expanded it into a full-fledged feature, so big kudos to him for that!”
“It is commonly said that real-time computer graphics is all smoke and mirrors. Whenever we see an opportunity to improve our visuals on a mass scale without having to necessarily compromise on performance, we deem it especially worth looking into.” Jan V explains, “Seeing as we are far from the only developers out there building a virtual world closely modelled after reality, noticing similar tech being widely adopted with impressive results in other games provided us with the inspiration necessary to decide on adapting it ourselves, perhaps even coming up with new improvements to the technique as a result.”
“Having a straightforward, universal way of both creating and rendering realistic-looking building interiors would hopefully enable us to save time on both the asset authoring front (not having to manually create each and every room behind each and every window) as well as the rendering one - with parallax mapping, many interior instances can essentially be drawn at once using a single piece of specially parametrised geometry, among other things. Considering that we had also been using an extremely simplified version of the effect in our games for many years at this point, upgrading to a more up-to-date look just seemed like the logical thing to do”
Where did it all begin?
“In the early stages, way before the research and model artist crew got involved, we started off with a experimental phase” Jan V tells us " The team consisted of Wave and me, who took care of creating the initial textures and 3D modelling work. We were looking at what's realistically possible to implement, coming up with a basic list of requirements and procedurally iterating on what's called a vertical slice, an in-engine initial prototype used to represent what could realistically be formally implemented later into the production pipeline. In this particular case, this process consisted of taking an existing 3D asset and adapting it to use this new rendering technique.”
“Before starting work on creating parallax interiors, our programmers developed a shader, which we initially tested using simple blockout scenes.” Yurii H explains “Once the shader passed testing successfully, our researchers conducted an extensive study to determine the types of interiors we needed, their sizes, and how many would be required. Only after that did we move on to fully developing the atlas.”
“Our goal was to cover as many use cases as possible with the least amount of textures and tools.” Sasha explains “In other words, we needed to design interiors that would look natural and consistent across all countries, cities, and building types, in both ETS2 and ATS, while keeping the implementation as streamlined as possible. This required extensive research.
“We conducted a detailed study of interior types, their proportional distribution, and their relevance to both of our games. Beyond interiors themselves, our research extended to various types of curtains, blinds, shutters, decals, advertisements, and other related elements. The next step consisted of creating these interiors. Once we had a solid understanding of our needs, we began the process of assembling texture atlases to categorize interiors by type. This allowed us to create variations suited for different types of buildings, such as administrative offices, apartments, restaurants, and shops, while maintaining an efficient and manageable workflow.”
The Technology, Tools and Code.
The implementation of Parallax Interiors wouldn't be possible without the work of our talented programmers and artists. To make Parallax Interiors easy to work with, Martin Č, one of our tool programmers, developed the Interior Window Tool for Prismtool, which is what we call our internal tooling here at SCS. “A lot of it is centred around Autodesk Maya which is used in-house to create assets for our games including trucks and other vehicles, buildings, props, roads, vegetation, characters, and more.”
Martin goes on to explain the creation of this specialized tool “First and foremost, I wanted it to be simple to use and understand. Under the hood, it is a tool that helps artists with the process of UV mapping, during which artists determine how textures are mapped to an asset. The resulting tool is therefore very point and click. Artists see an overview of all rooms which can be assigned to a group of faces (polygons - i.e. geometry in the 3D scene).”
“At first sight, it might look simple, but behind the curtain the tool needs to determine which faces can form a so-called “portal” into a single room based on their orientation and proximity. There is also some additional logic which tries to determine whether the faces can be on the same floor or need to be separated into multiple floors. Additionally, to push some boundaries, I was determined to add a “Randomize Rooms” button which would automagically assign rooms to windows for a large selection of faces. This is my magnum opus when it comes to this tool!”
“Another interesting challenge was adjusting the tool during its lifetime to various changes made to the interior shader by Jan V, who continuously came up with improvements and optimizations. For example, Jan added an option to disable glass on different windows. Later on, he added an option for the windows to be tilted at any angle. So you can have a roof window or a hole in the ground with a caveat that the room will be tilted along with the window. The tool was not written with these possibilities in mind at first and it involved some rewrites and interesting maths for this to be supported.
As mentioned, Jan was responsible for the shader itself. We spoke with him more about the technical aspect of this project, and how he helped developed it. “The secret ingredient at work here is operating within the boundaries of a tightly-defined problem space.” Jan explains, “most building interiors we see can be geometrically approximated as open boxes - that is to say, if we simply decide that all we need to know about a room in order to render it is its position, dimensions and texture, things suddenly get a lot easier!”
“Working off such a simplified model in the first place is what allowed me to implement a working solution as a real-time effect that is both entirely shader-based and light on texture memory requirements; in other words, the crux of the work is done by compact programs living on the GPU with very little external overhead. In addition to basic texture projection, the same rendering procedure also takes care of simulating proper interior lighting (adapted to time of day) as well as any objects covering the interior space, such as glass or translucent window curtains.”
"Before making this effect a stable part of our toolset, we had to define the right technical constraints and artist-driven parameters, balancing performance, visual fidelity, and creative freedom. Getting it production-ready was challenging, requiring multiple revisions of tools and shaders to resolve pre-production roadblocks as artists adapted existing models. Despite the challenges, the final result was worth the effort. My favorite part of developing graphics features is the freedom to experiment, blending artistic vision with solving complex technical problems."
Interior Design
With so many types of buildings found across Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, creating a variety of interior designs to represent some of the more common shops, businesses, living spaces and more was an important task. We spoke with Yurii H to learn more about his role in creating them. "Although we had detailed research to guide us, it mainly served as inspiration for me." Yurii explains "My primary task was to design each interior from scratch and think about how to make the lighting more varied, since each scene needed three lighting variations, for different times of the day/night".
"Our selection criteria were roughly as follows: first, defining atlas types based on interior categories (administrative buildings, restaurants, shops, apartments)." Sasha explains to us "Then, segmenting each category by "price range", for example, deciding how many restaurants should appear high-end versus more affordable and which of these should be more prevalent. Finally, considering the size of each individual interior, and how large each room should be and how that would affect the overall atlas layout."
"Throughout this process, we had to keep one crucial aspect in mind: the atlases needed to be as generic as possible while still looking appropriate and believable across a wide range of scenarios where these interiors would be used. Once the atlas layouts were designed, discussed, and approved, we moved on to developing each interior individually."
"Once everything was ready, I created four renders, three for the lighting setups and one for the normal map." Yurii tells us "The time needed to complete an interior depended on its size, which could range from 1 to 4 sections, taking anywhere from 1 to 3 days in total."
"We encountered many interesting challenges." Sasha explains "To start with, we had only a very rough understanding of how to create these interiors in the first place, meaning we had to invent the workflow on the fly. Parallax mapping, while visually impressive, comes with strict limitations. What you see in the game isn’t actual geometry, it’s essentially a render projected onto the inner walls of a cube. Because of this, at certain angles and in specific conditions, the illusion can break, revealing noticeable distortions in furniture, lighting, and other visual artifacts."
"Fortunately, we dedicated plenty of time to pre-production and studied how similar technologies have been used in other games. For me personally, minimizing these distortions as much as possible was a key priority. We wanted to develop a toolset that would stand the test of time, remaining relevant for years both in terms of visual quality for players and ease of use for our artists. Beyond the technical challenges, what truly made this project special for me was the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across different departments. It was inspiring to see the level of effort and enthusiasm everyone put into the parallax project — even knowing that, in the end, it would be just a minor background improvement..."
The Future of Parallax
Will we continue to see Parallax interiors in the future and possibly more variety and additions? "Yes, absolutely!" Sasha tells us "New interiors will continue to be introduced with upcoming content, and we also have plans to rework some of the older assets, integrating parallax interiors into them. Over time, these interiors will become a standard feature across the game. As for new atlases, you can definitely expect more!". Yurii also goes on to share a little teaser with us, "Here’s a little insider info, these new parallax interiors will feature technology that allows them to be used not only behind "windows" but also in open spaces, like garages, which will further enhance the visuals in our game"
"Beyond generic atlases, we also have the flexibility to create specialized interiors, for example, for seasonal events." Sasha explains "You might have noticed some changes in this year's Christmas map, where we put together a holiday-themed interior atlas. You may expect more seasonal and event-related updates like this in the future. On top of that, we’ve been discussing expanding the functionality of the parallax shader itself. I’d love to spill the tea on those plans, but... let’s keep it a secret for now. ;)"
We'd like to thank you all for taking the time to read all about Parallax Interiors, and we hope you learnt quite a bit of the process involved in bringing these into virtual world! We asked the team to share a final message for you all reading.
"Thank you for your support, enthusiasm, and loyalty to our game. Seeing you enjoy what we create is the best motivation for our entire team. We always strive to make each new piece of content better and more exciting, and it’s truly rewarding to know that our work resonates with you. Love what you do, stay open to new opportunities, and enjoy every moment. Explore, experiment, and never stop seeking inspiration. Thank you for being with us — there’s so much more to come!"
If you enjoyed this Under the Hood blog, be sure to leave a message for the team, we’re sure they’ll appreciate your comments! We look forward to sharing more Under the Hood topics in the future. If you'd like to read previous articles, you can find them all here. Until next time, keep on truckin'!
Welcome to the Heart of America! Located near the geographic center of the United States, Kansas City is one of the many destinations you'll be able to explore in our upcoming Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator. Today, we're excited to share more information and previews of this bustling metropolitan area. Let’s take a closer look!
For players who own the Kansas DLC, this location may already familiar to you, that's because the city straddles the Missouri and Kansas state line! In the Kansas DLC, players could admire the city’s skyline and explore the surrounding industrial areas. In our upcoming Missouri DLC, you will have the opportunity to drive through the heart of the city and see what the other side has to offer.
From iconic skyscrapers to buildings like the Kansas City Convention Center, the State Court building, the Federal Building, the Tech Center, and a new sports stadium located by the Missouri River; you'll be able to discover plenty of landmarks across the city. This includes the opportunity to travel through its downtown area, which will be accessible by owners of both the Kansas and Missouri DLC!
Speaking of the Missouri River, you will also be able to travel across the Christopher S. Bond Bridge. This crossing is a key connection point for road traffic and plays a crucial role in the daily operations of the Kansas City area. It allows for a smooth transition over the Missouri River for both cars and freight transport.
With such a busy city, comes the demand for logistics, transportation and more! Drivers will find a variety of industries to deliver to and from, including unique ones such as Underground Warehouses, which we covered in a recent blog topic, check it out here!
Are you excited to explore the other half of Kansas City? Then consider adding the Missouri DLC to your Steam Wishlist, as it helps support our releases! You can also stay up to date with all our latest development news for American Truck Simulator by following our official X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
For players who own the Kansas DLC, this location may already familiar to you, that's because the city straddles the Missouri and Kansas state line! In the Kansas DLC, players could admire the city’s skyline and explore the surrounding industrial areas. In our upcoming Missouri DLC, you will have the opportunity to drive through the heart of the city and see what the other side has to offer.
From iconic skyscrapers to buildings like the Kansas City Convention Center, the State Court building, the Federal Building, the Tech Center, and a new sports stadium located by the Missouri River; you'll be able to discover plenty of landmarks across the city. This includes the opportunity to travel through its downtown area, which will be accessible by owners of both the Kansas and Missouri DLC!
Speaking of the Missouri River, you will also be able to travel across the Christopher S. Bond Bridge. This crossing is a key connection point for road traffic and plays a crucial role in the daily operations of the Kansas City area. It allows for a smooth transition over the Missouri River for both cars and freight transport.
With such a busy city, comes the demand for logistics, transportation and more! Drivers will find a variety of industries to deliver to and from, including unique ones such as Underground Warehouses, which we covered in a recent blog topic, check it out here!
Are you excited to explore the other half of Kansas City? Then consider adding the Missouri DLC to your Steam Wishlist, as it helps support our releases! You can also stay up to date with all our latest development news for American Truck Simulator by following our official X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/
We are very excited to reveal that we have begun working on another U.S. state for American Truck Simulator. At this time, we have four map expansions in development, so Missouri, Iowa, and Louisiana will now be joined by...
Illinois for American Truck Simulator!
Welcome to the beautiful Prairie State! Illinois showcases the best of what the USA has to offer. Hop into your rig, hit the legendary Route 66, and journey through Springfield, the state’s historic capital, to Chicago, one of the Midwest's most iconic cities.
Travel alongside the mighty Mississippi River, which defines the state’s western border. Discover charming river towns, classic steamboats, and scenic vineyards dotting the landscape. In the southern part of Illinois, experience a blend of cities, lush farmland, and quaint small towns. Meanwhile, the northeastern region is a bustling hub of urban and suburban life, anchored by Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, nestled on the bank of Lake Michigan.
Illinois is not just about its picturesque landscapes, you can also be sure there will be no shortage of jobs waiting for you. The state ranks among the nation's leaders in exports, agricultural production, and manufacturing as it lies within both the old industrial belt and the fertile agricultural heart of the country. Chicago serves as a national railroad hub, its O’Hare International Airport is one of the busiest in the world, and the state’s highways and waterways are always busy with traffic.
We can’t wait for you to explore everything the Illinois DLC for American Truck Simulator has to offer. Add this map expansion to your Steam Wishlist and get ready for an unforgettable adventure! Make sure to stay connected with us for all the updates by following our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3486960/
Illinois for American Truck Simulator!
Welcome to the beautiful Prairie State! Illinois showcases the best of what the USA has to offer. Hop into your rig, hit the legendary Route 66, and journey through Springfield, the state’s historic capital, to Chicago, one of the Midwest's most iconic cities.
Travel alongside the mighty Mississippi River, which defines the state’s western border. Discover charming river towns, classic steamboats, and scenic vineyards dotting the landscape. In the southern part of Illinois, experience a blend of cities, lush farmland, and quaint small towns. Meanwhile, the northeastern region is a bustling hub of urban and suburban life, anchored by Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, nestled on the bank of Lake Michigan.
Illinois is not just about its picturesque landscapes, you can also be sure there will be no shortage of jobs waiting for you. The state ranks among the nation's leaders in exports, agricultural production, and manufacturing as it lies within both the old industrial belt and the fertile agricultural heart of the country. Chicago serves as a national railroad hub, its O’Hare International Airport is one of the busiest in the world, and the state’s highways and waterways are always busy with traffic.
We can’t wait for you to explore everything the Illinois DLC for American Truck Simulator has to offer. Add this map expansion to your Steam Wishlist and get ready for an unforgettable adventure! Make sure to stay connected with us for all the updates by following our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3486960/