Euro Truck Simulator News & Announcements
Not so long ago, we announced our next rework project for Euro Truck Simulator 2, Project Benelux! This will consist of reworking the countries of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg completely from the ground up. Today, we're happy to introduce to you the team behind this Project, and a little bit about themselves.


The team currently consists of eight people, who have been working hard behind the scenes on this task, which is still in its very early stages. If you missed out on the announcement of this project, you can check out the original blogpost here. We figured it would be best to let them introduce themselves in their own words. We hope you enjoy these words for you, our #BestCommunityEver!

Honza - Project Benelux Rework Lead


"After the Switzerland rework, this is my second project as a map lead. Following the Alpine region, I was happy to be chosen for this project because it offers different opportunities and challenges for map designers. I was a bit naive in thinking it would be easier to design, but that turned out not to be the case. The combination of flat areas in the north, limited space, and a complex highway system presents quite a challenge. In my spare time, I still enjoy working on map design while managing the project. This time, I'm reworking the city of Liège and its surrounding areas. I believe our players have a lot to look forward to, as we are striving to capture the complexity of this region as accurately as possible."

Iva


"Hi, my name is Iva. After completing my bachelor's degree in architecture, I decided to change fields. In 2020, I coincidentally discovered a job posting for a map designer position at SCS. At the time, I knew absolutely nothing about the gaming industry and was worried about whether I had anything to offer. Over time, I specialized in urban design. Thanks to the knowledge I gained in college, urban design has given me a unique opportunity to authentically represent the character of specific cities, and I hope I'm succeeding. I've created several cities that I'm very proud of, including Graz (my first attempt), the completion of Salzburg, and the design of the entire Rhineland region.

After completing the rework on Germany, I briefly worked on the beauties of Greece before moving to the Benelux project, where I have been given responsibility for two beautiful cities. Each city is completely different, with their own diverse road network and several iconic locations to look forward to. I can't wait to see it all come to life. Keep your fingers crossed!"

Eliska


"Hi! Eliska here. You might remember me from Switzerland's 'Meet the Team' post, and yes, I'm still here! After over a decade working as a camera operator in the film and television industry, I joined SCS Software four years ago. I worked previously on reworking Austria, Germany, and Switzerland before landing in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Sadly, there isn’t much space for trucks in the magnificent old town, but we aim to bring you another iconic Amsterdam vista. The city is full of landmarks, and nearby, the port town of IJmuiden has completely won me over. I hope you enjoy embarking on a ferry there as much as I enjoyed building it. See you on the road!"

Daniel


"Having studied IT for four years and always enjoyed building and creating things in various games, working on ETS2 felt like a no-brainer. Since joining SCS, I've spent nearly two years gaining experience, contributing to European rework projects, and building several German cities from scratch.

Beyond the usual mapping work, I'm also responsible for creating custom depots for the Benelux project, bringing a previously ATS-exclusive feature to Europe. Currently, I'm working on the city of Brussels and its surprisingly lush surroundings. I've found the city fascinating and quite different from my previous tasks, making it even more enjoyable to work on."

Kristian


"Three years ago, I joined SCS Software, and since then, I have worked on various map projects. I currently specialize in ports but also contribute to city designs as part of the Benelux rework, which is an incredibly exciting challenge for me. Before this, I worked as a photographer and never imagined I would one day be part of the gaming industry. However, this job has completely captivated me. It's amazing to see the virtual world take shape and come to life through the details we create. I hope players will enjoy the result just as much as I enjoy creating it!"

Jitka


"After working on the landscapes of Switzerland and the challenging task of connecting Albania to Greece, I started helping with the preproduction of the Benelux project. My main task was preparing natural assets and laying out areas around Luxembourg and the Ardennes in Belgium. Nature in the Benelux region is incredibly diverse, from the hilly south to the lowlands in the north. With improved textures and vegetation, players will experience everything from forests, rivers, and lakes to tulip-filled polder fields and narrow streams. Recreating Luxembourg City was another challenge due to its small yet intricate nature. However, I believe we've managed to do it justice, and I look forward to seeing players explore it."

Tereza


"Hello, community! I joined SCS in November 2023. Previously, I was part of the Germany rework team. However, once that project was completed, I was assigned to work on Benelux. My focus has been on the landscapes of the Netherlands, which has given me a great sense of peace and calm. While I'm currently working on the Nordic Horizons DLC, I hope to return and finish what I started. I look forward to you seeing our work in the future, thanks for playing and supporting us!"

Veronika


"Nice to meet you, I'm Veronika. I've been at SCS for a year and four months, and my first project was the rework of the Berlin Ring and Dresden area. After finishing Germany, we eagerly jumped into the Benelux project. As a map designer, I faced the challenge of working with the vast flat landscapes, complete with charming canals, small farms, and stunning sand dunes along the coast. I'm originally a physiotherapist, but my passion for creativity led me here. What I love most about my job is the freedom to fly over the map like a bird, create my own routes, and virtually travel the world every day through my work."

Jiri


"Hey, my name is Jiri, and I currently work as a map designer at SCS Software. In a few months, I’ll be celebrating my first year with this amazing team at a fantastic company. I've met many inspiring colleagues who share my interests, whether in fitness or Warhammer tabletop games. Here, I am fulfilling my childhood dreams, and I can't wait for you to embark on the journeys we're creating in Benelux with passion and dedication."

Radek


"Hey everyone, I’m Radek! Video games have obviously been a big part of my life since I was a kid, but I never really thought I’d be making one myself. After years spent working in a totally different field, I felt it was time for me to rework my own life path, and that led me to SCS Software. The Benelux rework is my first project here in SCS and since I joined the team in autumn 2024, I gained a lot of experience by working on this project with such talented and experienced colleagues.

On top of that, on this project I’m also focusing and specializing on the natural aspect of the map - vegetation. That means creating new vegetation profiles, researching real-world landscapes, and making sure the greenery in the map feels as authentic and immersive as possible. I am really happy for the possibility to use my knowledge and interest in this project's favour. I truly believe players will love what we’re putting together, and I’m beyond excited to be part of such an amazing community."

We hope you have enjoyed meeting the team behind Project Benelux! We look forward to sharing more on this rework in the future. Remember to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any Euro Truck Simulator 2 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. Until next time, keep on truckin'!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/227300/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2/
In today's blog, we're taking you to Finland - often called the Land of a Thousand Lakes, as it has around 187,000 of them! So let us showcase some of the areas we're recreating for the Nordic Horizons DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2.


Finland is a truly beautiful country, with unique and breathtaking landscapes that our map designers are meticulously recreating for ETS2. Did you know that 10% of Finland's landscape is covered by water, while nearly two-thirds is blanketed by forests?




Now let's move on to specific locations. The first one we would like to show you today is Lake Inari (Inarijärvi in Finnish) which is nestled in the Finnish Lapland in the northernmost part of the country. It is the third largest and the second deepest lake in Finland. It features over 3,300 islands and in colder years, it can stay frozen from November to June.



The second location is the Finnish Lakeland, which is Europe's largest lake district and adored by Finns as a wonderful recreational spot that offers so many things to do all year round. This region is so densely packed with lakes that they make up roughly 25% of its total area.



Finnish Lakeland is vast, stretching across the eastern and central parts of the country and covering a significant portion of Finland. It's also home to Lake Saimaa - Finland's largest lake and the third-largest in Europe. As you truck through this scenic region, you'll pass through the cities of Jyväskylä, Kuopio, and Mikkeli, all ready for your cargo deliveries. So don't wait - be sure to add the Nordic Horizons DLC to your Steam wishlist!



Stay tuned for more updates by following 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. And be safe on the road!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2780810/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Nordic_Horizons/
The transport and logistics industry relies on a strong, skilled workforce, and in the Netherlands, Sectorinstituut Transport en Logistiek (STL) plays a key role in making this possible. Today, we're happy to share with you more detail about the work that goes on at STL, and how Euro Truck Simulator 2 is also utilized within their company as a tool for students and current drivers. Let's dive in!


STL was founded in 2014 through the merger of various organizations with a shared goal: securing the recruitment and long-term employability of skilled professionals in the transport and logistics sector. Established by sectoral employers' organizations and trade unions, STL works to create a balanced labor market and provide a strong foundation for individuals to thrive in the industry. To learn more about their work, we had the pleasure of chatting with Robin.


"My name is Robin Maes, I'm a Communications Strategist for Sectorinstituut Transport en Logistiek. We have multiple strategists at STL, all focusing on different areas of Transport and Logistics. I focus solely on making sure that there are enough new students starting and finishing their education in Transport and Logistics. I work in the marketing department and within a multitude of multidisciplinary project groups, ensuring that our goals are met."

Robin explains that their mission at STL goes beyond simply bringing new talent into the workforce. "Our goal is to ensure a balanced labor market in the transport and logistics sector. We want employees to work safely, healthily, and with pride." STL’s objectives include attracting and training new professionals, supporting career development, improving working conditions, and promoting innovation and sustainability within the industry. However, challenges such as an aging workforce, misconceptions about the sector, and work-life balance concerns remain key issues that STL is determined to address.


Despite these challenges, STL has seen significant success in bringing fresh talent into transport and logistics. "Every year, we take on almost 1,000 new students," Robin shares. "These students will become mostly truck drivers but also forklift drivers and future management." STL's efforts extend beyond direct recruitment, through initiatives like school roadshows which consist of visiting around 150 schools annually, engaging with approximately 10,000 students from ages 12-17 to showcase the diverse career opportunities in the sector.


STL’s support doesn't end at recruitment. The organization plays a crucial role in guiding students and jobseekers in their career journeys. "We have local advisors in schools across the country," Robin says. "They help students explore career paths, choose educational programs, and connect with companies for hands-on learning experiences." For adults looking to switch careers, STL provides job coaching and connections with potential employers, ensuring a smooth transition into the transport industry. Additionally, STL helps subsidize essential training, such as obtaining truck and forklift licences, reducing financial barriers for those eager to enter the field.


For those already working in logistics, STL continues to provide valuable support. "The Stichting Opleidings en Ontwikkelingsfonds Beroepsgoederenvervoer, or SOOB for short, creates the funds we work with and determines the subsidies STL can offer," Robin explains. "Currently, there are multiple ways to benefit from this, like progressing from a forklift driver to a fully licensed CE-truck driver. We also offer other support programmes, such as subsidized (or free) health programs for losing weight or to quit smoking."

The transportation industry still faces some challenges, but it is steadily evolving to address them. The sector has made significant progress over the past 20 years. However, not everyone is aware of these changes, which can affect how people perceive careers in transportation and logistics. As the industry seeks new talent, it is actively adapting to become more attractive to young professionals and secure a strong future workforce.


One innovative way STL engages with aspiring truck drivers is through Euro Truck Simulator 2. " Having our student play Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a big plus" Robin tells us. "First, it allows students to get a fun, safe introduction to truck driving, and it serves as a valuable practice tool during downtime or the holidays." To keep students engaged during formal training, STL in cooperation with us (SCS Software), provides a free copy of the game. This offers a practical way for students to develop an early feel for truck driving. "We have three USPs in most of our communication: get 100% off on your driver’s license, get paid on schooldays (they work four days a week and study one), and get a truck simulator gift. This mix of fun and value works well for us."

The impact of ETS2 goes beyond just entertainment. Robin notes that many students who are serious about pursuing a truck-driving career use the game for both practice and enjoyment. "Our advisors often hear how excited students are to play the game. It helps bridge the gap between registration and the start of their education, giving them a meaningful way to stay engaged."


Since STL primarily focuses on guiding students through their education rather than conducting direct training, ETS2 is not integrated into formal courses. However, students who register with STL receive their Steam code and are free to use the game as they wish. The organization’s role is to connect students with the right schools and companies while providing personalized guidance throughout their two-year education and work program.

For those interested in joining STL and exploring opportunities in transport and logistics, getting in touch is simple. "The best way to start is by emailing [email protected]," Robin says. "We’ll make sure your question reaches the right department."

STL welcomes a broad range of individuals, from students seeking vocational training to professionals looking to upskill. Employers searching for workforce development support can also benefit from STL’s resources. For more information, you can visit their website at www.stl.nl.


With a strong commitment to fostering new talent and supporting industry professionals, STL continues to play a crucial role in shaping the future of transport and logistics. Whether through hands-on training, career guidance, or even a virtual introduction to trucking via ETS2, their mission remains clear: to ensure a thriving, skilled workforce for years to come.

A huge thank you goes out to Robin Maes and the team at STL for taking the time to speak with us and share more about Sectorinstituut Transport en Logistiek. We hope you enjoyed learning about their mission and encourage you to visit their website to find out more.

Has Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator played a significant role in your life or career? If so, we'd love for you to share your story with our community! Feel free to reach out to us on X/Twitter, Instagram, or BlueSky.
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, FacebookBluesky, 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!
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. InstagramBluesky, 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.
Today, we are excited to reveal that the 1.54 Open Beta branch for Euro Truck Simulator 2 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 a mouse and a 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 - Volvo FH Series 5, Volvo FH Series 6, and Iveco S-Way
In the 1.54 update, we will implement both the Volvo FH Series 5 and Volvo FH Series 6, as well as the Iveco S-Way into Driving Academy. These beautiful trucks were added to Euro Truck Simulator 2 in December, and now you will have the option to try them out in various challenging scenarios in Driving Academy!



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

Vehicles

  • Volvo FH Series 5, Volvo FH Series 6, and Iveco S-Way added to Driving Academy

Visual

  • Truck Adjustment Menu Redesign

Other

  • PhysX Implementation

The 1.54 Open Beta is currently unavailable for Mac OS users, but it is expected to be released for the platform in the near future. 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'd 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 Euro Truck Simulator 2 → 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/227300/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2/
Today, we're excited to share with you more about our plans for our next rework project for Euro Truck Simulator 2, Project Benelux! The name Benelux is derived from the first letters of each country's name, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, each of which will be reworked from scratch.


Please note: This project is still in its very early stages, and many of the screenshots in this blog post showcase areas of the rework that are still in being worked on and are incomplete. With that said, let's take a closer look at the road ahead!

The rework of the Benelux region in Euro Truck Simulator 2 marks an exciting and long-awaited update to one of the oldest parts of the game's continental map. We spoke with Jan H, Lead of Project Benelux to learn more about the team. "There are 10 map designers, including myself working on this project" Jan explains "of course, there are many others from the Research, QA, Assets, Programming department who are a part of the project too."





The decision to overhaul the region was a natural progression following the rework of German cities. Given the age of the existing map and the many changes that have taken place in real life, the decision was made to completely rework the region from scratch.

One of the most significant aspects of this update is the addition of new cities "You can expect new cities such as Antwerp and Eindhoven," Jan tells us. "Additionally, we're including major road network routes like the A2 motorway, a significant portion of the E40 highway and the scenic N57 road in the Netherlands."




Drivers will also be able to deliver to and from a variety of reworked depots, as well as some new industries such as a sugar beet factory. Don't forget to be on the lookout for new landmarks too!

This rework presents unique challenges for the team, as Jan H explains. "The countries are rich in complex highway infrastructure, waterways, canals, dams, locks, drawbridges and more. The landscape is very specific, ranging from the flat terrain crisscrossed by water canals in the north to the dramatic scenery of the Ardennes in Belgium and Luxembourg."





We are sure this project will breathe new life into an important part of the Euro Truck Simulator 2 world. Players can look forward to a region filled with new sights, landmarks, routes and a more faithful depiction of one of Europe’s most fascinating regions.

We look forward to sharing more news and preview about this project in the near future. Until then, be sure to keep up to date with the latest by following our socials on Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, and Instagram, and by subscribing to our Newsletter! Til' next time, keep on truckin'!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/227300/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2/
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!
In today's blog, we take you to the north of Europe again with another behind-the-scenes look at the Nordic Horizons DLC! This time, we have a preview of some of the beautiful churches you will come across on your travels through this upcoming map expansion for Euro Truck Simulator 2.


From historical landmarks to modern masterpieces, you will find some amazing architectural gems in the northernmost part of Europe. Our asset and map designers have done an incredible job recreating these churches, taking inspiration from their real-world counterparts. Among the older ones, you might recognize the Trinity Church in Vaasa. Can you identify some others?





These sacral buildings often dominate their environment. You don't want to miss out on those beautiful structures when passing by in your truck! The architecture of the more modern ones is quite unique and impressive - take a look at the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø or the church in the city of Geilo - but there is more to discover!




Whether built centuries ago or in recent decades, these churches are not only a religious place but also an architectural heritage of these northern countries.

We hope you have enjoyed this little sneak peek into this upcoming map expansion for ETS2. If you are excited about the Nordic Horizons DLC, make sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! Stay tuned for more updates by following us on our Twitter, Facebook. Instagram, 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. And be safe on the road!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2780810/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Nordic_Horizons/
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, InstagramBluesky, 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!
Today, we're excited to release a new episode of our SCS On The Road series! Join us in Turin, Italy, as we are given a tour of the IVECO Industrial Village, Design Centre, museum and more. We also had the special opportunity to get up close with the IVECO S-Way, which we recently added as a free addition for all Euro Truck Simulator 2 owners.


Join Oscar, our Director of Global Partnerships, as he takes us behind the scenes to reveal how our team gathers reference material. He also sits down with Max Praz, IVECO Academy Director; Marco Armigliato, Head of Industrial Design; Giuseppe Bruno, Creative Design Manager; and Alessandro Pili, Surface & Virtual Design, to discuss the history of IVECO, the intricate design and creation process, and much more.


We are incredibly grateful to the team at IVECO for inviting us, allowing us to film and share this experience with you, and for their warm hospitality during our visit. We hope you enjoy this episode and appreciate your continued support for this series. If you liked the video, be sure to subscribe, hit the like button, and leave a comment, we’d love to hear your thoughts! We’ll see you soon for the next episode. Until then, keep on truckin'!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3354860/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Iveco_SWay/
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'!
Not so long ago, we announced that we have been working on the Scandinavia Refresh Project for some time which should smoothen the transition when crossing this map expansion's area to the upcoming Nordic Horizons map. Now, we would like you to meet the team working on the refresh of this region!


The team currently consists of eight people who have been refreshing the Scandinavia DLC for a few months. However, the production phase of the project began in January 2024, when just two people focused on this project. As time passed, more people joined the team. Today, some of them have a short message for our #BestCommunityEver.

Vojta - Map DLC Lead


"After completing my education in philosophy and theatre studies, game development was the obvious choice. In 2020, I joined SCS Software as a map designer and now I run the Scandinavia Refresh project as a map lead. It's exciting because apart from reskinning most of the content, we also want to introduce new places for players to explore. And Scandinavia has tons of beautiful, diverse scenery, and we enjoy implementing some of it. I feel a great sense of responsibility in refreshing our best-selling and most popular DLC and I hope that players will be happy with the result. With a team full of skilled and enthusiastic people working on Scandinavia Refresh, we're bringing out the full brilliance of this gem."

Albert


"My love for creative games and city-building strategies has led me to this point in my life of being one of the many talented map designers of the Euro Truck Simulator 2 rework team. I have been bestowed the great honour of reworking the magnificent capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen. Over the past few months the city has truly grown on me and I've completely fallen in love with its unique architecture, intricate bike paths and unique landmarks. I have worked on bringing all these elements into the game while respecting the original in-game city. No landmarks have been removed, only improved, and many more have been added for you to explore"

Tomáš


"Scandinavia refresh is the first project I'm working on here at SCS and I am very excited to be a part of this project and learn all that this area has to offer. I can't wait for our players to enjoy it in its new and exciting form. I love working on small details that players can discover and enjoy and I hope I can capture as many details as possible. My current task involves an island leading up to a bridge and I am having an incredible amount of fun working on it and I am already looking forward to many upcoming and equally exciting tasks."

Lukáš


"Hi everyone, it’s me, Lukáš. A few years back I was an aspiring investigative journalist, and although it was fun while it lasted and I enjoyed every aspect of it, I gradually found out I wanted something else from life. And guess what I also like, apart from writing long texts trying to explain things that are sometimes too complex and cumbersome to explain properly? That’s right! Video games! So I decided to make a change. I went from exposing crooked politicians to straightening crooked roads of Scandinavia. All the fun without any of the stress, what more could you possibly want? So far I have managed to refresh a few roads and cities in Sweden, build a few new ones in Denmark, and I may be adding a small Swedish city of K… What, Vojta? Oh, I cannot talk about this one yet? Well, I guess now you’ll never know what we are cooking!"

Sara


"When I was younger, my mom always told me: "Go study, video games won’t pay your bills." Well, look at me now. I joined SCS a few months ago and instantly fell in love with my job. I'm excited to be working on the Scandinavia refresh since I get to work with beautiful landscapes and cities. I promise I’ll try to make my parts of the map as pretty as possible to give you the best experience."

Lukáš


"Hey, my name is Lukáš. I am a map designer at SCS Software. I began my working journey here just half a year ago, my first project being the Scandinavia Refresh. I am looking forward to capturing the vast Scandinavian landscapes, for you to enjoy in our game, and making the beautiful cities even more beautiful, so you can re-experience the adventure that Scandinavia is all over again."

We hope you have enjoyed meeting the map team and that you are already looking forward to explore the refreshed Scandinavia! Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, InstagramBluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any Euro Truck Simulator 2 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/304212/
Celebrate with us Valentines day by taking part in our latest World of Trucks event – Cupid's Express!


For centuries, Valentine’s Day has been a celebration of sharing love and thoughtful gifts with those closest to our hearts. This year, the tradition continues with countless miles to cover and Valentine presents to deliver. Each delivery spreads a little more joy, making this season of love even brighter.

I’m Cupid’s courier on the go,
With gifts of love in tow.
Each parcel wrapped with tender care,
To spread the joy we know.

Through winding roads and purple skies,
My trailer is packed with cheer.
Each heart-shaped box and ribboned bow
Brings love to those held dear.

And when the final gift is placed,
Beneath the stars that shine,
I’ll find my way back home to you,
My cherished Valentine.


We invite you, our #BestCommunityEver, to share the love this season! Whether you’re delivering for a special sweetheart or helping others connect, let’s come together to reach the community goal of 600,000 Valentine’s Presents delivered to loved ones around the globe. Our Valentine-themed event trailers are loaded up and waiting for you to roll out!


Here’s your chance to create a romantic matching paint job for your truck, using the Valentine's Paint Jobs Pack DLC for ETS2 or ATS!

To complete your personal goal, deliver 14 Valentine’s Presents cargos. As a token of our appreciation, you’ll earn exciting rewards, including a special World of Trucks Achievement. Don’t miss out—join the fun and spread the love!

Rules
Using External Contracts, with a World of Trucks-connected profile in Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both, the community goal is to achieve 600,000 deliveries of Valentine Presents cargo, from any city in any trucking territory.

When a player completes 14 deliveries of Valentine Presents cargo across any trucking territories in either game, it will complete their personal goal.

Rewards
Personal: Players that complete 14 or more deliveries of Valentine Presents cargo will gain a unique World of Trucks Achievement as well as a Neon Heart dashboard item as a Steam inventory item for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.


Community: When the community goal of achieving 600,000 deliveries of Valentine Presents cargo from any city is met and if the player has also achieved their personal goal, then they will receive a Cupid's Dice hanging item as a Steam inventory item for their cabin.


Note: In order to qualify for any community reward, you must complete at least your personal goal in Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both. Each reward will be a Steam inventory item for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. Once completed, claim your reward in the Events page on your World of Trucks profile.

The event will be concluded on Wednesday the 26th of February at 23:59 UTC.


Haul your heart out with the Cupid’s Express Bundle! This heartfelt collection includes American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2, and the Valentine’s Paint Jobs Pack for both games. Whether your heart belongs to the highway or you’re planning a romantic convoy with someone special, don’t let this love-loaded deal pass you by! Check it out on Steam for a limited time only.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/30356/Cupids_Express_Bundle/
It always amazes us how creative and innovative our community can be. Recently, we learnt about Mr. Martinka, a researcher at the Technical University of Liberec in Czechia, Faculty of Textiles, who has been using Euro Truck Simulator 2 as a key tool in his amazing work on driver fatigue monitoring. By integrating smart t-shirts with sensors to track vital signs, he's using our game to simulate real-world driving conditions and develop cutting-edge safety technology. We're incredibly proud that ETS2 plays a role in advancing research that could make roads safer for everyone, so we decided to find out more from him and present his work to the rest of the community. Let's dive in!


Because testing such technology would be nearly impossible and dangerous in a real vehicle, they needed to find a good substitute. "ETS2 was the simplest and the most practical solution because it mirrors real driving conditions. The game allowed us to simulate fatigue safely. We needed a reliable platform to simulate long hours of driving, and the game provided exactly that," Martinka says, explaining why they chose our game to test their technology.



The testing process took about six months while they were constantly improving the technology. Martinka and his team constructed a simulator using a real car seat and steering wheel in a classroom setting. They mimicked real-life driving schedules, sometimes driving from six in the morning until 2 or 3 pm, logging a maximum of seven hours behind the wheel at a time. "We drove continuously, replicating fatigue-inducing conditions until we were genuinely exhausted and wanted to sleep," he said.



Using this setup, the team monitored breathing patterns to pinpoint when a driver enters microsleep - a dangerous state that can lead to accidents. "While modern cars often feature fatigue sensors, they are not always accurate. Our smart T-Shirt, on the other hand, provides a more reliable solution. The sensors in the T-Shirt are nearly invisible, washable, and far more precise in detecting fatigue than standard car systems," Mr. Martinka shared with us.



This innovative research has already garnered international attention. Martinka and his team have been collaborating with other universities in the Czech Republic and Japan. "This year, we'll spend an entire month at a Japanese university testing the T-Shirt with simulators using ETS2 again," he shared.



Their work is not done yet. Mr. Martinka and his team continue to upgrade the T-Shirt's design based on ongoing tests, as they want to make roads safer for drivers everywhere. We are really proud that our game is used for such a noble cause. Don't forget to follow us on our X/TwitterFacebookInstagramBluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on upcoming 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.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/227300/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2/
Yesterday, we ended the #CruisingGreece World of Trucks event for Euro Truck Simulator 2. To celebrate the conclusion of this successful event, we're excited to announce the release of the Greek Mythology Pack! So in this blog, let's wrap up and recap the latest WoTr event as well as present the beautiful Greece-themed paint jobs pack for ETS2.


The #CruisingGreece event began on December 4th with the release of our latest ETS2 map expansion. Although our #BestCommunityEver had almost two months to complete it, they managed to reach the community goal in just twelve days! The collective target was to drive 200 million kilometres while delivering cargo to or from any city in Greece. This is simply astonishing. You accomplished this sooner than any of us believed!

In total, you have driven 387,426,427 kilometres! More than 93 thousand players took part in the event and over 48,000 finished all 15 jobs and accomplished their individual goals. Although it wasn't a deciding factor for the community goal, we wanted to share this statistic too - you've completed 827,116 deliveries while participating in this event!


We would like to thank everyone who participated in this event and the team behind its production. We hope you are enjoying the beautiful rewards they prepared for you!



Greek Mythology Pack Release
The Greek Mythology Pack was initially supposed to be released along with the map expansion. However, due to some unfortunate technical issues with the previous paint jobs, we needed to retouch and rework them a little. Now that the work is done, the end of the Cruising Greece event seems like a great opportunity to release it.


Travel back to ancient times with the Greek Mythology Paint Jobs Pack! Perfect for hauling cargo across Greece's scenic landscapes, these designs bring history and myth to life on the highways of Euro Truck Simulator 2. Now, every journey becomes a heroic odyssey.







This DLC lets you adorn your truck with the spirit of classic Greek myths through five detailed paint jobs inspired by legendary creatures. Each design captures the essence of a timeless tale from Greece’s epic past, transforming your truck into a chariot of ancient myths as you journey across Europe. Paint jobs included in this DLC:

  • Medusa
  • Hydra
  • Cerberus
  • Minotaur
  • Pegasus






This paint jobs pack is already available on Steam, so make sure to get it and cruise the roads of Greece like an ancient king!

We hope you are excited about this new content! Remember to follow us on our social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, BlueskyTikTok) so you won't miss out on any news from the world of Euro Truck Simulator 2, and share screenshots and videos with us featuring the new paint jobs. 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/3335300/
Hyvää päivää! As one of the northernmost countries in the world, Finland is best known for its breathtaking natural beauty, vast forests, & rich cultural heritage. In today’s blog, we’ll take a closer look at the city of Oulu, a destination you can explore and deliver to in our upcoming Nordic Horizons DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2.



As one of the oldest cities in northern Finland and the fifth-largest by population, Oulu offers a unique mix of architectural landmarks and economic significance, making it a key destination for truckers. Our team has recreated several large industrial zones around the city, including a food industry producer and a chemical factory. That isn't all however, as you'll be sure to discover so much more when you visit the city yourself!



Players will also have the opportunity to deliver to and from the Port of Oulu, where sea, land, and rail transport converge. As the largest general multipurpose port in the Bothnian Bay, it handles an average of 3 million tons of cargo per year, pretty impressive!



This city also offers a wonderful example of minimalist Nordic architecture, seamlessly integrated with its natural surroundings. As you travel through Oulu, you will come across various standout landmarks, including the central bridge spanning the Oulujoki River, the railway station, as well as other notable buildings and architectural structures. You will also come across some lovely views of the small surrounding islands and bays located in the west of the city.



You will also be able to travel on a variety of road networks, including major road junctions, wide city avenues, and cosy narrow streets, each built with its own character and charm. Our team has particularly focused on capturing Oulu's clean and simple Scandinavian style, blending it with the surrounding nature and landscape.


We hope you enjoyed this preview of Oulu, and we look forward to highlighting more cities featured in the Nordic Horizon DLC in the near future. If you like what you see, consider adding this upcoming expansion to your Steam Wishlist! It really helps support our releases. Until next time, keep on truckin'.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2780810/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Nordic_Horizons/
The magical Christmas season is long gone and so is our Return to Winterland World of Trucks event. For the past couple of weeks, our community has been hauling cargo like crazy to complete their individual and community goals for this event. We are very proud to say that you have managed to achieve the community goal with plenty of time to spare! Now let's take a look at some stats.


But first, a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Christmas event! Even if you didn't finish all your deliveries, it's been so great seeing so many of you dive in, share screenshots and videos, and just have fun as soon as the event kicked off. And you always amaze us with how quickly you smash the community goal - it's seriously unbelievable!

In total, you have completed over 2.5 million Christmas deliveries! 270,000 players contributed in the Return to Winterland event and over 114,000 finished all 15 jobs and accomplished their individual goals. While this stat wasn't a deciding factor, we're sharing it purely for fun - you've driven an impressive 251,294,135 kilometers while hauling Christmas cargo!


We would also like to thank the amazing team behind the Return to Winterland event - you set the bar really high with the Christmas Winterland event in 2023 and managed to raise it even higher this time as Winterland's weather changed noticeably. Truckers experienced longer and sunnier days than before, but also faced snowfall! As part of the adventure, drivers were challenged to help rescue gift packs that had been lost during a previous snowstorm. We cannot wait to see what you come up with for the upcoming Christmas season.


And let's not forget about the cute Christmas-themed rewards! We really hope you like them and that they fill your truck cabin with the holiday spirit.


Your excitement has not only made this event a big success but also fueled our passion to deliver more in the future. We really appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to more adventurous events together! Make sure to stay connected with us for all the latest updates by following our Twitter, Facebook, InstagramBluesky, and YouTube. Keep on truckin'!
Today, we're delighted to share with you a little more information about a project we have been working on for a while, the Scandinavia DLC Refresh. We have hinted at its existence during our recent Special Christmas 2024 Live Stream, so we thought we may just as well explain what it is all about. The motivation for starting this project was to bring the existing Scandinavia DLC content closer to our current standards, so that when you pass through it on the way to the new region covered by Nordic Horizons DLC, the difference is not too abrupt.


As one of our most popular and oldest expansions for ETS2, with over 5 million copies sold, we wanted to refresh the Scandinavia DLC to bring the region closer in quality with our newer additions. The ambition is not a total rework, but we aim for an extensive touch up, a “reskin” of the region with updated textures and technology. This will create a smoother driving transition for players travelling between the Scandinavia DLC and our upcoming Nordic Horizons DLC.






What changes and additions are coming with this project? Our rework team is hard at work reskinning the region with updated materials for vegetation, road textures, various assets, and more. We are also creating and adding a few new rest stops and fuel stations along the road network, along with new and updated road junctions.






While some places will only receive cosmetic improvements, some places will be reworked from ground up. Want an example? We are excited to share that the team will be reworking the capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen! As with previous rework projects, the older version of the city will be removed and rebuilt from scratch. This is undoubtedly a significant task for the team, but the end result should be well worth the time and effort!







We look forward to sharing more information and screenshots from our progress of refreshing the Scandinavia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator, which will ultimately come as a free update to all owners of this map expansion. Keep an eye on our official Social Media Channels for the latest news on all our upcoming projects for both ETS2 and ATS! Until then, keep on truckin'.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/304212/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Scandinavia/
2024 has already come and gone. Before we dive into what is next, we thought it would be nice to take a moment and reflect on everything the past year has brought our way.


We have made a lot of progress in both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 in the past year. We released a few free updates for the games, new map expansions, trucks, trailers, paint jobs, and more! We're proud to have collaborated on some of these projects with some of the biggest companies in the industry, strengthening our partnerships and bringing exciting new content to our community. We believe these achievements have once again raised the bar, contributing to an even better gaming experience for all you truckers out there.

Make sure to check out this fantastic video that captures the journey of our games and our company throughout 2024!


We are very happy that we were able to release all of this new content for you. Your fantastic feedback means the world to us and we are always excited to hear it! Now, it is time to look into the upcoming year which will definitely bring a lot more content. You can take a look at the Christmas Special live stream with Pavel where we talked about some of the upcoming stuff.

We would like to wish you all the best for the new year. Make sure to stay connected with us for all the updates by following our TwitterFacebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. Until next time, keep on truckin'!