SCS Software's blog

ATS Road Trip: Atlas Feature Video Trailer

2026-08-14T17:00:00.000+02:00

Last week, we showed you the new Atlas gameplay feature coming to American Truck Simulator with the release of Road Trip. And today, we are excited to also showcase a video trailer focused on Atlas!

This upcoming feature is designed around exploration and encourages players to discover, visit, and learn about selected locations across the world of American Truck Simulator via Tourist Boards. These will then uncover Points of Interest, Viewpoints, and Photo Trophies, which highlight significant spots in the region that you'll need to discover to earn a special postcard reward. You can find out more about Atlas in the dedicated blog.

Now, to get you in the mood for the upcoming Road Trip DLCs, we have put together a video trailer where you can see in more detail how Atlas will work in American Truck Simulator. Let's watch it below!

Keep in mind that Atlas will only be unlocked for players owning any Road Trip DLC (Ford Car Pack or RAM & Dodge Car Pack), so make sure to add them to your Steam wishlist. However, this feature is not limited to cars, and you will also be able to enjoy it when driving a truck.

Don't forget to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow to not miss out on any Road Trip news, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed!

Tokyo Game Show 2026

2026-08-12T17:00:00.000+02:00

We're excited to share that, for the very first time in SCS Software's history, we'll be attending the Tokyo Game Show 2026! We can't wait to meet our community in Japan and be part of one of the world's most iconic gaming events as it celebrates an incredible milestone.

This year's edition of Tokyo Game Show is especially significant, marking the event's 30th anniversary. To celebrate this special occasion, TGS 2026 will take place over five full days, from September 17th to 21st, bringing together leading publishers, exciting upcoming games, and countless attractions for visitors from around the world.

You'll be able to find us in Hall 09, Booth E86, where our colleagues from SCS will be exhibiting in a compact booth made possible with the support of our friends at Neon Noroshi. Whether you're a longtime fan of our games or discovering them for the first time, we'd love for you to stop by, say hello, and experience what we've been working on.

During the first two days, the Tokyo Game Show is dedicated to gaming industry professionals, while the final three days are open to the public. Throughout the event, visitors will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel and try several of our upcoming projects, including the Iceland DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, as well as the upcoming British Columbia and South Dakota map expansions for American Truck Simulator.

We're also doing everything we can to bring playable demonstrations of our upcoming Road Trip and Coaches projects to Tokyo Game Show, along with a PlayStation 5 version of Euro Truck Simulator 2. While we're not quite ready to make any promises, our teams are working hard behind the scenes, and we hope to give visitors an early hands-on look at these exciting new experiences.

We're especially happy to share that Japanese-speaking visitors will be able to communicate with our team comfortably, as language interpreters will be available at our booth throughout the event. We hope this will make it even easier for everyone to ask questions, chat with us, and enjoy their time at our exhibit.

If you're planning to attend Tokyo Game Show 2026, we'd love to see you there! Be sure to stop by Hall 09, Booth E86, try out our latest projects, meet the team, and share your passion for trucking with us. We look forward to welcoming you to our very first Tokyo Game Show!

South Dakota: Gameplay Preview

2026-08-11T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we're excited to share a brand-new gameplay preview from our upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator! Get a closer look at some of the beautiful roads, landmarks, and industries our map team has been recreating.

In the gameplay preview below, you'll follow a journey that begins in the Black Hills before passing by the scenic Pactola Lake and crossing the Spring Creek Memorial Bridge. Along the way, we'll drive through several settlements, including the beautiful city of Hot Springs and part of the historic town of Deadwood, before completing our delivery at a wood processing depot.

This route is just a small preview of what South Dakota has to offer, featuring winding mountain roads, charming communities, and diverse scenery. Whether you're taking in the views or making deliveries across the state, there's plenty to discover behind the wheel.

We hope you enjoy this gameplay preview and the stunning scenery South Dakota has to offer. As always, please keep in mind that everything you see is still a work in progress and subject to change during development.

If you like what you see, be sure to add the South Dakota DLC to your Steam Wishlist. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter. Until next time, happy haulin'!

Isle of Ireland: Research Trip

2026-08-08T17:00:00.000+02:00

What's the best way to capture the spirit of Ireland? Hit the road, of course! In June, members of our Euro Truck Simulator 2 map team travelled across the Emerald Isle on a research trip for our upcoming Isle of Ireland DLC. With cameras in hand and thousands of kilometres ahead, they explored everything from lively cities and picturesque villages to rugged coastlines and breathtaking scenery, collecting the references that will help shape this exciting expansion. Here are some of their highlights from their journey.

Five members of the SCS Software team took part on this trip, including Ivan, our World Map Design QA Lead, Josef from the Road Department, Kristian and Libor, Map Designers, and Honza, the Project Lead for the Isle of Ireland DLC.

However, that isn't all, as Alex, one of our Community Managers, and Cenda, one of our talented Videomakers, also joined the research trip to document the journey and give you a closer look behind the scenes. We can't wait to share more from this incredible adventure in a special future episode of SCS On The Road.

Their journey began in Dublin, where the team came together before setting off on an ambitious road trip around much of Ireland. Their route took them from Dublin to Rosslare Harbour, Waterford, Cork, Killarney, Limerick, Galway, Westport, Sligo, Benbulbin, Londonderry, Bushmills, Giants Causway, Belfast, before finally returning to Dublin. So as you can imagine, the team got to see quite a lot!

This trip wouldn't have been possible without the fantastic support of our friends at Škoda Ireland. A huge thank you to Raymond Leddy and the team for supplying us with two Škoda Octavias, which comfortably carried our crew across thousands of kilometres of Ireland's roads and became the perfect companions for this unforgettable research trip.

We'd also like to extend our sincere thanks to JUDr. Pavel Vošalík and his team of the Czech Embassy in Ireland for helping arrange several special visits for our team, including a tour of a cement plant in Limerick. This provided invaluable first-hand insight into the industry's day-to-day operations, helping our team better understand how the facility functions and the vital role truck drivers play in loading, unloading, and transporting materials every day.

So what did the team get up to during their trip? We spoke with several members of the team to hear about their favourite moments, the places that left the biggest impression, and the valuable references they have gathered to help bring Ireland to life in ETS2.

Honza:

"We recently went on our research trip to Ireland, and I have to say for me personally, it was a great experience. It always feels different to actually be at a place rather than to see it through references on your computer. No amount of photos or Street View can fully replicate the feeling of being there. Having walked and driven through the real landscape, I now have a much clearer picture of what the outcome should be, what the map should look like and, more importantly, what the general vibe should feel like.

One thing we already knew going in was that vegetation would need special attention, but being there made us absolutely sure we need to give it great importance. And yes grass really is very green in Ireland. It's striking, and it has to come through in the map.

We also discovered there are a lot of details we might have missed before. For example, once you're on the ground, you realise just how much art is on public display everywhere murals on walls, electrical boxes used as canvases for local artwork. These small touches add a lot of character and are exactly the kind of details that can make the map feel alive and authentic.

As for personal highlights my favourite places were on the West Coast, the Caha Mountains, Killarney National Park, and Connemara. The Antrim coast was equally stunning. And from the cities, I really liked Galway."

Kristián:

"Ireland is the first DLC I am working on. I am so grateful to have been a part of this journey, to see everything with my own eyes and really soak up the atmosphere. I have visited almost all the places and roads I am working on designing from Waterford to Rosslare Harbour. They have undergone extensive renovations over the past two years, so I am happy to see their latest appearance, which you will not find even on Google Maps. I also visited the Custom Depot of the film studio in Belfast.

This journey helped me to perceive important details and the specific atmospheres of the places there. My personal experience showed me huge differences compared to static online maps. I believe that this will help us take the realism of the environment to a higher level and create a truly immersive world for players. I managed to collect a lot of reference material, of which our entire team can then use to build a virtual Ireland in a much more believable way and depict even places that are completely missing from Street View."

Libor:

"I fell in love with Ireland right from the start of our work on the DLC, when I began exploring it through photos. So when I got the chance to visit Ireland in person, I was thrilled and started looking forward to it. My main goal for the trip was to explore the N71 running through Killarney National Park and its surroundings. The photos we had available before the trip were taken in overcast, rainy weather, but for a map designer’s work, it’s important to see the landscape in sunny weather to capture the correct colours.

Fortunately, the weather turned out perfect, and I was able to gather the right references for my work. In addition to the colors, my visit helped me greatly in grasping the character of the landscape, the scale of the mountains, and the variety of vegetation. All of this is difficult to capture from photographs alone. Being in Ireland in person helped me a great deal not only in mapping the landscape and landmarks, but also in noting the small details regarding road traffic and the road network.

These are the aspects that we pay close attention to at our company. Ireland is rich in diverse landscapes and numerous landmarks, and we’re working hard to deliver the best possible Irish experience."

Josef:

"I joined this trip as a representative of the road department. At SCS, I’m responsible for all right-hand drive prefabs for the Isle of Ireland DLC and the UK rework. These are essentially functional 3D models of all road intersections from simple crossroads to complex roundabouts.

Both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom have unique features in their road networks compared to the rest of Europe. Cats’ eyes (road studs) and box junctions were originally designed in the UK. Roundabouts are more common, sometimes even with traffic lights, of which there are plenty. And in case you didn’t know, people drive on the left side of the road. There are other specifics, but I won’t bore you with them.

That’s why I’m glad I had the opportunity to travel around Ireland and see the road networks of both countries, because I’m now tasked with finalizing and implementing these features into our road network. We’ve gathered a lot of references that will help us greatly with this.

Since my work involves roads and intersections, I’m used to looking down at them. But that was a bit harder in Ireland, where there were breathtaking views and beautiful nature. And just when you’re admiring the view, you suddenly hear a sheep. It’s that feeling of perfection and peace. That’s what I love about Ireland.

At the same time, during my four years at SCS, I had the opportunity for the first time to visit the landmark intersection I’d been working on, rather than just seeing it on a screen. It’s a strange feeling when you arrive at a place and, after a moment, realise that you actually know it a little bit there. Classic déjà vu."

Ivan:

"Getting to visit Ireland in person was hugely valuable for me. In QA, we work with reference photos, videos and Street View all day, but actually seeing the country with my own eyes was a different thing entirely. Honestly, the island won me over on day one. The atmosphere, how varied the landscapes are, the way each region has its own character.

We covered a big part of Ireland on the trip, from busy cities to countryside roads where you barely meet another car. That's when the real scale of things sinks in. The road network, the vegetation, the architecture, all the small details you just can't pick up from online references. Some places felt nothing like they look on a static map, and experiencing that first-hand taught me a lot about what makes Ireland special. The trip is already paying off in my daily work.

When I'm reviewing parts of the map now, I recognise places we visited, and they come with actual memories attached, the town we stayed in, a road we drove, the spot where we stopped for food. That kind of familiarity makes it much easier to judge whether the environment feels authentic and to catch details that would otherwise slip by. I really believe these impressions will help us fine-tune the Ireland DLC and make it a more immersive, believable experience for our players."

We hope you enjoyed reading this insight of our team's research trip across Ireland. If you're excited about the upcoming Isle of Ireland DLC, don't forget to add it to your Steam Wishlist! You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don't miss our upcoming SCS On The Road: Isle of Ireland Research Trip episode, where we'll take you even deeper into the journey. Until next time, keep on truckin'!

Road Trip: Atlas

2026-08-07T17:00:00.000+02:00

In today's blog, we are excited to show you a new gameplay feature that will come to American Truck Simulator with the arrival of Road Trip. Let's take a closer look at Atlas!

We know many of you have been wondering what new gameplay experiences Road Trip will bring, and today we're excited to introduce Atlas. Designed around exploration, Atlas encourages players to discover, visit, and learn about selected locations across the world of American Truck Simulator. Along the way, you may come across famous landmarks or hidden gems you may have overlooked before - and even learn something about them!

You can access the Atlas interface from your in-game desktop under the Navigation tab. At the heart of this feature are Tourist Boards scattered across the map. By selecting a Tourist Board in the Atlas interface, you'll be directed to the board via your GPS. Once you arrive, several exploration locations will be revealed. These locations are typically spread throughout the surrounding region and showcase some of its most notable highlights.

Your objective will be to visit every exploration location associated with the Tourist Board. These include Points of Interest, Viewpoints, and Photo Trophies.

Points of Interest are a new type of discoverable location. Unlike Viewpoints or Photo Trophies, there's no need to stop or activate a trigger - simply driving through the designated area is enough to mark it as explored. The game also lets you revisit each explored Point of Interest through the Atlas or Gallery, where you can view a live camera feed of the location. If your vehicle is parked there, you'll see it in the live view.

Whenever you've explored a new location, you'll be notified by a new on-screen widget, which can be enabled or disabled in the widget settings. A short celebratory sound effect will play, and the location will be marked as explored. You'll also unlock a brief description with interesting information about the place, which you can revisit at any time through the Atlas interface.

Once you've explored every location connected to a Tourist Board, the board itself will be marked as completed. As a reward, you'll receive a postcard with a unique design inspired by the region you've just explored, which you can display on your vehicle's dashboard. You can also return to the Atlas interface at any time to review the locations you've discovered, read their descriptions, or replay any unlocked cutscenes.

This feature will become available to players owning any Road Trip DLC, so either the Ford Car Pack or the RAM & Dodge Car Pack. However, Atlas is not limited to only cars, as you will also be able to enjoy this feature behind the wheel of a truck!

With the introduction of Atlas, you will be able to find Tourist Boards in California, and in the Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota DLCs. We will then be gradually adding them to all the other states as well.

We hope you are excited about this new gameplay feature! If you are, make sure to add the Ford Car Pack and the RAM & Dodge Car Pack to your Steam wishlist.

Don't forget to stay tuned for more news from Road Trip by following us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We would also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter. Drive safe!

British Columbia: Tunnels and Snow Sheds

2026-08-06T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we're excited to showcase some of the remarkable tunnels and snow sheds that await you in our upcoming British Columbia DLC for American Truck Simulator. Whether you're traveling through rugged mountain passes or navigating busy highways near Vancouver, these unique structures are an essential part of the province's transportation network.

One of the most recognizable structures you'll drive through is the Great Bear Snow Shed on the famous Coquihalla Highway. Built to protect motorists from avalanches and falling snow, this impressive concrete structure has become an iconic feature of one of British Columbia's most challenging mountain routes. As you make your way through the surrounding peaks, this landmark is sure to stand out during your journey.

Further east, along the Trans-Canada Highway (TC-1) in Glacier National Park, you'll come across several more snow sheds that shelter the roadway from heavy snowfall and avalanche hazards. Nestled among towering mountains and dense forests, these structures are an essential part of traveling through one of Canada's most spectacular alpine regions, adding another layer of authenticity to the mountain trucking experience.

The winding section of the Trans-Canada Highway near the town of Hope is also home to a remarkable collection of tunnels carved directly through the surrounding mountainsides. As you travel this scenic corridor, you'll pass through several recreated tunnels, including the Yale Tunnel, Alexandra Tunnel, Hell's Gate Tunnel, Ferrabee Tunnel, and China Bar Tunnel. Together, they create one of the most memorable stretches of highway in British Columbia, with dramatic canyon views waiting between each passage.

Our journey doesn't stop there. Drivers exploring the Vancouver area will also encounter the Cassiar Tunnel, an important urban tunnel that carries traffic beneath one of the city's major corridors. Meanwhile, another engineering highlight awaits beneath the mighty Fraser River, where you'll drive through a tunnel connecting key parts of the Metro Vancouver region. These additions showcase not only British Columbia's stunning natural landscapes, but also the impressive infrastructure that keeps the province moving every day.

From towering mountain passes to modern urban highways, British Columbia offers a wide variety of unforgettable driving experiences. We hope you're looking forward to exploring these tunnels and snow sheds as much as we enjoyed recreating them!

If you're excited to hit the roads of Canada's westernmost mainland province, don't forget to add the British Columbia DLC to your Steam Wishlist! Also, be sure to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, and YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss any future updates. Until next time, keep on truckin'!

South Dakota: Black Hills

2026-08-05T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we're taking you on a journey through the beautiful Black Hills, one of South Dakota's most iconic regions, which we of course couldn't miss including in our upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator. From legendary Wild West history to breathtaking mountain highways, let us share some of the work our talented teams have done to faithfully recreate this beautiful region.

Spanning thousands of square miles across western South Dakota, the Black Hills are home to countless landmarks, historic towns, scenic byways & more. There's simply too much to cover in a single blog, so today we'd like to highlight just a small part of what you'll be able to discover. In this preview, we're taking a closer look at the historic town of Deadwood and one of the region's most scenic highways, US-385.

Deadwood

Founded in 1876 during the Black Hills Gold Rush, Deadwood quickly became one of the American West's most famous frontier towns. What began as a small mining camp rapidly transformed into a bustling settlement filled with prospectors, merchants, and legendary figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Today, its fascinating past continues to inspire films, television series, books, and Western enthusiasts from around the world.

As you roll into town, you'll be able to drive along Deadwood's famous historic Main Street, faithfully recreated by our map designers for you to enjoy. Lined with charming storefronts, local attractions, and beautifully preserved architecture, it's the perfect place to slow down and soak in the atmosphere of this historic and famous destination.

Keep an eye out for several recognizable landmarks as you pass through, including the Town Hall, Museum, historic Train Station, and many more carefully recreated buildings that help capture the unique character of this iconic Black Hills town.

US-385

The US-385 is one of South Dakota's most scenic highways. Winding through the heart of the Black Hills, this picturesque route takes you past rolling hills, dense pine forests, towering igneous and metamorphic rock formations, and spectacular mountain vistas.

If you're lucky, you may even spot herds of bison grazing alongside the road, adding another memorable moment to your journey through this remarkable landscape.

One highlight along the route is the stunning Pactola Lake, the largest reservoir in the Black Hills. Nearby, you'll also find a visitor center overlooking the lake, offering panoramic views, surrounded by forested hills, making it the perfect place to pause before continuing your journey on the road.

Whether you're discovering the rich history of Deadwood or enjoying the scenic beauty of US-385, the Black Hills are certainly a destination you won't want to miss on your travels in South Dakota!

We look forward to sharing even more from this upcoming DLC for American Truck Simulator in the future. If you're excited to be haulin' in the Mount Rushmore State, be sure to add South Dakota to your Steam Wishlist, your support means a lot to us. Until next time, happy truckin’!

Introducing North Dakota

2026-08-02T17:00:00.000+02:00

We are excited to continue expanding the world of American Truck Simulator as we head further into the Northern Plains. Our map teams are currently working on bringing another unique state to life, filled with sweeping prairies, vibrant communities, and industries that keep America moving:

North Dakota for American Truck Simulator

Welcome to the Peace Garden State! Bordering Canada to the north, North Dakota is a land of sweeping prairies, fertile farmland, winding rivers, and skies that seem to stretch forever. Whether you're rolling into the capital city of Bismarck, navigating the busy streets of Fargo, or passing through communities such as Pembina and the Devil's Lake region, every stop offers a different glimpse into the character of this northern state.

North Dakota's road network is just as memorable as its destinations. Alongside major highways, you'll travel scenic routes like ND-57 and cruise along parts of the famous Enchanted Highway, where towering metal sculptures line the roadside, creating one of the state's most unique driving experiences. Nature lovers will also enjoy the expansive National Grasslands, whose open prairies perfectly capture the beauty of the Northern Plains.

Of course, no trucking adventure would be complete without plenty of cargo to haul. Agriculture remains the backbone of North Dakota, with vast fields producing crops that supply industries across the country. You'll also service facilities such as the sugar processing plant in Wahpeton and support the state's booming oil industry, ensuring there's always another job waiting just down the road.

As you explore, don't forget to keep an eye out for some of North Dakota's most distinctive landmarks. You may spot the state's highest TV tower rising above the prairie or encounter Wahpper, the World's Largest Catfish in Wahpeton. From famous landmarks to quiet country roads, North Dakota is full of memorable moments waiting to be discovered.

We can't wait to share more locations and information about North Dakota in later blogs! If you're excited to explore the Peace Garden State, be sure to add the North Dakota DLC to your Steam wishlist!

Remember to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, and YouTube for all the latest news about this upcoming American Truck Simulator map expansion, or sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an update. Until next time, we wish you happy travels!

ATS Road Trip: 1967 Ford Mustang Gameplay Preview

2026-07-31T17:00:00.000+02:00

Ready to hit the open road behind the wheel of a true American legend? Today, we're excited to share a new gameplay preview from our upcoming Road Trip module for American Truck Simulator, featuring the iconic 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback, which is a part of the Ford Car Pack DLC.

Join us as we go behind the wheel of this timeless muscle car for your very first look at it in action in American Truck Simulator. From its unmistakable fastback styling to its powerful performance, the '67 Mustang embodies the spirit of American driving like few vehicles ever have.

And what better place to take this American legend for a spin than in the West Coast of the U.S! We'll be cruising from Carson City, Nevada and into Yosemite National Park, where we'll not only take in the breathtaking scenery and winding roads, but also put the car through its paces, showcasing its performance and driving dynamics. Along the way, you'll also get a first look at one of the new exploration mechanics coming with the Road Trip, so be sure to watch the whole video!

We're still hard at work on the Ford Car Pack, so please keep in mind that everything shown in this gameplay preview is still very much a work in progress. This includes the vehicle sounds and driving behaviour, all of which will continue to be refined before release.

We hope you enjoyed this preview of the 1967 Ford Mustang in American Truck Simulator. If you did, be sure to leave a like and a comment on the video, as our team would love to hear your first impressions. Don't forget to add the Ford Car Pack to your Steam Wishlist to be notified when it launches. We thank you for all your support, and we'll see you on the road!

South Dakota: Sioux Falls

2026-07-30T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we're taking a closer look at Sioux Falls, the largest city in South Dakota and one of the highlights of our upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator. Whether you're delivering cargo or simply enjoying the drive, this city offers plenty of memorable sights and destinations to explore. Let's take a closer look!

Located in the southeastern corner of South Dakota, Sioux Falls is the state's largest city. Built around the Big Sioux River, the city has grown from a small historic settlement into a bustling city in the Midwest, while still retaining many of its historic landmarks. Our map team has worked to recreate many of the locations that make Sioux Falls instantly recognisable, giving drivers plenty to discover as they travel through the city.

Upon arriving in the city, you'll be greeted by the Welcome to Sioux Falls sign, and no visit would be complete without seeing Falls Park, where the city's famous waterfalls can be found. These cascading falls on the Big Sioux River are not only the inspiration behind the city's name but also one of South Dakota's top attractions.

Heading into Downtown Sioux Falls, you'll find a vibrant mix of historic architecture, modern businesses, and bustling streets. Keep an eye out for the beautifully recreated Minnehaha County Courthouse, an impressive quartzite building that has stood proudly in the city for well over a century. Nearby, you'll also pass the local bus station, where players can spot a colourful mural that celebrates the city's artistic culture and community spirit.

Through the heart of the city, you'll be able to spot several local landmarks, which include the Arc of Dreams sculpture and Fawick Park. History enthusiasts may also recognise the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial, dedicated to the crew of the famous WWII battleship. The memorial features one of the ship's original main gun barrels alongside displays commemorating those who served aboard the vessel.

Beyond its landmarks, Sioux Falls is a bustling centre of industry, offering plenty of opportunities for hard-working truckers. From delivering to a food processing plant, warehouse, construction site, and rail supply depot, to transporting cargo for a metalworks, wind turbine factory, recreation vehicle dealership, and truck dealership, there's no shortage of work.

You'll also be able to haul materials & equipment to and from the city's impressive quarry, a nod to the region's long-standing quarrying industry that helped shape many of Sioux Falls' historic buildings.

Whether you're making deliveries or admiring its historic downtown, Sioux Falls is a fantastic destination to explore in our upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator. If you like what you've seen here today, be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! We look forward to sharing more from this work-in-progress map expansion in the future. Until next time, keep on truckin'!

Soul of Anatolia: New Assets to Build the World With

2026-07-29T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we'd like to give you a glimpse of our work on the Soul of Anatolia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 by showcasing some of the new assets we've been creating to make this map expansion unique!

Because the DLC is still very much a work in progress, it's not quite the right time to start previewing specific locations, as our map designers are still bringing them to life. Instead, we'd like to share a selection of the 3D models that our assets team has been hard at work creating, displayed in a placeholder setting for now.

Keep in mind that the assets we're showcasing today are just a glimpse of what's still to come. The assets team continues making new models throughout the entire development process, so what you're seeing here represents only a fraction of what will eventually make its way into the final product.

Based on our research team and close collaboration between our map and assets teams, these models are created to reflect the architecture and character of the region. In this map expansion, you will encounter plenty of different cities, each with its own unique architecture, so we need to capture a wide spectrum of buildings, from the big and small, modern and older city buildings to rural houses you would see when visiting the western part of Türkiye in real life.

Over time, they are being integrated into the map by the team working on this DLC, helping shape its towns, cities, and other locations across the map expansion. In total, we plan to create around 300 new generic assets, similar to the ones you see here, as well as our usual landmark assets, which are created for more significant buildings to make them instantly recognizable. You can look forward to seeing these in future blog posts.

If you are excited to be cruising in this map expansion, don't forget to support us by adding the Soul of Anatolia DLC to your Steam wishlist.

Also, remember to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow, as you'll receive updates from our games straight to your feed. Or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, we wish you safe travels!

Under the Hood: Improved Material System

2026-07-24T17:00:00.000+02:00

In the 1.60 update, we have introduced the Improved Material System for selected trucks for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. And today, we bring you a look behind the scenes at how this feature came to life!

The two main people working on this feature are our colleagues Daniel and Martin, who were and still are implementing the system for trucks in both games, and also for cars in the upcoming Road Trip project for American Truck Simulator.

Daniel - Vehicle Technical Leader

"I've been working at SCS Software for over thirteen years. I started as a 3D Generalist, then worked as a 3D Vehicle Artist and Vehicle Team Lead. Today, my role is the Vehicle Technical Leader.

My work bridges the gap between the graphical and technical aspects of development. I collaborate with programmers to implement vehicle features into the engine, while also helping artists establish efficient workflows. I also design new tools and technical improvements.

My task on the improved material system was to identify the problem, propose a solution, and collaborate with programmers on its implementation into the engine. Next, we needed to set up a practical workflow for the vehicle team so that the system could be used consistently across other vehicles. The programmers created the necessary support in the engine and shaders. The graphic designers then converted and fine-tuned the materials for specific trucks."

Martin - Senior 3D Graphic Designer

"I work as a Senior 3D Graphic Designer specializing in vehicles. I also worked as Head of Content for the Road Trip project. I participated in selecting the vehicles and their specific variants, handled research and pre-production, provided expert consultation, and subsequently worked on the actual creation of the vehicles. I also helped Dan fine-tune changes to the material system.

Cars have been a long-standing passion of mine, especially sports cars and classic cars - particularly American ones. Thanks to this, I was able to bring my own experience and knowledge of American automotive culture, history, and the technical development of individual models to the project.

My main task was the 1967 Ford Mustang and everything related to its visual and content preparation. I was involved in selecting the specific car and its variant, conducting research, gathering references, consulting during data collection, and the actual creation of the model and materials.

During the development of the new material system, I prepared and fine-tuned the individual surfaces on the Mustang. Together with Dan, we used this car to verify how the new technical solution behaved in practice and which values provided the most accurate results."

How did this project start?

"Development began while we were working on the Road Trip project. The interiors of passenger cars are smaller and darker than those of trucks, so the shortcomings of the original system were more noticeable in them.

Aside from direct light, the original system had no way to render light within the interiors. In the real world, a large portion of the visuals consists of so-called indirect, or reflected light (GI). However, the game did not work with this concept at all and was not designed for it. We knew we needed to change this somehow.

The second problem was that the interiors of the trucks contain many different materials, such as fabric, leather, plastic, painted surfaces, metal, and glass. The original system was unable to render them accurately, especially under indirect lighting; everything looked very flat.

"Road Trip provided us with a suitable, isolated environment for development and testing. From the start, however, we designed the system so that it could also be used for trucks," says Daniel.

What did you have to do before actually starting to implement the improved system?

"We needed to map out the actual vehicles and the materials used in their interior in detail through extensive research. I studied magazines, photographs, available documentation, and individual trim levels. While gathering data, we had the opportunity to see the specific car in person, speak with its owner, and document its construction and appearance in detail.

It wasn't enough to simply determine that a certain part of the interior was made of, for example, plastic, leather, or metal. We also had to examine the surface texture, the degree of gloss, the way the material reflects light, its wear and tear, the color shade, and the differences between individual parts.

This research laid the foundation upon which we could later assess whether the materials in the game corresponded to the actual vehicle," Martin told us.

"We also had to decide which direction to take. One of the key requirements was maintaining performance, so we looked for approaches that didn't require complex computational operations and sought techniques that would achieve good results with minimal changes to computational complexity. I believe the result of our efforts is a noticeable improvement in graphics with minimal impact on performance," Daniel shared with us.

How did the process of bringing the new system into the game look?

"We needed to implement changes to the engine regarding how the game loads and handles reflective textures. A reflective texture is essentially a cube where each face shows a reflection in a different direction relative to the player. Using it is significantly more efficient than calculating actual light reflections using ray tracing. We made several changes to the code to gain direct access to individual mipmaps. A mipmap is a scaled-down copy of the original image, typically used when a textured object is farther away from the player to eliminate unappealing texture aliasing. In our specific case, however, a lower resolution automatically results in a softer reflection, which can be used for materials that do not have a 100% glossy surface but rather a physically rougher surface, causing the reflection on the material to be more diffuse.

This way, we created several different levels of reflection smoothness, ranging from perfectly glossy surfaces like chrome, through smoother reflections such as those found on leather seat materials, to rough, nearly non-reflective materials like fabrics, where one side of the reflection cube is only 2x2px. In our case, it replaces the Iradience map, which means it primarily serves to project the surrounding light palette onto the given material (color cast). The game was already calculating the mipmaps themselves, which means this change costs us practically nothing in terms of performance - and that is the main reason we decided to use this approach.

Along with the material changes, we also needed to rebalance the contrast and lighting throughout the game to eliminate extremely dark areas and achieve a more realistic sense of lighting.

Unlike the original solution, where reflective textures were used only for highly reflective materials, particularly metals, the revised system applies a reflective texture to every single material in the vehicle's interior. However, they differ in how strongly the reflection is visible in the final image and in the softness of the reflection applied. This ensures that even less reflective materials - especially plastics - convey a sense of reflected light, color cast, and improved contrast, particularly in shaded areas of the interior. Players will now notice that the entire interior actually reacts to the truck's surroundings; for example, when driving past trees, the part of the interior near the windows takes on a subtle green tint. This makes the game feel much more realistic than before, even without the computationally expensive global illumination (GI) calculation.

Once the technology was ready, we needed to determine how to adjust the individual materials under the new conditions. Since each material now includes a reflective component, we had to completely rebalance all the settings for each material. To ensure that existing textures would function correctly with the new settings, we also had to rebalance their color and specular components to the standard values we had established during our extensive testing.

The final step for system-wide deployment was to create a material library so that we wouldn't have to configure each material type separately for every vehicle," Daniel explains.

What were the biggest challenges in implementing the system?

"The biggest challenge was the diversity of the vehicles. The individual trucks were created at different times and used different source data, textures, and rendering methods. There is no single conversion that works for all trucks. Each completed interior has its own structure and requires a customized approach," says Daniel.

"Also, the individual properties of materials influence one another. Changing the reflectance or roughness might improve the appearance of one surface, but at the same time cause the material to behave poorly in a different lighting situation. Or a material that looked right in direct daylight might be too shiny in a dark interior or react unnaturally while driving at night. It was therefore necessary to constantly strike a balance between realism, visibility, and consistent behavior. The goal was not to make all surfaces more prominent or shinier, but to accurately capture the differences between them.

We reworked many of these steps several times during development. However, the result was not just materials for one specific car, but also experience and guidelines that will significantly facilitate work on future vehicles.

The process wasn't straightforward. It wasn't enough to simply set a few parameters according to a pre-prepared table. We had to figure out many of the values ourselves, and together with Dan, we tested them repeatedly right in the game," Martin added.

How did you manage to do the changes without affecting performance?

"Our players use a wide range of hardware. We didn't want to create visual enhancements that would significantly reduce the game's performance or even make the game unplayable for some players. Therefore, the system is not based on a new, resource-intensive lighting simulation. It extends the existing rendering pipeline and utilizes already available data more efficiently.

Performance was continuously profiled during development. The goal was to achieve a visible improvement with minimal impact on the graphics card and memory. Furthermore, the system is configured to function with a certain trade-off even when set to medium or low - in such cases, while reflections are not rendered in real time and some benefits, such as realistic color cast from the vehicle's surroundings, are lost, the materials themselves still look realistic and can be distinguished from one another," says Daniel.

So far, we've implemented the improved material system on four trucks across ETS2 and ATS. Rather than making the community wait until every truck has been updated, we'll continue rolling out the improved material system for other trucks gradually, allowing you to enjoy the improvements on some vehicles already while we complete the rest. As Daniel explains here:

"Each truck requires individual adjustments, a visual inspection, and testing of all variants in daylight, at night, in the rain, and in cloudy weather. Therefore, it was not possible to update the entire fleet at once. This smaller initial group will allow us to verify the entire production process, maintain quality, and gather feedback from players."

We hope you have enjoyed this in-depth look at how we work on the improved material system. Make sure to also add the Ford Car Pack and the RAM & Dodge Car Pack to your Steam wishlist, so you can enjoy this feature on cars when we release them.

Don't forget to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok, and YouTube a follow, as you'll receive updates about our games straight to your feed! Or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, safe travels!

Nevada Rework Project - First Overview

2026-07-23T17:00:00.000+02:00

If you've been following our rework projects in American Truck Simulator, you may be wondering what's next after our recent focus on Route 66. Today, we're excited to share the answer! Our next major undertaking will be the Nevada Rework Project, where we'll give the Silver State a complete overhaul.

As part of this next phase, our map designers will focus on the entire state of Nevada, reworking all of its existing cities and road networks to bring them up to the quality standards of our latest content. Since Nevada was one of the original states released with American Truck Simulator, this rework will allow us to rebuild many locations from the ground up while preserving the character and atmosphere that make the state so unique.

In addition to refreshing familiar places, we're also taking the opportunity to expand Nevada with locations and road connections that were missing from the original version. One example is the city of Fallon, located east of Carson City. Alongside it, we'll also add the missing sections of US-95 that pass through Fallon from south to north, creating a more complete and authentic driving experience.

Throughout the state, you can also look forward to a variety of brand-new custom depots, offering more diverse delivery destinations and making freight transportation across Nevada feel even more immersive than before.

This is just the beginning of the Nevada Rework Project, and we're looking forward to sharing more previews from development as work progresses. Be sure to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, and YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss any future updates. Until next time, keep on truckin'!

ATS: Where next?

2026-07-22T17:00:00.000+02:00

Our wheels keep turning, and today we’re ready to share a teaser of another U.S. state currently in development for American Truck Simulator. Let’s see how good your guessing game is!

So, here are your clues! Take a close look at the screenshot and teaser video below. It may seem a little fishy at first, but sometimes the smallest hints can lead to the answer.

This next destination is known for its wide-open spaces, long-haul roads, and a landscape where the horizon seems to stretch on forever. It’s a place shaped by hardworking industries, strong prairie winds, and a pioneering spirit that still runs deep today.

Think you’ve caught on to where we’re heading next? Drop your guesses in the comments below, and when the time is right, we look forward to sharing more about what awaits on the road ahead in this part of the U.S. Until then, be sure to follow our blog and our social channels on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok so you don’t miss a thing.

South Dakota: Rapid City

2026-07-21T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we take you on a preview journey to beautiful Rapid City, one of the cities you will find when driving through our upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator!

Rapid City is located in a picturesque landscape surrounded by some of South Dakota's most popular natural attractions. Heading west opens the way to the Black Hills National Forest and the iconic Mount Rushmore - the reason Rapid City is also known as the Gateway to the Black Hills. Traveling east along Interstate 90 takes you toward the rugged landscapes of Badlands National Park.

Beyond its surroundings, Rapid City has a rich heritage, as it celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. It has grown from a small settlement into a thriving regional hub while preserving the character that makes it unique. Today, tourism is one of the cornerstones of the local economy, with visitors drawn not only to the beauty of the region but also to the historic streets, distinctive buildings, and local landmarks.

Our asset and map designers have recreated plenty of these buildings and structures to bring Rapid City to life. Among them are two hotels, one of which is located in the heart of downtown, known for its appearance and history dating back to the 1920s. Driving further, you will also find another historic building that once served as the fire station and is now transformed into a local winery.

Some of the landmarks can be seen from a distance yet are instantly recognizable, such as the large white "SMD" letters displayed on the hillside above the city. Created by students as a tribute to the South Dakota Mines school and community, it has become one of the symbols of Rapid City. Another smaller landmark you may notice is the gateway entrance to Memorial Park, located in the center of the city along Rapid Creek.

You will also find many more landmarks as you explore Rapid City, from larger ones such as the city hall and administration buildings to smaller ones like a roadside windmill, a statue in the downtown, and others. Each of these elements has been recreated to help capture the atmosphere and identity of the real place.

And if you are visiting not only for sightseeing but also to take on a job, you will find plenty of depots to choose from. These include a cement works, a gas and chemical distribution facility, a sawmill, a warehouse, a home store, waste management, and even a custom-made grain elevator depot, all ready to load up your trailer.

We hope you are excited to discover Rapid City and everything else the Mount Rushmore State has to offer. If you do, make sure to add the South Dakota DLC to your Steam wishlist!

Also, remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube for all the latest news from not only this map expansion, but also other American Truck Simulator projects, or sign up for our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, safe travels!

ETS2 1.61 Update: Livestock Trailer Rework

2026-07-19T17:00:00.000+02:00

With the upcoming 1.61 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2, we’re excited to introduce a complete rework of the Livestock Trailer, which our vehicle team has reworked from the ground up. Let’s take a closer look at what changes have been made!

The goal for our team was to create a model that closely matches what you’d see on the road in the real world, with a strong focus on detail. Inspired by modern European livestock trailers, our vehicle team rebuilt the trailer entirely from scratch, replacing the previous older model with a brand-new one.

One of the biggest changes drivers will notice is the removal of the older belly axle variant, which has been replaced with a lowered chassis configuration featuring dual wheels. Alongside this, the trailer has been refined with improved proportions, updated details, and an overall cleaner, more modern appearance.

For those who own their own Livestock trailers, the updated trailer will offer multiple customization options, including two chassis variants, a Straight 3 Axle and a Lowered 3 Axle configuration. Drivers will also be able to choose between an Aluminium body or a fully paintable body.

A wide range of accessories have also been included to customize your trailer including storage boxes, water tanks, side protections, full side covers, fenders, marker lights, rear bumpers, mudflaps, a spare tire, and a fire extinguisher.

We’re also introducing newly configurable paint jobs for owned trailers, allowing you to customize up to four different colour sections across specific parts of the trailer for even greater customization. Freight Market and AI traffic variants have also been reworked based on the new owned trailer model, with company paint jobs completely reworked to better reflect more realistic transport operations.

We look forward to seeing you out on the road with this reworked trailer in Euro Truck Simulator 2. Be sure to keep an eye our blog and social media channels for more upcoming development news on the 1.61 update and more. Until next time, keep on truckin’!

ETS2 1.61 Update: Schwarzmüller Trailer Pack Update

2026-07-18T17:00:00.000+02:00

When we released the Schwarzmüller Trailer Pack for Euro Truck Simulator 2 back in 2016, it quickly became a popular addition to many players’ fleets. With the upcoming 1.61 update, we’re excited to begin updating the Schwarzmüller Trailer Pack DLC to better reflect the new modern trailer designs, starting with a complete rework of one of its low loader trailers and accessories. Let’s take a closer look!

As Schwarzmüller’s real-world trailer lineup has continued to evolve over the years, we felt it was the right time to revisit this popular trailer pack and bring it more in line with the manufacturer’s current designs. Leading this update is the redesigned low loader trailer, which has been rebuilt to closely match Schwarzmüller’s latest real-world model.

Alongside the trailer itself, its available accessories have also been updated with refreshed designs to better represent the equipment and styling Schwarzmüller offers today. While the available cargo options remain the same, this update marks the beginning of a larger goal for us, to rework the entire Schwarzmüller Trailer Pack.

We hope you're excited to hit the road with this newly redesigned low loader trailer and accessories, which will arrive as a free update for all Euro Truck Simulator 2 owners in the future. Be sure to keep upto date with the latest news by following us on our socials. You can find us on X, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram & TikTok. Until next time, we’ll see you on the road!

Coaches: New Vehicle Features

2026-07-17T17:00:00.000+02:00

As the development of the upcoming Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 advances, today, we'd like to show you some of the new vehicle features we have developed for this expansion. Let's take a look!

Coaches feature a variety of systems and functions that trucks don't. So we needed to dive deeper and faithfully recreate new vehicle systems for the Coaches DLC, which we believe will enhance the driving experience and make every journey feel even more immersive when this expansion releases.

The first thing we have decided to implement is the destination display panel visible at the top of the windshield, showing the coach's final stop. It is a removable accessory, giving players the option to decide whether they want to use it or not, and is also visible from the interior. We've fine-tuned its appearance, including text length, colour, and other visual details to ensure it fits well across different destinations.

Another difference between coaches and trucks is that coaches have larger windshields, which means sunlight can be a greater challenge while driving. That is why we have developed adjustable sun visors. On coaches that support this feature, the visors are split into left and right sections, allowing each side to be controlled independently and positioned as needed. They are also visible from the exterior and include animated controls, as well as sound effects.

Since coaches are long vehicles, judging what's behind you can be quite a challenge. That's why modern coaches are typically equipped with rear-view cameras, which we've also included in this DLC. The camera feed is integrated directly into the dashboard, automatically switching from the navigation display when a reverse gear is engaged. Since we've aimed to recreate bus stations and stops as faithfully as possible, including real-life situations a coach driver might encounter, we believe the camera will prove especially useful in many situations.

We've also added interior lighting options to brighten up the journey for you and your passengers. The first is ambient lighting, which allows you to choose the color to suit your preference. The second is the main ceiling light, which can be switched on and off with a button, particularly useful at night when stopping to pick up or drop off passengers.

We hope you are looking forward to taking advantage of the new vehicle features we developed for Coaches. If so, then don't forget to add the Coaches DLC to your Steam wishlist! Also, make sure to keep track of future updates by following us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter. Until next time, safe travels!

Gamescom 2026

2026-07-16T17:00:00.000+02:00

The countdown to one of the biggest gaming events of the year has begun, and we're excited to share that SCS Software will be attending Gamescom 2026! From August 26th to August 30th, you'll be able to find us in the Entertainment Halls, where we'll have our biggest booth yet. We will be located in Hall 10.1, Booth B022-C023.

We're looking forward to meeting our #BestCommunityEver once again. Whether you've been trucking with us for years or are just discovering our games, we'd love for you to stop by, say hello, and spend some time with the team. Meeting our community in person is always one of the highlights of the year, and we can't wait to see familiar faces as well as meet new ones.

Visitors to our booth will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel and try exclusive demo builds showcasing several of our upcoming map expansions. We plan to bring special preview versions featuring the breathtaking landscapes of the upcoming Euro Truck Simulator 2: Iceland DLC, explore the stunning roads and scenery of British Columbia in the upcoming American Truck Simulator: British Columbia DLC, and get a first taste of the upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator.

We're also doing everything we can to bring playable demonstrations of our upcoming Road Trip and Coaches projects to Gamescom. While we're not ready to make any promises just yet, we're working hard behind the scenes and hope we'll be able to let visitors get an early hands-on experience with these exciting new additions as well.

To make the experience even more immersive, we're thrilled to be partnering with Thrustmaster once again. They will be equipping our booth with a brand-new product that visitors will have the exclusive chance to test! We can't wait for everyone to get their hands on it and experience what's in store. A huge thank you to Thrustmaster for helping us make our Gamescom booth even more exciting!

We'd also like to extend our sincere thanks to Volvo Trucks for helping us prepare something truly special for Gamescom. While we'll keep the details under wraps a little longer, let's just say that fans of Volvo trucks won't want to miss our booth. We'll be showcasing something truly exclusive straight from Volvo that every truck enthusiast will want to see up close.

And if that isn't enough, our 4D motion simulator will also be making its return! If you've always wanted to experience the feeling of driving a truck with added motion effects, be sure to give it a try during your visit.

We can't wait to see you in Cologne this August! We'll have more information to share as Gamescom gets closer, including our booth location and additional activities, so make sure to keep an eye on our social media channels and give us a follow on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter, so you never miss any news. Safe travels, and we'll see you there!

Iceland: Bridges

2026-07-14T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we're excited to take you on another journey through the upcoming Iceland DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2. This time, we're focusing on one of the country's fascinating pieces of infrastructure - its bridges.

Although Iceland is known for its dramatic volcanoes, glaciers, and waterfalls, every trucker's journey depends on something a little less obvious: the bridges that connect communities across the landscape. From narrow crossings over glacial rivers to long bridges spanning waterways, each one plays an important role in keeping the country's road network moving.

Our map team has carefully recreated a wide variety of bridges inspired by their real-world counterparts. Whether you're hauling cargo along the famous Ring Road or venturing onto more remote routes, you'll encounter structures that reflect Iceland's unique engineering and natural surroundings.

One of the defining characteristics of Icelandic bridges is their diversity. Modern concrete spans stand alongside older steel bridges that have served travellers for decades. In more remote areas, you'll also find plenty of single-lane bridges, where traffic from both directions must carefully share the crossing. These iconic structures have become a familiar sight for anyone who has explored Iceland by road, and we're happy to bring that authentic experience to the game.

Creating these locations required close attention to both realism and gameplay. Our teams worked to ensure that each bridge feels like a natural part of the surrounding landscape while remaining enjoyable to drive across. Terrain, road alignment, barriers, signage, and nearby landmarks all contribute to making every crossing a memorable part of your journey. Of course, bridges are much more than simple road crossings; they also offer some breathtaking views!

We hope you enjoyed this preview of what's to come! If you did, make sure to add the Iceland DLC to your Steam wishlist and don't forget to follow our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok to receive all the recent updates straight to your feed. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, safe travels!

Under The Hood: UI/UX QA

2026-07-11T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we're taking you behind the scenes of the development of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator to explore another important part of the process that helps shape your experience on the road. This time, we're shining a spotlight on UI/UX QA and its role in creating intuitive, enjoyable, and polished interfaces for our players.

To guide you through this fascinating area, we'd like to introduce Petr and Jan from our UI/UX QA team. They'll take you along for a day at work, explain what their role involves, and share how they help ensure every menu, button, and interaction feels just right before it reaches your screen.

Petr - Console & UI/UX QA Lead

"Hi! My name is Petr, and I work as the Console & UI/UX QA Lead. Together with my colleagues, I helped build two teams that now play a key role in ensuring our games both function well and deliver a great user experience.

We are responsible for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator across all platforms, including traditional PC, Steam Deck, VR, PlayStation, and Xbox Series X/S. In addition to the games themselves, we're also heavily involved in testing projects such as Driving Academy, Coaches, and Road Trip.

My work mainly revolves around coordination, planning, and analysing testing results. I collaborate closely with other teams to identify and resolve bugs or UX issues as early as possible. My goal is to organise our processes so that the entire team can work efficiently and stay focused without unnecessary pressure before every new patch or DLC release.

I also actively test everything my team works on. Not only do I genuinely enjoy testing, but I also see it as a major advantage. Being directly involved in the entire process allows me to better identify areas where we can continue improving and moving forward as a team.

I'm always there to support my team whenever they're unsure about something or need advice, and I make a conscious effort to maintain a positive, friendly atmosphere where everyone enjoys working together."

Jan - Senior UI/UX Tester

"Hi, I'm Jan, and I'm a Senior UI/UX Tester with a primary focus on playtesting. I'm 31 years old, and I've been at SCS Software for two years. I originally joined the company as a Junior Tester without a specific specialisation, but once I settled into the team and got to know our development process, I quickly discovered a passion for user experience.

With the support and guidance of Petr, who was already a senior at the time, I helped establish our playtesting process and have been refining it ever since."

What is UI/UX QA?

"Before a new feature gets added to our games, it has to go through a long journey. And the UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) is there along the way. Whether it's a new feature or a redesign of an existing one, it all starts with analysis and dialogue between us (QA department) and the Game Design (GD) department. For redesigns, we need to start by assessing the current state, what works, and where changes are needed, and for new features and redesigns alike, we need to think about where we want to arrive. Answers to these questions will then inform all future decisions."

What does a typical UI/UX testing process look like, and how closely do you work with other teams?

"In general, we try to be involved in the process of a feature development as soon as possible and cooperate with the GD department as closely as we can, so we're also a part of the next stage of the feature's journey, where we provide feedback on the design. This means looking at the design document and trying to think ahead, so we ask questions like: "Is this going to be intuitive? Is it clear that this is a button? Aren't we forgetting anything? What about accessibility? Will the text be legible on a smaller screen?" and many more. After some back and forth with the GD department, we arrive at a design that can then be implemented by a programmer.

The first playable prototype is the point where we have to start sitting in two chairs at once. We still have to see the big picture - know the design, see how all the pieces fit, know why some decisions were made the way they were. But now, we can also see the game as a player seeing the feature for the first time. We have to become a player that is just starting out and has never played any other game before. A hardcore gamer who has played many games, but never a trucking simulator. Or a real-life trucker who plays our games on a handheld at their rest stops. Our games are played by a very wide audience, and the design has to work and be intuitive for all of them.

At this stage, we identify further issues, offer improvements, and look for possible solutions together with the GD team and programmers working on the feature. After we feel confident enough with the state we arrive at, it's time to validate in the next stage.

The next important part of the feature's journey is internal Playtesting. It's a great way of getting a fresh perspective from people from various parts of the company who haven't seen the design documents and ideally don't know anything about it. Before we start playtesting, we define the questions we want answers to: "Is this screen intuitive? Does it control all accessories well? Did the addition of X add any unnecessary friction?" Based on these questions, we prepare detailed scenarios for the respondents to go through, which will get them to engage with the (re)designed feature in ways that try to simulate a regular gameplay loop. We then invite the respondents to our Playtest Lab, where we guide them through the scenarios, observing their behaviour, reactions, taking down notes, and asking questions. We also utilise eye tracking, which gives us more insight about the players' focus, telling us which elements are observed first and which go by completely unnoticed.

After the playtest ends, respondents also fill out a questionnaire, which allows them to think about the feature some more, further comment on it, and possibly come up with ideas of their own.

All of this gives us a lot of data that needs to be processed. For this, we use practices from applied research, so we start with qualitative coding, followed by thematic analysis with frequency counting. In layman's terms, we go through all the raw statements and observed behaviours and assign them to various categories, along with how often they were mentioned/observed. This helps us to identify recurring patterns and assign them to broader themes/issues.

We then prepare a final Output, which summarises the respondents' behaviour, reactions, opinions, identifies underlying issues, and proposes possible solutions.

The next steps depend on the results of the playtest. If we identify some deep issues that require big changes in the design, we have to go back to the drawing board, repeating the previous points, leading to another playtest to confirm the issues have been satisfactorily addressed. A good recent example is the redesigned Skip Time / Rest feature, which also divided Fatigue into two separate mechanics (Fatigue and Mandatory Break). During playtesting, we found out that this new division and its representation were very confusing to players, and the feature had to be redesigned completely, to great success (at least we hope so).

If, on the other hand, we only identify surface-level issues that require some polish, the GD department tackles those, and we can move on to the final testing of the feature.

In the final testing, we mostly focus on FQA - the design is largely set, and we're now making sure it all works as intended. As soon as this is done, the feature can be merged into the main branch, where the Integration QA department takes over, making sure the feature itself survived the merge in its intended state and didn't break anything else along the way, but that's for another chapter."

What do you enjoy most about working on UI/UX?

Petr: "What do I enjoy the most? That's a tough question. In short, pretty much everything! Everyone on our team is passionate about games of all kinds and genres, so having the opportunity to contribute our own ideas and suggestions for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator is incredibly rewarding.

At SCS, we often do things our own way, which makes the work especially enjoyable. At the same time, we always keep our players at the heart of every decision. When developing new gameplay features, it's easy for designers to unintentionally fall into "tunnel vision." Our job is to challenge that perspective and bring in a fresh set of eyes. We think about our experienced truckers, but we never forget players who are just starting out. Looking at the game's interface from many different perspectives is both a key part of our work and one of its most creative aspects.

We put our all into making our games as accessible as possible while ensuring they remain just as fun to play."

Jan: "I like how it combines technical and human aspects. User experience is mostly an interaction between a human and a machine, and you have to make them understand each other.

The first project I came up with and delivered was the Graphics Settings screenshot representation to make it easier for players to see the changes they're making when setting up the visuals of their game, and that's the perfect example of what I mean - I'm interested in how things work under the hood, but also how the player perceives and understands them."

What message would you like to share with our community, and how valuable is player feedback in helping improve the user experience?

"Player feedback is incredibly important to us and a constant source of inspiration. We're genuinely happy to see more and more initiatives being built around your feedback here at SCS. I want to assure you that we truly do read your comments, ideas, and suggestions carefully, not just our UI/UX team, but the entire studio.

It's clear how much all of you who engage with us care about our games, and we feel exactly the same way. We love Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, and we want to keep making them better and better. We genuinely want to know what you enjoy, what you'd like to see added, and what you think could be improved. We've already received an incredible amount of feedback. I wish you could see the extensive documents where we carefully collect and organise all of your ideas and requests.

Unfortunately, we can't implement every suggestion. There can be many reasons that aren't immediately obvious, such as engine limitations, limited internal resources, technical constraints within our game systems, licensing agreements, and more. But please, keep talking to us! Your feedback never goes unnoticed. It's thanks to you that we're able to continue on this journey and keep making the experience even better together.

Thank you to everyone who's travelling this exciting road with us!"

South Dakota: New Industries

2026-07-10T17:00:00.000+02:00

In today's blog, we'd like to introduce you to some of the custom depots and industries you'll be able to visit in our upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator!

South Dakota's economy is built on a strong foundation of manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. While the state is well known for its farming and ranching, it is also home to a growing manufacturing sector that produces everything from trailers and heavy equipment to food products distributed across the country. As always, we've taken inspiration from these real-world industries to create authentic locations that bring the state's economy to life.

One of the new highlights you'll encounter are the trailer manufacturing plants located in Watertown and Mitchell. These large industrial facilities specialize in producing a variety of trailers, with completed units ready to be delivered to dealerships and customers across the map. You'll also be bringing in the materials and components needed to keep the production lines moving, making these factories a busy part of South Dakota's freight network.

If construction is more your style, you'll have the opportunity to deliver to new residential housing developments located in Watertown and Spearfish. These construction sites require regular deliveries of building materials, heavy machinery, and other essential cargo to support ongoing work.

The food industry also plays an important role in South Dakota's economy, and that's reflected in the food factory you'll find in Sioux Falls. This modern production facility receives a wide variety of raw ingredients before processing and packaging food products that are then shipped to businesses across the country. Whether you're delivering supplies or hauling finished goods, there's always plenty of work to be done.

These new industries are just a small taste of what awaits you in the South Dakota DLC, and we can't wait for you to explore them for yourself. If you're looking forward to hauling cargo across the Mount Rushmore State, be sure to add the South Dakota DLC to your Steam wishlist!

Also, remember to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube for all the latest news from this map expansion and other American Truck Simulator information, or sign up for our newsletter to stay informed. Keep on truckin'!

Community Stories: From ETS2 Gamer to Real Trucker

2026-07-09T17:00:00.000+02:00

It's been a while since we last shared a story from our community, and today we're excited to bring you another one. This time, we follow Arda from Türkiye, a fan of Euro Truck Simulator 2, who turned his passion for virtual trucking into reality and has now earned his real truck driver's license!

What started as a love for life on the road in-game has grown into a real profession behind the wheel. Arda started playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 regularly in 2025, and the enjoyment he found in ETS2 inspired him to pursue truck driving in real life.

"ETS2 is extremely popular in Türkiye and has a very large and passionate community. I have always loved simulation games, so I bought the game immediately after discovering it. What I enjoyed most about ETS2 was its realism. The traffic rules, weather conditions, real truck brands, vehicles, countries, and maps all felt incredibly immersive. It genuinely felt like I was traveling across different countries. The truck sounds are very close to reality, and playing the game helps me relax and leave behind the stress of everyday life," says Arda.

When he started playing ETS2, he had no prior experience with driving trucks. At first, Arda played the single-player mode until he discovered Driving Academy and became hooked.

"I immediately thought that maybe this is what I've been looking for. It turned out to be exactly that. On that day, I decided to obtain a truck driver's license. I spent a lot of time practicing in Driving Academy. I challenged myself to complete the scenarios using only the first-person camera view. The final scenarios were extremely difficult. There were many nights when I stayed awake until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning trying to complete a single challenge. At one point, I thought I would never finish them, but after enough repetition and practice, I gradually improved. The final challenges were very difficult, but I was incredibly happy when I completed them all."

Arda realized how much he enjoyed being on the road and traveling toward a destination. The more time he spent playing the game, the more excited he became whenever he saw a real truck on the road. Before the end of the year, he signed up for a truck driving course and decided to pursue it seriously, and eventually succeeded as well.

"The experience I gained in ETS2, and especially in Driving Academy, helped me tremendously during my lessons. Reverse maneuvers, reversing with a trailer, and navigating tight or sharp turns felt much easier because I had already practiced them extensively in the game. I have been driving regular vehicles for many years, but maneuvering a trailer, especially in reverse, is completely different from driving a car. Without ETS2, I would have struggled much more," he told us.

We have also received stories over the years from other members of our community who had a similar story, and we are so proud that ETS2 contributed to Arda's career in real life.

"I told my instructors about the game and how much it had helped me improve so quickly. When I noticed that I was progressing faster than many other trainee drivers, I realized just how beneficial the game had been for me. I saw that around 30–40% of candidates failed. I told many of them about ETS2 because it genuinely helped me. Reversing and parking a truck with a trailer is largely a matter of practice, and Driving Academy provides an excellent environment for that. After enough repetition, your brain becomes surprisingly comfortable performing similar maneuvers in real life."

It goes to show that Euro Truck Simulator 2 and the Driving Academy can help players to grasp the feeling of driving a truck and make it more comfortable when you sit in the real vehicle, as Arda elaborates on here:

"In the game, I often leaned my view out of the driver's side window while reversing into parking spaces. When I later tried similar maneuvers in real life, I was amazed by how natural they felt. Parking in an L-shape to the right (a 90-degree reverse parking maneuver) is difficult both in the game and in reality. However, through countless hours of practice in Driving Academy, I learned how to approach those situations calmly, how much steering input was appropriate, when a maneuver became risky, and how to reverse into areas with limited visibility. The experience felt remarkably close to real life. Without ETS2, I might not have passed the exam," Arda shared with us.

Even though he completed the truck driving license, there are still more things Arda needs to sort out before he can begin his real-life journey on the route.

"In Türkiye - and perhaps in other countries as well - obtaining a truck driver's license is only the first step. To work professionally as a truck driver, additional certificates, transportation qualifications, and international freight transport documents are required. I have already obtained all of them except one, and I am currently waiting for the final certification process to be completed. After that, I will officially be able to work in freight transportation," he says.

At the end of the blog, Arda has a message to the #BestCommunityEver, which might even motivate some of you who have been thinking about taking up a career as a truck driver to make the next step!

"After experiencing real trucks firsthand, I realized how comfortable they actually are. I wish I could drive a truck every day. The cabin is incredibly comfortable, and the driving position provides a great sense of confidence and safety. Being able to see the road from above other vehicles is a unique and enjoyable feeling. The large windshield offers a wonderful view of both the road and the scenery. Even in ETS2, I would often stop to admire beautiful landscapes and lighting conditions. Experiencing that feeling in real life, however, is something truly special and difficult to put into words."

We would like to thank Arda for sharing this story with our community and us, and wish him safe travels in his future truck driving adventures!

Don't forget to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, 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.

Coaches: MAN Lion's Coach Gameplay Preview

2026-07-05T17:00:00.000+02:00

Today, we’re excited to share your very first look at gameplay from our upcoming Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, a highly anticipated expansion that many of you in our community have been eager to see more of. Let's hit the road!

In this first showcase, we go behind the wheel of the MAN Lion's Coach. Join us as we take on a bus route between Duisburg and Rotterdam. Along the way, you’ll get a glimpse at the passenger satisfaction mechanics in its current iteration, and how it will play a role in your journey on the road ahead.

You’ll also get a great look at the MAN Lion’s Coach itself, a vehicle well regarded in the industry for its blend of efficiency, practicality, and passenger comfort. Powered by MAN’s reliable D26 engine, it delivers strong performance for long-distance travel. Inside, the coach is designed with comfort in mind for both driver and passengers alike, featuring large windows, well-arranged seating, and a clean, spacious interior. We think it makes the perfect choice for our first gameplay preview!

Please keep in mind that this gameplay footage is still a work in progress and does not represent the final version of the Coaches DLC. Some features, visuals, and mechanics may change or be further refined as development continues.

We hope you are as excited as we are for the upcoming Coaches DLC as the development continues! For the latest updates, be sure to follow us on our social media channels on X, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok, or sign up for our newsletter. If you're looking forward to hitting the road in style, don’t forget to add the Coaches DLC to your Steam Wishlist!

UK Rework Project: Inverness

2026-07-03T17:00:00.000+02:00

We hope you've packed a warm jacket and perhaps a wee bit of shortbread, because today we're taking you to the Scottish Highlands! We're excited to share with you a closer look at Inverness, a brand-new city arriving as part of our upcoming UK Rework project for Euro Truck Simulator 2. Let's take a closer look at what this destination has to offer drivers.

Known as the "Gateway to the Highlands", Inverness serves as an important hub for transport, tourism, and industry in the north of Scotland. Situated at the mouth of the River Ness and close to the famous Loch Ness, this historic city combines stunning natural scenery with modern infrastructure.

One of the most striking sights you'll encounter is the iconic Kessock Bridge, which spans the Beauly Firth and connects Inverness with the Black Isle. Drivers travelling through the city's industrial area will be treated to impressive views of this landmark suspension bridge, which has become a defining feature of the city's skyline.

As you make your way through the centre of Inverness, you'll be able to enjoy views of the River Ness and spot one of the city's most recognisable riverside hotels. Our team has also recreated several notable landmarks throughout the city, including the Inverness Justice Centre and the Caledonian Stadium, which enjoys one of the most picturesque sporting backdrops in Scotland.

Beyond its landmarks, Inverness offers spectacular scenery in every direction. Surrounded by rolling hills, waterways, and the dramatic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, the city acts as the perfect introduction to one of the most beautiful regions in the United Kingdom. It's easy to see why millions of visitors travel here every year to begin their Highland adventures.

Whilst there is plenty of sightseeing to enjoy, there's also no shortage of work available! Inverness is home to two key industries where drivers can pick up and deliver cargo. Those looking to help keep Scotland's economy moving can take on jobs at the local oil facility or deliver cargo through the Port of Inverness, where a warehouse offers a variety of freight opportunities connected to the region's maritime trade.

We hope you've enjoyed this first look at Inverness, a brand-new city coming to Scotland as part of our ongoing UK Rework project, which will arrive as a free update for all owners of Euro Truck Simulator 2 in the future. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think of Inverness and which parts of Scotland you'd love to see featured next. Until next time, keep on truckin', and haste ye back!