We are happy to reveal another part of the upcoming Missouri map expansion! In today's blog, we have a preview for you of selected settlements and street art waiting to be uncovered in this DLC for American Truck Simulator, so let's take a look.
Sedalia
The county seat of Pettis County is located in the central part of the Show-Me State, just east of Kansas City. The city was established in 1857 and more than 22,000 people live there. Of course, we couldn't leave out some of its landmark buildings to make you feel like you are really there! These include the Katy Trail Bridge over US-50; the historic district along with the local church, gate, and tower; and also the beautiful "Welcome to Missouri State Fair" display with a train, statues, and water tower.
Hannibal
Located right at the Ilinois border along the mighty Mississippi River, the historic town of Hannibal is known as the boyhood home of the famous author Mark Twain. Our map designers and asset teams have meticulously recreated multiple beautiful landmarks for this town, such as the local bank, church, and school. Make sure to stop by!
Lancaster
In the northern part of Missouri near the Iowa border, you can come across the small town of Lancaster. Despite its smaller size in area and population of just over 600 residents, this settlement is the county seat of Schuyler County. Lancaster is a picturesque town with some nice historic buildings such as the court house which you will be able to see on your travels.
Street Art
When you are trucking through Missouri, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for beautiful street art you can admire along the way. Multiple cities and towns feature buildings adorned with amazing colorful murals. Two works of art can be found in Joplin and Kansas City, with others scattered across Galena, St. Joseph, and St. Louis. Just take a look here!
We can't wait for you to explore all this once Missouri is released for ATS! Want to show us that you are also looking forward to trucking in this map expansion? Then add it to your Steam Wishlist! Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials. Drive safe!
In September 2023, a group from our American Truck Simulator map team embarked on a journey across the USA on a research trip. This included collecting research material and references for our upcoming Louisiana DLC. In this blog post, we’ll share a glimpse of their exciting journey through the state and the experiences they had along the way!
The trip consisted of 5 members, Paulie, our asset specialist; Zuzu, our road specialist; Ashka, our vegetation and rock formation specialist; Vojta, one of our more senior map designers; and Davido, the lead for the Louisiana DLC. We spoke with each of them to share with you their own personal experiences and what they learned and gathered from this trip.
This trip wasn’t exclusively for Louisiana, but served several purposes, as Davido explains to us. “A few of my colleagues and I were on a business trip in the USA, which included research and travelling through various states. However, we focused most on Arkansas and Louisiana, since at that time we already knew that these two states were up next in production.”
“When we entered Louisiana, I was driving on I-10 from Texas, and right after the border was a Welcome Center, where we made our first stop,” Zuzu tells us. “We were greeted by signs saying 'Do not feed alligators' and 'Be aware of snakes” Ashka adds, “There was also a beautiful lake full of floating islands of water hyacinth, wooden walkways through a forest covered in Spanish moss and giant spiders. We immediately knew this state would be special.”
“My first impression when getting out of the car was that the air is really humid and warm,” Zuzu told us. Davido goes on to share “For people coming to the States for the first time from Europe, the biggest surprise is probably the vastness and the distances between everything, as well as the overall size. Of course, we have big cities with skyscrapers in Europe too, but I'm referring more to things you don't notice at first glance, like curbs and parking spaces, which are designed for large SUVs. Also, hydrants, signs, barriers, and trash cans. Sometimes, for fun, we took pictures with these objects so that we could later better estimate their size in relation to the human body.”
In addition to exploring cities and capturing the overall vibe of the southern United States, the team was eager to visit several key points of interest, including industrial areas and historical landmarks. “We visited well-known sites, such as the Port Fourchon area, a major seaport supporting offshore oil platforms and drilling rigs, and the Oak Alley Plantation. Players can look forward to experiencing these locations in some form,” Davido shared.
“In cities, we focused primarily on the historical centers and significant landmarks, as our goal is to make each city recognizable and authentic. We strive to capture the unique essence of a place so that locals or those familiar with it can instantly identify it. To do this, we made a point to pass through or highlight the most iconic landmarks. We also tried to include key industries located in the area, though we were limited by time and couldn’t see everything we wanted to.”
“I was focused more on buildings, objects, their size, and details,” Paulie shares. “As my position bridges the team of mappers and the team of 3D asset creators, I wanted to bring them as many photos as possible. My colleague and I took comparative pictures to show the scale of objects, captured materials, and even documented hard-to-find views of the backsides of landmark buildings. Honestly, I barely saw the place outside the camera lens, haha.”
“On a more personal note, this trip was like a dream come true. When I was little, my grandmother used to show me pictures from her trip to the USA, and I fell in love with the country back then. She also visited Louisiana, so it was fascinating for me to stand in the same places she had been 21 years earlier. Since this trip, I can’t stop thinking about going back to the States and putting even more passion into my work for ATS.”
“As someone who was focused on the road layouts, I really enjoyed driving over all those bridges above swamps and even over the sea when we visited Port Fourchon.” Zuzu tells us, “Of course, I also loved seeing the massive junction complexes in New Orleans and other big cities. Experiencing them in real life gave me a whole new perspective since, until now, I had only seen them in pictures and on Street View. The same goes for truck stops, it was incredible to see them up close.”
“As we walked through New Orleans, we saw so many lively places filled with people and music. When we visited Louis Armstrong Park, I took the opportunity to buy an LP to bring back home for my grandparents. My grandpa cried tears of joy when I gave it to him. Making him this happy was so heart-warming, and I wanted to share this little moment.”
“Another great experience was visiting the Tabasco factory on Avery Island,” Vojta shares. “We had a full tour, not only around the island and its beautiful nature, but also inside the factory itself. We learned about the company’s history and the process of making Tabasco. At the end of the tour, we visited their souvenir shop and even got to taste a variety of Tabasco flavoured ice creams.”
“We also visited the Jungle Gardens, a huge, stunning park created by the island’s owner and the founder of Tabasco,” Ashka added. “The whole island felt like something out of a fairy tale: sprawling oak trees with branches that reached the ground, draped in Spanish moss; scenic paths; and ponds filled with herons and alligators.”
“Thanks to this visit to the state of Louisiana, I believe we’ll be able to deliver an even more immersive experience.” Zuzu tells us, “I’m truly grateful to have been part of this journey, and I hope we can bring a similar experience to all of you through our upcoming map DLC.”
We hope you enjoyed reading all about the Louisiana Research Trip! We look forward to sharing more about the development of this upcoming DLC for American Truck Simulator with you here on our official blog. If you're excited to explore Louisiana, be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! Until next time, keep on truckin'!
Every road has its beginning and end, and this historic route is no exception. Today, we are happy to share with you a teaser of what roads lay ahead for American Truck Simulator...
Iowa - Fields & Prairies
We know some of you are very excited about the Iowa map expansion, which is one of our upcoming map DLCs for American Truck Simulator. Now, we can finally reveal more on how the development of this map is going. In this blog, we would like to show you a glimpse of the Hawkeye State's nature!
Located in the upper Midwestern region of the USA, Iowa forms a bridge between the forests of the east and the grasslands of the prairie plains to the west. Saimon, the DLC's map lead, shared his thoughts on the state's nature from the research trip he and his team took in 2023. "The first thing that caught our attention were the expansive hills with terraced fields, picturesque farms with round silos, and countless wind turbines on the horizon."
Iowa also takes special care to protect native flowers and grasses as part of its environmental program. That is why our teams have created a lot of new flower assets that will brighten the countryside of this map.
Iowa's terrain comprising of rolling hills and flat plains was greatly influenced by continental ice sheets that covered it and melted just around 13,000 years ago. Its elevation gradually increases from the southeast to the northwest, though it remains modest, with the highest spot, Hawkeye Point, reaching only 511 meters above sea level.
An important part of the landscape is the Mississippi River which creates the entire eastern border of the Hawkeye State. The vegetation in Iowa is mostly tallgrass prairie and savanna. Actually, over 90 % of its land is used for agriculture, mainly for corn, soy, and hay. This is why Iowa is also called the Corn State, and ranks as number one among the US states in corn and soybean production. So you can look forward to playing an important role in the region's agricultural industry, transporting local produce.
Only 8 % of Iowa's land is covered by forests which can be divided into three categories - upland hardwoods, found in elevated areas with well-drained soils; oak savannah, which is a transition between upland and bottomland forests; and the bottomland hardwoods often found near water bodies with wet soils.
As always, truckers can look forward to encountering some natural landmarks which will be incorporated into the map. One example is the famous Tree in the Road located near I-80 between Omaha and Des Moines.
Today, we're excited to bring you a unique and special blog for our #BestCommunityEver. This post marks the beginning of what we hope will become a new blog series. We'd like to introduce you to Connor, also known as CaptainC0N - a long-time member of our American Truck Simulator community and a passionate truck enthusiast. Connor's incredible journey, closely tied to ATS, has led him to experiences beyond his dreams. We sat down with him to learn more about his story, and now, we're thrilled to share it with you. Let's dive in!
Connor has been playing our games for a couple of years now and shares the story of how he fell in love with them. "I grew up playing the original Euro Truck Simulator on my family computer in our office room. I remember playing on a standard keyboard and mouse and enjoying every bit. Once ATS came out I bought it. Although my laptop sounded like a spaceship taking off whenever I ran the game, I loved every bit of it. I took a break for a few years but around the Covid pandemic I got back into it and invested in a wheel and pedal setup and that was a game changer. I've since obtained an eye tracker and shifter to add to my current setup."
We also asked Connor about his favorite truck and DLC within our games. "My favorite truck would be a red Western Star 57X. My favorite DLC so far would have to be the Texas DLC and I will be very eager to wait for future DLCs as my home state is Illinois!"
After spending hundreds of hours enjoying both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2, Connor wanted to try out a real-life trucking experience. This was possible thanks to Western Star and their unique Star Nation Experience 2024 event, in which they also decided to invite two members of our ATS community last year, and Connor was one of them.
"I found out about the Star Nation Experience on a loading screen in the game and it looked like a fun and adventurous experience. I've always wanted to drive a real truck or at least sit in one and I knew that this could be my opportunity. I was blown away by this opportunity and was super excited to be selected. It was a truly remarkable experience. I cannot thank everyone enough from SCS to Western Star and all the people behind the scenes to make it happen. The opportunity to sit in a truck let alone drive a powerful truck like Western Star was crazy and thrilling!"
If you want to see more from the Start Nation Experience, you can check out the SCS On The Road that Nemiro and Mark recorded as they also participated in this amazing event!
While it was Connor's first time sitting in a real truck, he managed to win one of the driving challenges beating all the others including Mark. "One of the challenges included backing up a hill on a steep grade. One of the newer features on the truck was a crawl mode which allowed you to slowly back up a hill without using the accelerator! It slowly went back and we had to stop at a certain spot without hitting anything. I ended up being closest to the line while not going over which meant I was the winner of that competition!"
Towards the end of the event, one of the participants Casey LaDelle came up with an idea to help Connor get his CDL along with us and Western Star, as it was one of his dreams for a long time. "I am currently working on earning my CDL class A license. It's going good so far but it includes a lot of studying as well as learning all the different parts and features of a truck such as the air brake system. I am currently set up to take my permit test this month and then I will begin behind-the-wheel training after passing. My goal is to finish within the next couple of months as I am still working a full-time job during the week as well as spending time with my girlfriend and family."
Connor would like to incorporate trucking into his current job. "I currently work at a steel bar manufacturer and we see trucks come and go all day long! My goal would be to do a small load or two here or there for my company and help out when I can while still having my main job. Also, I would plan on making some YouTube videos along with it to help encourage other young drivers to take the leap and get a CDL!"
You can already follow CaptainC0N on YouTube right now, as he is creating content mostly from ATS. "I started creating content just about a year ago officially. I like being able to interact with others in convoys as well as in the comments or in the chat. I've learned a lot just from talking with others about trucks and learning how to drive a manual transmission. I have even made a few videos of my girlfriend driving a truck and teaching her a bit about the game and the awesome opportunities it can create while also still making it fun!"
In the end, we would like to forward the message Connor, aka CaptainC0N, has for our #BestCommunityEver: "Keep putting in those miles whether you are in a VTC or just conveying with friends! Enjoy the time and experience on the open road. Thank you to everyone who has supported me. I can't wait to continue to carry on this awesome experience and give back to y'all in the future! Don't forget to apply for next year's Star Nation Experience when applications open!"
Before you leave, we just wanted to tell you one more thing! If you have a similar interesting life story like Connor that involves our games, we would really love to hear it and maybe present it on our blog like we did today. So get in touch with us! Follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on upcoming news. Drive safe!
Missouri - Custom Made Depots
Missouri is also known as "The Show-Me State," and today, we're excited to show you some of the custom-made depots which have been created for this upcoming Map DLC for American Truck Simulator!
On your future travels in Missouri, you’ll be able to deliver to and from some of our custom-made depots, such as a livestock farm, a crop farm, grain elevators, and river ports! Many of these industries are inspired by real-life locations in Missouri, and feature dedicated loading and unloading spots for each type of cargo found there. To share more insight into their creation, we spoke with some of the team involved on how these custom depots are brought to life.
"It all begins in the pre-production phase of the DLC," says Lukas, one of our Map Designers. "The DLC lead collaborates with the research department and the custom depot team to select potential candidates for custom depots. After that, the responsible team members create guidelines for the map designers, which include details such as what the depot is, how it operates in real life, what cargo goes in and out, and what facilities, buildings, or machinery can be found there. The process culminates in a detailed prototype created on paper. With this document, the map location, and the map editor tool, the map designers are ready to bring these depots to life!"
"Many of the locations are based on real-life counterparts," Lukas continues. "We always try to strike a balance between realism and creativity. Our main goal is to make the experience engaging for players while maintaining a sense of authenticity. One of the biggest challenges is adhering to the scale of our game map. While we love the idea of vast industrial areas, endless fields of corn, and expansive forestry sites, we must respect the map’s limitations. Balancing these elements while brainstorming interesting parking spots and fitting them seamlessly into the custom depot is always a challenge."
Despite the challenges, Lukas finds the process rewarding. "It’s fun," he says. "In the end, it feels like a ‘small’ development process within the ‘big’ game development. We collaborate with other departments, such as asset creators, programmers, testers, researchers, and many others, to bring everything together. Personally, I always try to design depots the way I’d want to experience them as a player. I enjoy the uniqueness of custom depots and the realistic approach in both visuals and gameplay. Lastly, we always do our best to listen to the community."
We hope you enjoyed this insight into the custom-made depots coming to the Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator, be sure to keep an eye on the blog, as this won't be the only post on this topic! If you’re excited about it, consider adding the Missouri DLC to your Steam Wishlist, as it really helps support our upcoming releases. Thank you for reading, and until next time, keep on truckin'!
SCS On The Road: Daimler Trucks North America Plant Tour
You've driven the trucks; now see where they are made! Today, we're excited to release a new episode in our SCS On The Road series. Join us in Cleveland, North Carolina, USA, where we had the special opportunity to tour the Daimler Trucks North America Truck Manufacturing Plant. We're thrilled to share our experience with you, our #BestCommunityEver!
Join Nemiro, our PR & Marketing Manager and Timothy Hall from Daimler Trucks North America as they take you on an in-depth tour of the production line, where trucks are rolled out of the facility daily! From the chassis to attaching the cabin and making customisations based on the client's needs, you'll learn all about how these trucks come together in a short amount of time. It certainly is an incredible sight to see and learn about!
We would like to thank our partners at Daimler Trucks and Western Star Trucks for inviting us and allowing us to record behind the scenes at their production plant, we learnt so much! If you enjoy this episode, subscribe, hit the like button, and leave a comment, as it really helps support our future episodes and videos. Until next time, keep on truckin'!
Return to Winterland Conclusion
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, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. Keep on truckin'!
SCS On The Road - Interview from Kenworth Manufacturing Plant
Welcome to another SCS On The Road episode! This time, we take you to Chillicothe, Ohio, where Mark interviewed Kenworth's plant manager Doug Van-Zuiden at their manufacturing plant.
In this episode, you will have the opportunity to find out everything there is to know about Kenworth's manufacturing plant in Chillicothe. We would like to thank Kenworth and Doug for letting us visit this wonderful facility, taking their time to host us and letting us make this interview and the entire episode! Now, without further ado, take a look for yourself.
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 Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. Until next time, keep on truckin'!
