Greece - Gameplay Preview

Settle into the passenger seat and let us guide you on your first journey through the scenic landscapes of Greece! Today, we're happy to unveil a first look with gameplay footage from our upcoming Greece map expansion for Euro Truck Simulator 2.

Keep in mind that this DLC is not completely finished yet, so everything you see in the gameplay video preview is still a work in progress and does not represent the final product.

Get ready to be captivated by the beauty of Greece, a destination that transcends the ordinary and promises an unforgettable journey through the sun-kissed coastline and cultural wonders of this Mediterranean gem. If you would like to see more from this upcoming map expansion, you can take a look at all of our released blog posts about Greece here.

We hope you are looking forward to this map expansion finally arriving. If you are, make sure to add the Greece DLC to your Steam Wishlist. Don't forget to stay tuned for all the latest news about Greece and other projects by following us on our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Missouri - Water Bodies

Looking to take a break on the road and enjoy some peaceful time by the water? Today, we're excited to guide you through some of Missouri's most iconic and scenic water bodies, beautifully recreated by our map designers for this upcoming American Truck Simulator map expansion!

The most prominent of these is the Lake of the Ozarks, a large reservoir formed by damming the Osage River. It was created by the Bagnell Dam which was completed in 1931. The lake has an iconic dragon shape when seen from above, and is located in the center of Missouri within the Ozark Mountains. It covers an astonishing area of 54 thousand acres (220 square kilometers).

Another major reservoir included in this map expansion is the Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir, situated along the Osage River, just west of the Lake of the Ozarks. This vast body of water spans over 55 thousand acres (225 square kilometers), closely matching the Lake of the Ozarks in surface area.

Other than these two reservoirs, the region features a variety of rivers and streams, offering drivers scenic crossings over bridges as they journey through the Show Me State.

You'll encounter iconic rivers like the Fox, Fabius, and Saint Francis - tributaries feeding into the mighty Mississippi - as well as the Chariton, Grand, and Platte rivers, which wind their way toward the Missouri. Beyond these larger rivers, we've also included local gems like the Weldon, and Whetstone rivers, and a part of the Headwater Diversion Channel, along with some other creeks that make Missouri's terrain so richly textured.

We can't wait to explore Missouri once it is released in 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, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. Safe travels!

SCS On The Road: Freightliner Fifth Generation Cascadia Walk-Around

Today we're happy to share with you a very special SCS On The Road episode! Join us at the Daimler Truck North America High Desert Proving Grounds, in Madras, Oregon USA, as we check out the Fifth Generation Cascadia from Freightliner which was recently added as a driveable truck in American Truck Simulator, alongside the launch of the real truck.

During our visit, Oscar, our Director of Global Partnerships, had the pleasure of meeting with Tim Norton, Powertrain Product Marketing at Daimler Trucks North America. Tim provided us with an in-depth tour of the new Fifth Generation Cascadia, inside and out. This episode is packed with detailed information, including the history of the Cascadia, the key changes in each generation, and what makes the Fifth Generation Cascadia their most advanced and aerodynamic on-highway truck to date.

We'd like to thank our partners at Freightliner for allowing us to film and share this episode with you and for the team's kind hospitality during our visit. We really learnt a lot and we are sure you will too. 

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear your comments! Be sure to let us know your favorite new feature of the Fifth Generation Cascadia, along with a like and a subscribe, it really helps support our channel and videos. We will see you soon for the next episode, until then, keep on truckin'! 

American Truck Simulator - 1.53 Update: Open Beta

Today, we are happy to share with you that the 1.53 Open Beta branch for American Truck Simulator is now available to try and test out. If you plan on participating in this Open Beta, we ask that you please help us by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section(s) of our official forums.

Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable to our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out. So, without further ado, let's take a look at what the 1.53 Open Beta has in store.

California Rework - Phase 4

Phase 4 of the California Rework project focuses on the southern region of California and includes 10 cities, 3 of which are entirely new to the world of American Truck Simulator. Drivers working in this region can look forward to making deliveries to and from the cities of Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Oxnard, Mojave, Barstow, Indio, Blythe, Los Angeles, San Diego, and El Centro. Similar to previous phases, much of the original base map was removed and reworked entirely from the ground up including the cities' surrounding areas.

Our team also focused on reworking key routes, including major coastal highways such as the US-101, CA-1, and I-5. In addition, several other important routes have been revamped, such as the CA-58, CA-14, and CA-99, along with interstates I-10, I-15, I-40, and I-8, which serve as vital connections to neighboring U.S. states. You can read about this phase of the rework project in more detail in a dedicated blog post.

Dynamic Cargo (Un)loading Update

Since the 1.50 update, we have implemented and then further expanded the dynamic cargo loading and unloading feature. So far, truckers have been able to experience this feature when hauling a grain hopper, a chip van, or a bolster logger. When using the logger, truckers were able to transport logs and enjoy the animated loading and unloading only in Arkansas. With the 1.53 update, we are happy to share with you that this feature will be available throughout the whole USA!

Driving Academy Fifth Generation Cascadia

In the 1.53 update, The Fifth Generation Cascadia from Freightliner will be implemented into Driving Academy, our brand new game module introduced in 1.52. This state-of-the-art truck is the newest addition to the ATS truck roster, and now you will have the option to try it out in various challenging scenarios in Driving Academy!

Options QoL improvement

We're happy to introduce a feature that we believe many players will find helpful, especially those who often adjust their settings to fine-tune what is best to their liking and setup. When changing an option with a default value, players will now have a visual indication of when a setting has been moved or changed from its default state. 

Settings that have been adjusted from their default value will now appear with a small visual indicator alongside that setting. We hope this helps users find which settings have been altered from default.

Smooth and Auto Camera Centering

Another new feature that we are happy to include with this update is Smooth and Auto Camera Centring! Players can now enable this new option to return their camera to the central position automatically after moving it. When activated by the player or by moving forward, the smooth centering feature becomes noticeable as it gently transitions the camera to the central position.

This addition comes with a range of personal preference options, including three options of speed, which controls how fast or slow the camera returns to the center; as well as the option to set how many seconds of delay there should be before re-centring occurs.

For players who use a third-party head-tracking solution or prefer to adjust the position of the camera manually, also have the option to disable this feature altogether.

Special Transport Update

We are also updating the Special Transport DLC. As part of the California Rework project, we have added a new route for truckers to haul oversized cargo - between the rebuilt cities of Los Angeles and San Diego via I-5 route.

But that's not all. In response to community feedback, we've decided to raise the maximum speed limit for special transport deliveries. Escort vehicles and the transport trucks themselves can now travel at speeds of up to 55 mph, an increase from the previous limit of 40 mph. We would like to ask our players to try out this update and share feedback on whether it enhances immersion and improves the overall smoothness of these jobs.

Sliding Tandems Update

In the 1.53 update, we're also introducing a new sliding tandems feature. Previously, players could only set trailer axles in a fixed forward or rear position. Now, select trailers come with updated chassis, allowing players to slide the axles freely to optimize the weight distribution for their load.

But be cautious! To make this feature as realistic as possible, if the trailer's rear axle's distance exceeds 40 feet from the kingpin, you risk receiving a fine at California weigh stations and, in some cases, directly from the police.

Changelog 

Map

• California Rework - Phase 4 release

Gameplay

• Dynamic cargo loading & unloading of logs available throughout the USA
• New Special Transport route from Los Angeles to San Diego
• Raised speed limit for Special Transport jobs from 40 mph to 55 mph

Vehicles

• The new Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadia® added to Driving Academy
• Fully functional sliding tandems and fines system

UI

• Visualization of changed options in the settings
• Smooth and Auto camera centering

So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version - so you may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get there faster, we'll appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in this section.

Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.

If you wish to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the public_beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator  → Properties → Betas tab → public_beta → 1.53. No password is required. Sometimes you may have to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.

Nordic Horizons: Forests

The Nordic forests of Norway, Sweden, and Finland are some of Europe's most beautiful and ecologically rich areas. Today we're happy to share with you a look at some of the forests that have been virtually implemented in our upcoming Nordic Horizons DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2! Be-leaf us, you're going to enjoy this blog. 

The northern regions of Finland, Sweden, and Norway all share similar forest biomes. However, when traveling from the south to the most northern areas of these regions, you'll be able to spot some differences in how these forests have grown.

In the northernmost areas of the region, the forests are characterized by their sparse, open landscapes. The colder temperatures and shorter growing seasons limit tree height and density, resulting in trees that grow more slowly and can often live for many years. 

Whereas in the south, you can find denser, taller forests, benefiting from the milder temperatures and longer growing seasons. In these areas, the tree species are more diverse, resulting in more vibrant, green, and lush forests. 

Together, these forests represent a beautiful tapestry of nature, showcasing the resilience and diversity of the boreal biome. From the majestic northern taiga to the thriving southern woodlands, they are essential for local wildlife and biodiversity and provide a way of life and work for those who live in very remote areas of this part of the world. 

We look forward to sharing more previews from this upcoming DLC. If you like what you've seen today, consider adding the Nordic Horizons DLC to your Steam Wishlist. It really helps support our future releases. Until next time, keep on truckin'!

1.53: California Rework - Los Angeles & San Diego

Another two cities will be getting a brand-new look in our upcoming 1.53 update for American Truck Simulator. The California Rework project just doesn't stop, so let's take a look at how our map designers and assets teams remade Los Angeles and San Diego!

San Diego

"America's Finest City" was rebuilt from the ground up. We managed to use the best areas from the original version while also adding new locations which have been highly requested by our community.

Truckers can look forward to cruising through San Diego on I-5, almost reaching the Mexican border, or taking in the views of the Snapdragon Stadium as they drive along I-8. CA-905 will take you right to the border, passing through a sprawling warehouse district. And for a fresh perspective, you'll now be able to cross the iconic Coronado Bridge, offering stunning views of San Diego from a whole new angle.

Los Angeles

Like San Diego, the City of Angels was completely revamped. Some places from the original L.A. remain (although rebuilt as well) like Santa Monica, the beginning of I-10, and the major intersection of routes I-10, I-5, and US-101.

On top of that, we added some iconic Los Angeles areas such as the L.A. airport, the L.A. River, Port of Long Beach, and one of the busiest roads in the U.S., the I-405, plus many other places. Thanks to the great work of our asset makers and map designers, truckers will discover plenty of landmarks and depots in the reworked city of Los Angeles.

We hope you are excited about the release of the next phase of the California Rework project and to visit the reimagined cities of San Diego and Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more updates on the world in American Truck Simulator on our social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok). We'll see you on the road!