Pinktober 2024

Every October since 1985, organizations and people from around the world help raise awareness and support local charities in the fight against Breast Cancer. Known as Pinktober, this special month is marked by the iconic pink ribbon, a symbol of unity and strength. It also serves as a reminder that breast cancer impacts many lives, and that we should educate, inform, and empower individuals to make proactive choices about their health.

At the heart of Pinktober is the importance of knowledge and awareness. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer can lead to early detection, which significantly improves outcomes. By committing to regular self-exams and professional check-ups, we can play a crucial role in safeguarding our own health. Moreover, sharing this vital information with those around us helps amplify the mission of breast cancer awareness.

Pinktober reminds us all that taking care of our health should be a top priority. Encouraging regular screenings, health check-ups, and advocating for these practices within our communities, friends and families is at the core of what this campaign stands for.

Since 2019, we've been proud to actively support and bring awareness to this important cause. Our community has been at the core in helping us raise funds for our local charity of choice, the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer, by purchasing our special Pinktober DLCs for American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 from which 100% of the income goes to charity every year.

We've had the pleasure of meeting with those involved in this charity organisation, as well as hosting numerous educational talks at our offices in the past. We encourage you to check out their work at their website, which you can find here.

We'd like to express our sincerest gratitude to every player who has purchased these special charity packs, your contributions have helped save lives and support those who are directly impacted by Breast Cancer. 

If you're looking to make a tangible impact and add some unique flair to your trucks, now is a perfect time to purchase or gift these DLCs. By customizing your trucks with Pink Ribbon designs and sharing them online using #Pinktober2024, you can help spread awareness while supporting the cause.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported Pinktober over the years. Whether through donations, awareness campaigns, or participating in educational events, your efforts have a lasting impact. Together, we continue to bring hope and change to the lives of those affected by breast cancer.

Arkansas - Community Spotlight

It has been a few weeks since we released the Arkansas map expansion for American Truck Simulator and as always, it is time for us to take a deep dive into the feedback our community has provided us with. You have been flooding us with both screenshots and videos from this new DLC and we really appreciate both the positive reactions and constructive criticism. So let's take a look at what our #BestCommunityEver had to say about Arkansas.

Make sure to keep the content from Arkansas coming as we really love to watch your videos and photos or read the messages and feedback that you are sending us. The best way for it to reach us is by tagging us on our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok, or sharing your impressions on our official SCS Forum! We would like to express our thanks to everyone who took the time to create and share some Arkansas DLC content so far and to all those who will do that from now on.

We have also received plenty of positive feedback via the review on Arkansas' Steam page. These nice comments really make our day and push us to keep working hard in delivering our community exciting new content that they enjoy.

If you want to, you can still write a review for Arkansas DLC on the Steam page. We would really appreciate it! You can find the review section if you scroll to the bottom of the Arkansas Steam page.

We also managed to reach some of the content creators who often make content from our games. They sent us their opinions on the Arkansas DLC and some of those made us really happy! You can look at them below. Don't forget to drop by their channel and give them a follow to support their work.

MESETNEOMAN® [Black]

"Arkansas is a legendary region that I have been seriously waiting for a long time. After the unique details of Texas, the announcement of Arkansas made me ecstatic. The first thing I did after receiving the early access was to buy a brand-new Mack Pinnacle. Watching the rivers and hearing the sounds of nature in the rough parts of Arkansas with the Pinnacle took me to more than just the game, I felt it. Finally, Little Rock and other cities really fascinated me with their details. Whether it was the intricate city details or the fascinating adventure of nature, Arkansas offered me more than just a map DLC. SCS Software has given us endless pleasure with this unique early access and subsequent detailed presentations. I would like to extend my eternal respect to the community officials and then to all the other team members. Don't miss this unique experience..." - MESETNEOMAN® [Black] & Murat Arda Güldiken.

meLadyBear

"The Arkansas DLC is taking us further East! This expansion allows us to drive our rigs across the map of the beautiful state of Arkansas. We now have 10 more amazing cities to haul to and from including Little Rock and Hot Springs. Many amazing landmarks as well, don't forget to check out the Arlington Hotel! But that’s not all, as with each new DLC, Arkansas DLC brings us new challenges and missions that will keep us hooked for hours.  Arkansas is a state of stunning natural beauty, with beautiful rolling hills, dense forests, and the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers! The scenery is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. From the driver's seat, we can view the gorgeous mountain ranges," - meLadyBear.

Duude

"Wow, what can I say about the Arkansas DLC! What an amazing addition to American Truck Simulator. This DLC offers over 10 epic cities to explore and many hours to enjoy cruising around. Yet again SCS Software has smashed it with another brilliant DLC with great detail, great scenery, and epic roads to explore. I have certainly enjoyed cruising around Arkansas and the impressive scenery. I thank SCS Software for the work that they have done with the Arkansas DLC. I wonder what they have installed in the future," - Duude.

Nightmare_se

"Welcome to Arkansas y'all! In this DLC you can tell that we are getting into the Eastern United States as the landscape transitions from arid landscapes and grassy plains over to small mountain ranges, forestry, and fertile lowland. All of which SCS has managed to capture in great detail. The cities represented are a good variation ranging from the most populated city of Little Rock all the way down to very small communities you drive through between the map represented cities. With new DLCs come new features and industries. I and my community thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic loading and unloading of logs at the new logging sites. Hot Springs is the must-see city of this DLC for me. With this DLC comes another section of Interstate 40 which was the Interstate I traveled most as an over-the-road driver, bringing back memories and bringing me one step closer to being able to recreate those east-to-west long hauls I enjoyed so much. Hope to see y'all in Arkansas," - Nightmare_se.

We are excited to have you hit the roads of Arkansas! Keep sharing your adventures with us by using #CruisingArkansas on social media. Stay tuned for more updates by following our social media channels (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok). We'll see you on the road!

Iowa - Research Trip

Last year, a few members of our American Truck Simulator map team travelled to the USA to gather information and references for our upcoming Iowa DLC. In this blog post, we'll offer you a peek into the team's exciting adventures as they ventured through the state, and what they experienced whilst there!

We spoke with Saimon, the DLC Lead more about this trip. "In the summer of 2023, we embarked on a Research Trip that took us across the states of Nebraska and Iowa." Saimon tells us "we combined these two destinations because the same team members who worked on the Nebraska DLC were also responsible for the development of Iowa. This makes perfect sense since both states are geographically connected, share a similar culture and environment, and are close to each other in many ways."

"Our map designers involved in this trip were Petra (Draky), Antonín (Tony), Jan (Vacky), and Saimon. Over five days, they travelled approximately 1,000 miles, visiting various large and small towns, driving on highways and back roads, and exploring different landmarks and logistical areas."

"Our goal was to thoroughly understand how the state looks and functions. We were interested in what might catch our attention and surprise us, as well as what differences we could find compared to neighbouring states that we would want to portray authentically. Let's take a look at some of these interesting discoveries together."

Saimon goes on to explain "The first thing that caught our attention when traveling from Nebraska to Iowa were the expansive hills with terraced fields, picturesque farms with round silos, and countless wind turbines on the horizon. The way the highway rise and fell with the terrain, and wildflowers bloomed on the side of the road. Later, we learnt that the state of Iowa takes special care to protect native flowers and grasses as part of its environmental program."

"As we travelled through Iowa, its nickname "The Corn State" was fully on display. Cornfields alternated with soybeans, and vast plains and terraced fields stretched out in every direction. Agriculture plays a crucial role here, evident not only from the endless fields but also from the abundance of farming equipment, dealers, and agricultural machinery factories we encountered at every turn."

"When we arrived from the vast meadows and plains into the towns, we were pleasantly surprised by their charm and rich culture. Many of these towns are situated along rivers, giving us the opportunity to admire majestic bridges, charming harbors, and interesting landmarks. We were struck by how varied the towns are, with historic buildings often adorned with red brick facades. At night, some of these structures are beautifully illuminated, and combined with the water features, they create truly breathtaking scenes."

"The vast logistics parks and industrial areas reminded us of the key role industry plays in Iowa and were a great source of inspiration for us. We also had the opportunity to visit a variety of trucks stop, both large and small! These stops not only provided our team with a break, but also a source of inspiration when it comes to trucking culture in America."

"The entire trip proved to be extremely beneficial for our development team. By personally visiting and exploring the state of Iowa, we now have a much clearer idea of how to authentically capture its character in the game."

"We gained valuable insights that will allow us to convey the atmosphere of this region not only visually but also through gameplay mechanics and details that will immerse players in a world inspired by a real place. This experience provided us with the essential context that we could never fully grasp from maps and photos, and we're excited to bring this into our game."

We hope you've found this insight on the team's trip to Iowa interesting. Don't forget to follow us on our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok so you won't miss out on news about the development of the Iowa DLC for American Truck Simulator. Until next time, keep on truckin'!  

Next American Journey

As always, a few weeks after a DLC release, it is time to announce the next state we are heading to. Today is not the day yet but we have just a little teaser for you which may help you guess our next journey in American Truck Simulator.

While we would love to share more about this project, its early stages of development mean we are unable to even provide an estimate of when this state may be on the horizon for truckers. If you couldn't guess from the first screenshot, maybe this short video will help you.

Got an idea now? Well, let us know in the comments below where you think our steps will lead to next in American Truck Simulator. Still no clue? Well, there are a few more screenshots you can take a look at and guess.

When the time is right, we look forward to sharing more news on what you can expect when traveling to this part of the US. So make sure to follow this blog and also our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Until then, keep on truckin'!