Nevada Rework Project: Biggest Cities

Whether you're hauling cargo beneath the glow of city lights, crossing long stretches of desert highway, or watching the horizon for anything unusual in the Nevada skies, the Silver State always has another road, town, or surprise waiting ahead.

Today, we're taking a closer look at some of the cities featured in the upcoming Nevada Rework for American Truck Simulator and how our team has rebuilt them from the ground up, bringing more detail, improved & updated road networks, and plenty of new places to discover along the way. Let's check it out!

Reno

First stop, Reno! Known as "The Biggest Little City in the World", Reno is one of northern Nevada's most important urban centres. Located close to the Sierra Nevada mountains and not far from Lake Tahoe, the city has long been an important hub for travel, industry, entertainment, and commerce in the region.

Often described as a "mini Vegas", Reno attracts millions of visitors each year to its resorts, vibrant local culture, and entertainment scene, which keeps the city busy around the clock! You'll be sure to find no shortage of jobs taking you in and out of the city, with its surrounding highway network connecting drivers with destinations across Nevada and neighbouring California.

In the Nevada Rework, Reno has been completely rebuilt from scratch, recreating the city with greater detail, updated scenery, and an improved road network. Our team has worked to better capture the character and scale of Reno, while retaining important and familiar elements from the original version and adding plenty of new details for players to discover.

Carson City

Just south of Reno lies Carson City, the capital of Nevada. Sitting at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the city offers a very different atmosphere from its larger neighbour, with historic streets, government buildings, and plenty of scenic surroundings.

As the centre of Nevada's state government, Carson City is home to several important landmarks, including the Nevada State Capitol, while its location also places it close to routes leading towards Lake Tahoe and other parts of western Nevada. Whether you're passing through or making a delivery in the city, there will be plenty to take in along the way.

Our map designers have rebuilt Carson City from the ground up, bringing greater detail to its streets, scenery, and surrounding areas, while giving some of its key landmarks and locations a fresh new look. Familiar elements from the original map have also been rebuilt where possible, bringing them up to the quality and level of detail found in our latest map and asset work.

Elko

Heading east across northern Nevada brings you to Elko, an important regional centre surrounded by wide open landscapes and mountain scenery. The city has strong connections with the mining & farming industries which have played a major role in shaping both Elko and northeastern Nevada as a whole.

Elko also sits along one of northern Nevada's most important transport corridors, making it a natural stopping point for travellers and freight moving across the state. Beyond its industrial connections, the area is also well known for its farming heritage and the vast landscapes which surround the city.

Our team has worked to give the area more of its own identity, while also improving the locations where drivers will pick up and deliver cargo, including new custom depots designed specifically for the area.

Winnemucca

Located along the Humboldt River, Winnemucca has long served as an important stopping point for travellers crossing northern Nevada. Its position along a major east-west transport corridor has helped make it an important regional centre for transport and cargo.

The city also has strong ties to several of the large industries found throughout this part of Nevada. Surrounded by broad valleys, distant mountain ranges, and open desert landscapes, Winnemucca offers the kind of scenery many drivers associate with journeys across the Silver State. Players can expect an updated city layout that better reflects the character of the real-world location. 

Ely

In eastern Nevada you'll find Ely, a remote city surrounded by rugged mountains and expansive desert landscapes. Located along U.S. Route 50, famously known as the "Loneliest Road in America", Ely offers a noticeably different setting from many other cities in the state.

For the Nevada Rework, our team has aimed to preserve Ely's distinctive atmosphere and important locations, while bringing its roads, scenery, and surroundings up to the quality of our latest map work.

Across all of these locations, we've also added a variety of new custom depots, refreshed some company branding, and introduced many smaller details to make each city feel more unique. And of course, there is one major Nevada city missing from today's blog! Las Vegas will receive its own dedicated spotlight in the future, so stay tuned for that.

We hope you've enjoyed this latest look at the Nevada Rework. Be sure to follow our social media channels for more news and previews from American Truck Simulator!

Road Trip: Ford DLC Release

We are super excited that the day many of you have been waiting for has finally arrived. Today, you can get ready to drive a new set of vehicles with the release of the Road Trip: Ford DLC for American Truck Simulator!

The Road Trip: Ford DLC is now released and available on Steam!

We first announced project Road Trip in April last year, and since then, it has been eagerly awaited by our #BestCommunityEver. A dedicated team was formed to bring this brand-new experience to American Truck Simulator, working closely with our vehicle team, programmers, testers, and many other colleagues across the company. The Ford DLC is the first release from the Road Trip project, and we're incredibly happy to finally bring it to our community!

Now, you can hit the open roads of American Truck Simulator like never before with this DLC as you take the wheel of:

• The iconic 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback
• The all-purpose 2023 Ford F-150
• The modern 2023 Ford Bronco
• and the legendary 1998–2012 Ford Crown Victoria

With the Road Trip: Ford DLC, you will unlock Car Mode, its related features, and all of these personal cars, which you can take out on the road and experience American Truck Simulator from a whole new perspective. Customise your vehicles with a variety of accessories and paint options, then hit the road and explore at your own pace.

Looking for something to do along the way? Take on smaller deliveries through Quick Jobs or the Dispatch Market and build your courier reputation, or discover the world around you with the new Atlas feature. Visit iconic locations, learn more about them, and collect beautifully designed postcards as you explore.

At release, the Atlas feature and its Tourist Boards will be available in California, and in the Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota DLCs. The remaining states will be gradually included in future updates.

Step away from your big rig and get behind the wheel of iconic Ford vehicles, a fresh way to explore the world of American Truck Simulator. You can also team up with your friends in Convoy mode and hit the road together, with trucks and cars sharing the highways! And don't forget that if you own this DLC, you can also enjoy the Atlas feature from behind the wheel of a truck.

We're happy to have partnered with Ford to bring these iconic vehicles to life in American Truck Simulator, and we would like to thank them very much for their cooperation in making this possible. 

But now, it's all up to you - we can't wait to see where your next road trip takes you!

Release Live Stream

As we always do with our map expansions, we also plan to introduce the new Road Trip: Ford DLC to our community with a special release stream! Starting today at 3 pm CEST, we'll be joined by guests who worked on the DLC's development, chatting with them about the process while taking Ford cars out on the roads of American Truck Simulator. And at the end of the stream, we'll officially release the DLC together with you!

Make sure to share photos or videos from your road trip journeys with us on social media by tagging us on X/Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, and Instagram. For more news from American Truck Simulator and further Road Trip development, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on our social media accounts. We will see you on the road!

SCS On The Road: Star Nation Experience 2026

This year, we were once again invited by Western Star to take part in their Star Nation Experience along with two members from our American Truck Simulator community. Today, we bring you an SCS On The Road episode where you can watch what the whole amazing event looked like!

Beny and Oscar travelled all the way to Bend, Oregon, to represent SCS at the wonderful Star Nation Experience 2026 in June. There, they met up with two members of our ATS community, Conor and Nathan, who were selected and invited by Western Star for an all-expenses-paid trip and a weekend packed with unforgettable experiences.

From fly fishing and ATV rides to the X-Series Ride & Drive Challenge at the Madras Proving Grounds, they also got to meet the Western Star team and other trucking enthusiasts. So, let's watch together and see how the Star Nation Experience 2026 went!

We would like to say a huge thank you to Western Star for inviting us once again, along with Nathan and Conor, and for giving us the opportunity to take part in such an amazing event. We are also happy that we could capture the experience and share it with our community!

Make sure to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, YouTube, and Instagram so you don't miss out on any events, news, and fresh SCS On The Road episodes. Alternatively, you can subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, happy hauling!

Coaches & Road Trip: Mode Switch

Ready to hit the road? Today, we're taking a closer look at one of the new systems created for our upcoming Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and Road Trip for American Truck Simulator; Mode Switch. This feature helps bring different types of gameplay together, allowing you to move between your trucking career and new adventures behind the wheel of a car or coach!

ETS2 & ATS are expanding beyond trucking, and with that comes the need to clearly separate the different careers and gameplay experiences available to players. This is why we have divided the game into different modes, Truck Mode, Car Mode and Coach Mode.

Each mode has its own gameplay, progression, and career systems. Truck Mode remains centred around transporting cargo and building your trucking business, while Car Mode, introduced with Road Trip, places a greater emphasis on exploration and building your reputation with customers. Coach Mode will focus on operating routes, providing passengers with a smooth journey, and keeping them satisfied along the way.

Progression is separate between these careers, with Car Mode using reputation rather than traditional experience points. However, some important parts of your profile remain shared. Your money and map exploration carry across all modes, meaning roads discovered while travelling by car will remain explored when you return to your truck, and vice versa.

Separating the experience into different modes also allows us to keep everything relevant to your current career together in one place, including your vehicles, progression, statistics, and other mode-specific information.

Switching between modes is straightforward. You can enter another mode while you're not driving to manage that career, although you cannot have more than one active job across all modes at the same time. The full switch between modes happens once you press the Drive button.

As of right now, the navigation system remains tied to the mode you last drove in, so you won’t be able to set or adjust a route for the newly selected mode. As soon as you hit the road, the correct navigation and gameplay systems for that mode will kick in. Looking ahead, we’re already looking at ways to make navigation between modes feel even smoother in future updates. 

Wonder where you last left off in your vehicle? The map will also show the positions of your other vehicle, as well as your current position when undertaking a Quick Job. When you mode switch, you'll continue from the location where you left your truck, coach, or car.

The introduction of multiple modes also played a part in our recent changes to the fatigue system. Fatigue Simulation is now separated into Rest State and Mandatory Breaks. Your Rest State represents how tired your character is and is shared across modes, while Mandatory Breaks represent legally required rest periods. Trucks and coaches are subject to Mandatory Breaks, while cars are not.

The introduction of different modes is an important part of expanding Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator while keeping their various gameplay experiences connected. Each mode offers its own career and progression, while shared systems such as money and exploration help ensure everything still feels like part of the same world and profile.

We hope this gives you a better understanding of how Mode Switch works and some of the thought process behind the creation of the system. We're looking forward to getting you behind the wheel of some new vehicle types in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator!

Until next time, keep an eye on our blog and social media for all the latest news, and we’ll see you on the road!

South Dakota DLC Release

The road is calling! The South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator has arrived, bringing local industries, rolling prairies, stunning scenery, and some of America’s most recognisable landmarks to your journeys.

The South Dakota DLC is now released and available on Steam!

It’s been an exciting road since we first announced that South Dakota was in development, and today we’re excited to finally release it to you. So saddle up, warm up the engine, and get ready to roam the Mount Rushmore State! To help you get your bearings, here is a look at the full map of the DLC, showcasing the cities, towns, and road networks waiting for you.

We can’t wait to welcome you to the Mount Rushmore State! So what can you expect from this DLC?

• Explore 13 faithfully recreated cities, including Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and more!
• Discover 21 scenic towns and settlements across the state, such as Hot Springs, Wall and Sturgis.
• Travel across a road network representing around 3000 miles of real-world roads, with connections to Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa.
• See iconic South Dakota landmarks including Mount Rushmore, the Corn Palace, Sioux Falls, and the Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture.
• Deliver cargo to 10 custom depots and discover new industries, including trailer manufacturing, residential housing, and a landmark food production facility in Sioux Falls.
• Explore stunning natural locations such as the Black Hills, Badlands, and the landscapes surrounding Reva.
• Experience the variety of South Dakota’s scenery, from dramatic rock formations and forested hills to wide-open plains and bustling cities.
• Discover famous sights, local landmarks, scenic roads, and hidden details as you travel across the Mount Rushmore State!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

From busy roads in Rapid City to the wide-open Great Plains, dramatic Badlands, and winding roads of the Black Hills, South Dakota offers plenty of variety for truckers to discover. Along the way, you’ll encounter some of the state’s most iconic sights, including Mount Rushmore and the waterfalls of Sioux Falls, while hauling cargo through the diverse landscapes of the Mount Rushmore State. We can't wait for you to start explorin'! 

Release Live Stream

Don't forget about our special Release Live Stream, which starts today at 3 pm CEST! Joining us will be some special guests, including the CEO of SCS Software, Pavel Šebor, all of whom will be chatting with us about this exciting new addition while we drive through South Dakota.

Towards the end of the live stream, we'll officially release the South Dakota DLC together, with a live video feed from our office release party, so make sure to be there!

World of Trucks: Cruising South Dakota Event

With the release of our South Dakota DLC, we're excited to welcome you all back & invite you all to join us for our World of Trucks event - Cruising South Dakota! Roll through the Mount Rushmore State and take in its wide-open landscapes, natural beauty and rich history.



This event invites you to explore the new map, deliver cargoes to and from its many cities, and contribute to a community goal, which will you earn you special & unique in-game rewards. 

Rewards

Personal Goal: Players who complete deliveries to or from all 13 South Dakota cities will earn a personal World of Trucks Achievement and a Call of the Badlands ATS truck paint job Steam inventory item.

Community Goal: When the community goal of driving 150,000,000 miles (241,402,000 km) during deliveries to or from any city in South Dakota is met, players who have also achieved their personal goal will receive a Ring-necked Pheasant Steam inventory item.

And there’s an extra treat as well! Truckers who complete a job using External Contracts or the External Market TO or FROM Rapid City will be rewarded with the Quartz Triceratops hanging item for their cabin. Combining South Dakota’s official state mineral, rose quartz, with its official state fossil, the Triceratops, it’s the perfect souvenir from your travels across the Mount Rushmore State!

You can find all the rules and further details about the event in our dedicated Cruising South Dakota DLC event blog!

We are eager for you to start trucking in the Mount Rushmore State. Remember to tag us in your photos and videos from this map expansion using the hashtag #CruisingSouthDakota on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky. If you'll enjoy your time in South Dakota, we'd really appreciate it if you left a review on its DLC Steam store page. We thank you for all your support, and until next time, happy haulin'!

Soul of Anatolia: Building Intersections with Pavel

Today, we’re taking a look behind the scenes of the Soul of Anatolia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, this time focusing on the complex work that goes into creating the roads and intersections that connect its cities and landscapes. We spoke with Pavel, one of our Map Designers, who shared more about his work on the project and the process of building a road network.

Hi! My name is Pavel, and I’ve been working at SCS Software as a Map Designer for more than 7 years.

For the past two years, I’ve mainly specialised in everything related to roads and highways.

For Soul of Anatolia, I design large highway interchanges and create specifications for other departments for prefabs, tunnels, and traffic lights. I also work with my colleagues to place these elements throughout the map and strive to create a consistent driving experience for players.

What similar projects have you worked on in the past, and how is working on Soul of Anatolia DLC different?

The project that comes closest to my work on Soul of Anatolia is the Greece DLC, where I had some experience with the geometric design of interchanges and maintaining consistency in road elements such as toll gates.

Working on Soul of Anatolia is different mainly because of the scale of what I’m responsible for. I’ve been given much more room to influence the road layout.

How large is this DLC, and what challenges does it bring for you?

From my perspective, with my focus mainly on roads, this DLC is truly huge. For example, we have more than a hundred large highway interchanges on the map.

The challenge for me is to make sure these interchanges meet our requirements while also making sure everything fits within the map.

How does the creation and implementation of highway interchanges work?

Since the project is usually already underway in some form by the time I start working on it, I create pre-assembled interchanges separately from the project in a dedicated test map, where I also test newly created prefabs.

In this map, I always start with a rough prototype built by hand, where the main focus is choosing the right number of road lanes and the type of road intersection. I then iterate on this prototype, adjusting curve radii and fine-tuning road lengths to meet the rules we have established, such as clearance heights under bridges, road banking, and maximum gradients.

I try to calculate and build everything so that the interchange matches its real-world counterpart as closely as possible, is as compact as possible, and is also comfortable to drive through.

Once I’m happy with the prototype, it is copied into the project and placed in its designated location, where it may still undergo some minor adjustments. At that point, my work on the interchange is finished.

You spoke about prefabs; how does the creation of new prefabs work?

First, I consider whether a prefab really needs to be created for a particular situation, or whether the situation could be solved with a prefab we already have, perhaps with a small compromise.

If I conclude that a new prefab is necessary, I start designing it. I begin by putting together a rough prototype using roads. For the design, I use simple geometry, such as calculating the radius and sector of a circle.

It’s important not to make the prefab unnecessarily large while also finding the right compromise that allows both our AI traffic and players to drive through it without problems.

Once I’m happy with the shape, I create a simple blueprint of the prefab. In addition to its shape, it also shows the road markings and the routes that AI traffic will take.

Once that is ready, I create a specification for our road department. Along with the coordinates of the pre-assembled prototype, I include the blueprints and a basic description.

After that, I simply wait for the prefab to be created. Once it comes back to me, I either provide feedback on it or approve it for use on the map.

What are you most looking forward to seeing completed on the map as part of Soul of Anatolia DLC?

A little selfishly, I’m looking forward to finally having all the highway interchanges and prefabs completed. Toward the end of the project, I’ll also add the necessary accessories to them, such as traffic lights.

After that, most of my work will be focused on details and small touches that will allow me to give the project some extra care and bring the level of detail closer to the real-world references.

What have you enjoyed the most about Soul of Anatolia DLC so far, and what are you looking forward to the most?

I’m really enjoying one new type of interchange, and one modified existing type of prefab that I’ve wanted to have ever since I joined the company. I’ve now managed to get them created, and they’re already waiting for you in the map for you to drive through.

What do you think players will like the most about Soul of Anatolia DLC, and what shouldn’t they miss?

Of course, waiting at traffic-light intersections!

No, just kidding. It will definitely be the landscapes and landmarks. Even now, at a really early stage of the map’s development, some places can really surprise me with how detailed and beautiful they already look.

We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into building the roads and intersections of Soul of Anatolia. A huge thank you to Pavel for sharing more about his role and giving us a glimpse into the process behind creating the region's road network.

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, safe travels!