UK Rework: Meet the Team - England + Wales

Today, we're excited to introduce part of the team behind the UK Rework Project, which plans to deliver a long-anticipated refresh to one of the earliest regions included at the launch of Euro Truck Simulator 2. If you'd like to learn more about this project, you can take a read of our previous annoucement blog here.

The rework of the UK is a significant undertaking. With so many cities, towns, settlements, landmarks, and road networks, it was necessary to have more than one team working on this project.

The UK Rework consists of three dedicated teams, each responsible for their own areas and today, you’ll get to hear from two of them! Each team member featured here has prepared a short message for you, including a few hints and small snippets about what they’re currently working on. We hope you enjoy reading them!

Southern England + Wales (inc Liverpool + Sheffield)

Abbe - Map DLC Lead 

"People say I am the best boss! My journey at SCS Software began more than eight years ago. After working primarily as a city map designer (Daugavpils, Mangalia, and the community “favourite,” București, as well as parts of Madrid), I became a Map DLC Lead in late 2020. Since then, I have designed and overseen the reworks of Austria and all of the German cities. I have also collaborated on parts of Switzerland’s rework and contributed to the initial design for the Scandinavia reskin.

The rework of the UK is my dream project, as many of you probably know from the UK rework announcement blog post. I am truly in awe of the incredible team working on this project. Everyone is passionate, even about the smallest details. I hope you will have just as much fun exploring the new content in the UK as we are having implementing it on the map."

Tomas V - Senior Map Designer

"I have been working at SCS Software for almost six years now as a map designer. My first tasks consisted of reworking German landscapes, including fields and small towns around the highways, but I wanted to focus on something more urban and complex. On the Switzerland Rework project, I was assigned to work on the city of Bern. After that, I worked on some German cities, such as Hamburg and Berlin. On the UK team, I am a part of the preproduction team and have worked on early layouts."

Martin O - Senior Map Designer

"My journey with SCS Software games started in the summer of 2013, when I bought a copy of ETS2 to play during the holidays. I was immediately hooked and spent countless hours playing it over the following years. During the 'COVID year' of 2020, I decided to follow my passion and applied for a job opening at SCS. Luckily, I was accepted and since then, I’ve worked on the reworks of Austria and German cities, and helped with various bits and pieces on other map projects.

I am also responsible for the initial training of new map designers for ETS2. In my free time, I enjoy cycling and hiking. My favorite game genres are driving and racing simulators, as well as city builders. From a fan’s standpoint, I really like what is being created in the UK Rework project, and I’m sure you will enjoy it as well when it is eventually released."

Bety S - Senior Map Designer

"Hello truckers, my name is Bety, and I have been working at SCS for almost four years. SCS is my first job after finishing my postgraduate studies in the UK, where I studied computer games modelling and animation. I have many good memories of my time in England, so I am thrilled to be part of the UK rework team and to help bring out the best the UK has to offer.

While helping to finalize the first drafts of the UK layouts, I also assisted with selecting generic assets of various kinds, including houses, flats, walls, administrative buildings, and other props, to make it immediately clear to players which locations they are driving through.

Previously, I contributed to almost every recent map project, from the Germany Rework to Nordic Horizons. I worked on optimizing and polishing various areas of the map, but my main focus has been, and will continue to be, on creating intriguing and engaging cities."

Daniel C - Map Designer

"Hi, my name's Dan, I've been a map designer for nearly three years and after a few rather cool cities like Brussels or Osnabrück, I'm now proudly working on my biggest project yet. London. With its unusually complex road system, world famous landmarks and the left-hand traffic that has given me some funny stories to tell when I'm leaving work by car, I can honestly say that I can't wait to bring this city to our game. 

I've given myself a goal to lead our players through the city's most iconic places, and although it's impossible to fit all of the cool junctions, famous landmarks and wild roundabouts in, I'm quite happy with how it's turning out. I really think you'll like it and please don't forget to look right when crossing the street. Cheers!

Dárius L - Map designer

"Hi everyone! I may still be relatively new at SCS, having joined about a year and a half ago as a passionate modder, but I’ve already had the chance to contribute to several major projects, including Nordic Horizons and the Scandinavia Reskin. I mainly focus on city building and road network design. 

I’m really excited to be part of something as ambitious as the UK Rework. Ever since my first visit to the UK, I’ve fallen in love with the country, so helping to shape it in-game means a great deal to me. I’ll be putting care and passion into every detail to capture its true character. I can’t wait to see the rework come together, and even more to drive through it myself (purely for quality assurance, of course). See you on the road!"

Ondrej A -  Map Designer

"I have been working as a Map Designer at SCS for a year and a half and I’m still relatively new to the company. During that time, I have contributed to the Scandinavia Reskin and the Nordic Horizons DLC. 

I’m currently working on the UK, focusing on building a believable and functional game world. I enjoy the creative side of map design, especially building more complex road structures and junctions. It’s motivating for me when players enjoy driving through the areas I helped build and find them enjoyable and memorable."

Dominik K - Junior Map Designer

"I joined SCS less than a year ago as a long-time city-building and strategy game fan. The UK rework is the first project I’ve been involved in, and it has given me the chance to bring my passion for city-building into the game. I’ve had the honour of working on Hastings and Stonehenge in southern England, both of which you might have spotted in the teaser trailer.

Right now, I’m working on Portsmouth and Southampton. I’m doing my best to capture their unique atmosphere and bring it into the game with plenty of small details. We’re putting a lot of heart and care into this project, and I really hope you’ll enjoy the final result!"

Týna - Junior Map Designer

"Hello everyone. I joined SCS last year after spending a couple of years working as a graphic designer, and I’ve since found myself in the role of a map designer, which I’m honestly loving. The UK rework is the first project I’ve dived into. I visited the UK before and fell in love with it, especially the countryside, so being part of this project is genuinely exciting.

I’m mainly focusing on roads, but I’ll also be creating my first settlement. I think it’s going to be an awesome experience. We’ve got a bunch of great and talented people on the team, and together we’re cooking up something really cool. You definitely have a lot to look forward to!"

Tedesco - Junior Map Designer

I joined SCS Software after many years in the ProMods community, where I worked extensively on large-scale map projects and team coordination. Coming from a community-driven modding environment, I’m passionate about collaboration, iteration, and building high-quality worlds together. I’m excited to bring that experience into SCS and contribute to the UK Rework with the same care, attention to detail, and long-term vision.

Northern England + South East England

Petr S - Map DLC Lead 

"Hello! After releasing Nordic Horizons, I moved to work on the UK. My work is mostly the same, communicating with everyone (mainly my team) and making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

The biggest challenge from a map design perspective is handling all the complex junctions, giving them enough space while still ensuring there’s a good road distance between cities. My favourite part is the beautiful architecture of the cities. Whether we’re in Wales or northern England, everything feels distinctive yet connected, and hopefully we’ll be able to capture it as faithfully and respectfully as possible!"

Josef V - Senior Map designer

"Greetings! I have been building cities in games as a developer since 2002. My collaboration with SCS started in 2014, so I've had the opportunity to participate in several projects like Scandinavia, Vive la France, Italia, Iberia, West Balkans and Nordic Horizons. What always amazes me is the professionalism, creativity and friendliness of every team I have worked with. 

The UK team follows this tradition that is from my point of view embedded directly into the SCS DNA. It is a pleasure, challenge and hobby too, to work on this new project. And it brings many fond memories as well, as I have a weakness for the British Isles and I have visited them on countless occasions."

Nikita - Map designer

"Hi everyone! I’m a Map Designer at SCS Software, and right now I’m working hard on the UK rework. I’ve always been fascinated by the British road network, especially the dense cities and the huge number of complex junctions. 

My favorite part is definitely the legendary 'Magic Roundabouts'; they are such a unique challenge to recreate in the game! I’m doing my best to make the English roads feel authentic and interesting for you to drive. See you on the left side of the road!"

Radek S - Map designer

"Greetings to our loyal fans. I’m happy to have this opportunity to show my appreciation to all of you. Although I’m still relatively new here, with just over two years of experience in level design and production, I’ve had the chance to work on Greece, Nordic Horizons, and now the UK rework. It always warms my heart to hear positive feedback from our players, but don’t go too easy on us, as constructive criticism gives us the opportunity to improve!

This time, I’m once again working on some larger cities, and I’ll do my best to keep them looking fresh and unique, with lots of nature and vegetation, so you all won’t get bored of them too easily. Take care, everyone, and I hope you’ll have as great a time playing the UK rework as we’re having while creating it!"

Jana S - Map designer

"Hi! I’ve been part of SCS for over five years, helping to bring scenic landscapes to players through forests, water viewpoints, and now the open countryside of the UK. After working on regions like Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden, I’m excited to shift from dense Nordic forests to detailed UK fields and even contribute to some of the country’s most iconic highland terrain. I’m really looking forward for you to experience it!"

Michael P - Map designer

"Hey players, I’ve been working at SCS for three years now. Some of the most notable parts of the map I’ve worked on include the cities of Kiruna and Mo i Rana, as well as several custom depots in the Nordic Horizons DLC. This time, I’m working on the UK’s biggest port, along with a ferry terminal on the other side of the river. I won’t reveal the city names just yet, but these hints should be enough. ;)

In addition to that, I’ll be working on more custom depots. Outside of map work, I’ll also be keeping an eye on the trains created for this rework, as I’m a big train enthusiast. Thank you for playing!"

David H - Map designer

"Ahoy, mateys! I’ve been part of the SCS crew for over ten years now… As you can see, the King of the Road pin has already dropped into my lap, and I’d love to see more of them coming, wish me luck! I was delighted to find out I would be part of the UK team. I’ve spent a few months in Liverpool, visited the Lake District and Edinburgh, and I’ve loved the countryside and beautiful architecture ever since."

Matej - Junior Map designer

"After a hectic year on Nordic Horizons DLC, I have sailed to the eastern shores of England and settled in Cambridge, a beautiful and historic city. I will try to capture the character of a part of the city and its surroundings and give you as authentic a feeling as possible while passing through it. Given the limited space, it is a bit of a challenge, but I believe that I will be able to do work that will make you want to return to places like Cambridge, which our new UK rework project will offer you."

Lucie G - Junior Map designer

"Hello there! I've been with SCS for three years now, with most of my time spent on the Nordic Horizons DLC, mainly Norway and Sweden. And after fjords and mountains, I switched the magnificent scenery for calmer, but no less magnificent, fields and hills of the northern part of England. I'm quite delighted by the numerous sheep pastures. Cheers, everyone, see you soon between the hedges!"

And that’s it for today! We’d like to thank the teams for taking the time out of their busy schedules to share their messages with you, and we hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know them a little better. If you’re looking forward to more, you’ll be able to meet the team behind Scotland in the near future!

Until then, to stay up to date with the latest news on this project, be sure to follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky, or by subscribing to our newsletter. Keep on truckin'! 

Iceland: Nature - Coastline

We are back with more news from our upcoming Iceland DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2! In today's blog, we would like to showcase a preview of the stunning nature you will see in the Land of Fire and Ice, with a focus on its scenic coastline.

Along Iceland's nearly 5,000 kilometres of coastline, you can see where this country got its nickname, as it is literally shaped by fire and ice. Steep cliffs rise above deep fjords carved by glaciers during the last ice age, while black-sand beaches stretch along the shore, formed by centuries of volcanic activity.

Actually, most of the beaches in Iceland are made of black sand. This dark, almost otherworldly look comes from volcanic lava that cooled rapidly when it met the sea, and also from the ocean slowly wearing down the softer rocks above the basalt to create the cliffs we see today. The mainland is dotted with smaller islands and countless rocky outcrops, adding to the rugged feel of the landscape.

One of the most stunning locations featured in this map expansion is Reynisdrangar - an impressive series of rock formations rising from the sea near the shore of the famous black-sand Reynisfjara Beach, close to Iceland's southernmost village, Vík í Mýrdal. These dramatic basalt sea formations are the remnants of large ancient sea cliffs, towering out of the ocean under the steep cliffs of Mt. Reynisfjall.

Although the area is truly breathtaking, visitors should be aware that unexpectedly powerful waves and strong currents frequently occur here and can be dangerous. This part of the coastline is also heavily affected by erosion, adding to both its wild beauty and danger as well.

The northwestern peninsula of Iceland has a name that perfectly reflects its landscape: Vestfirðir, meaning "West Fjords". Here, you can drive along a coastline carved by dozens of fjords - long inlets formed by ancient glaciers that reach far inland. Traveling along Route 60, you'll see breathtaking views of the ocean, dramatic cliffs, and rugged terrain at every turn.

If you're traveling along the Ring Road, be sure to watch for the stunning scenery along the way. One highlight is the southeast coast, where numerous glacial rivers carry sediments to the ocean, creating striking lagoons and sandbars that stretch along the shoreline.

Driving further along the coast, you'll encounter another spectacular sight shaped by Iceland's geological forces - towering cliffs that were once part of the seashelf. Here, the road runs along a shallow shore, with the ocean on one side and these massive cliffs rising on the other.

And that's all for today! If you are eager to be trucking in this upcoming map expansion, don't forget to support us by adding the Iceland DLC to your Steam wishlist.

Also, remember to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow as you'll receive updates not only about Iceland, but also other news from our games straight to your feed. Or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed! Until next time, we will see you on the road.

The New Route Advisor: Why and How It’s Evolving

For more than a decade, the Route Advisor has been a constant companion on the road. It’s been with many of you for thousands of hours, countless deliveries, and more than a few white-knuckle parking attempts. Changing something so familiar is never a small decision, and it’s not one we took lightly.

So before we talk about what changed, we want to start with the most important question:

Why did we change the Route Advisor at all? 

Over the years, the core truck driving experience has grown deeper and more detailed. Trucks gained more systems. Driving assists became more nuanced. Screens got smaller for some players, larger for others, and control methods expanded from keyboards to wheels and gamepads.

The original Route Advisor did an incredible job for a long time, but it was reaching a point where it could no longer grow without becoming cluttered, unclear, or restrictive. Adding more and more information into a single panel meant compromises: hidden states, missing feedback, and tab switching while driving.

Our goal with the new Route Advisor was not to change how you enjoy truck driving.
It was to make sure the information you need while driving is:

• Clear
• Immediate
• Unambiguous
• Adaptable to how you play

 What you’re seeing now is the foundation of that change.

From One Panel to Many: A Widget-Based Advisor

Instead of one compact panel trying to do everything, the new Route Advisor is built from individual widgets, each with a single, clear purpose.

This shift lets us do three important things for truck drivers:

1. Show more driving-critical information without crowding
2. Give clear feedback on what your truck is actually doing
3. Let you decide what stays on screen, and what doesn’t

Each widget can be enabled or disabled independently, and you can choose whether it appears:

• in the interior view
• the exterior view
• both
• or not at all

If you want a minimal, immersive screen, great. If you want more at-a-glance feedback, also great. Furthermore, F3 remains as before to switch off all UI elements with notifications still being shown.

Driving-Critical Information, Front and Centre

One of our biggest focuses was improving feedback while driving, especially information that previously was missing, unclear, or only available in limited views.

What is now more visible and easier to read:

• Speed
• Selected gear
• Fuel status
• Time to rest 

What is now displayed for the first time:

• Engine RPM
• Exact time until rest is required
• Time remaining to complete a delivery
• Truck systems indicators

This information is available whether you’re driving from the cabin or using an exterior camera, so you’re never guessing what your truck is doing.

Clear Feedback on Truck Systems

Modern trucks rely on many active systems, but until now, it wasn’t always obvious which ones were on, off, or partially engaged. 

The new Indicators widget provides immediate visual feedback for systems such as:

• Cruise control (including its settings)
• Engine brake and retarder levels
• Lane assist and lane departure warning
• Lights, high beams, hazards, beacons
• Parking brake, trailer brake, differential lock
• Wipers and air brake pressure

Icons appear only when systems are active, keeping the screen clean while ensuring nothing important is hidden.

A Better Way to Understand Damage

Damage feedback has also been reworked.

Previously, damage was shown mainly as percentages, but those numbers didn’t always explain what that damage actually meant. Now, instead of an abstract value, the UI shows when a system is damaged enough to start malfunctioning. 

In other words:

• You don’t just know that something is damaged
• You know when new damage occurs, with the change clearly highlighted
• You know when it will start affecting how your truck behaves 

This gives clearer feedback and a better sense of urgency, without unnecessary distraction. 

Notifications That Inform Without Overwhelming 

Notifications now live in a dedicated area of the screen and are colour-coded by importance: 

• Alerts
• Warnings
• Announcements

Only one notification appears at a time, helping you stay informed without flooding your view. This also prevents important messages from fighting for attention in multiple places.

Automatic Parking, Refined 

Automatic parking assistance has been redesigned to be less intrusive and more optional.

Instead of repeated reminders in a distracting block of text, it now appears as a small, dedicated widget (highlighted below) that subtly communicates the option clearly, and can be disabled entirely by experienced drivers who don’t need it.

The Role of the Quick Info Menu

Some information has been intentionally moved away from the live driving HUD to reduce distraction:

• Detailed job information
• Damage percentages
• Vehicle adjustments and services

This information is now centralised in the Quick Info menu, alongside:

• Control references
• Easier access to settings
• Photo mode
• Widget Options 
• Local regulations

The intent here is separation:

• Driving HUD → what you need while driving
• Quick Info menu → deeper context and configuration

This Is a Foundation, Not a Final Step

We want to reassure everyone that the new Route Advisor will continue to be improved.

Additional widgets, refinements, and customisation options are all possible because of this new foundation, and we intend to get this right, for everyone.

Looking Ahead 

Change is always hardest at first, especially when it touches something as familiar as the Route Advisor. We understand the community’s concerns, the strong reactions, and the passion behind them. That passion about our game is exactly why we care so deeply about getting this right.

Our commitment is simple:

• Preserve the heart of truck driving
• Improve clarity, driving awareness, and immersion
• And keep making this system better with you, not without you

Thank you for taking the time to read this and share your thoughts, and for continuing to travel on this incredible journey with us and the game we all love.

We’ll see you on the road. 

Building British Columbia with Davido

Today, we’re excited to take you behind the scenes of an ambitious project. We spoke with Davido, the DLC Lead for British Columbia, who shared insights into the scale, challenges, and inspiration behind bringing Canada to American Truck Simulator for the very first time.

"Hi, I’m Davido, and I’m the DLC Lead for British Columbia (BC). As a DLC Lead, I'm essentially the project's manager. This means that I primarily manage a team of 14 people who are responsible for the visual appearance of the DLC, and I have to keep track of everything that people create in the map. I have to make sure that nothing is forgotten in a given DLC, that everything meets our technical and visual standards. I spend a lot of time consulting and providing feedback not only with people in the team, but also across the entire company because a DLC is not just about visual work, but it's a combination of several things that must work both on its own and in conjunction with the rest of our game world. In addition to all this, there are also a lot of administrative matters related to the regular evaluation of people, marketing, reporting of the DLC ​​status to top management, recruiting and training new map designers, etc. I’m also still able to participate in some of the production. In BC, I would like to build the city of Kelowna."

For the first question, we asked Davido how extensive this DLC will be.

"British Columbia is a really big and vast territory comparable to the area of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas combined, just to give you an idea. Anyway, a large part of the territory consists of uninhabited islands off the coast or wilderness in the North. Many cities are located mainly in the lower half of the territory and on the border with the United States. Logically, it doesn't make much sense in our game to create all of it from the South to the North to the border with Yukon, where only a few one-way roads lead to; in that case, the community would have to wait a really long time for this DLC. We're going to cover about two-thirds of the territory with major cities and roads, and that should be an amount of work roughly equivalent to 1.5 - 2 times the size of our standard US DLCs." Davido explains.

Since we are moving away from the USA for the first time in American Truck Simulator, we wondered what new challenges the DLC brings.

"First of all, after a long time, we're again facing a completely different landscape and environment, where breathtaking mountains, rocks, forests, and lakes play a significant role, which is what my team and I did previously in the Montana DLC. Canada is also, of course, a new country, with its own road metric system, rules, signs, different architecture, but partly also cultural customs and language. For the first time in ATS, we're going to have border crossings. But it's already clear to us that the biggest challenge will be the mountains, rocks, and road elevation presented everywhere. These elements are not easy to create in the map; not every map designer has the talent for it, and we will have to share know-how with each other, probably also with a few people who were able to capture such landscapes perfectly in the rework of Austria and Switzerland." Davido told us.

To truly understand British Columbia, part of the team traveled there last year.

"We visited British Columbia last year in July. The team included several of my senior guys who also work as specialists in vegetation, generic assets, and custom depots. Also, the person who will be creating Vancouver and the border crossings was a part of the group, and several representatives from the Asset department and people responsible for branding went with us as well. The intention was to spend 10 days there, but due to bad weather, we had to stay 1 day in London, UK, so we were forced to shorten our schedule, and unfortunately, we didn't have time left for Vancouver Island. But apart from that, we managed to visit all the places that we wanted to," he shares.

Of course, we were curious to learn more about how a research trip like this actually works and what it involves, so we asked Davido to walk us through it.

"After our arrival in British Columbia, we spent the first day in Vancouver, where we toured the downtown and the area around the harbour. We tried to get as close as possible to the container terminal and river port to get a better idea of ​​how big these areas are, how it works there, what can be seen there, where the trucks get in, etc. The following days, we drove into the mountains, and along the way, we stopped at several lakes and spent the night at the Whistler Olympic Village. After that, we headed towards the city of Kamloops. There are a few mines, paper mills, and other industries around that town that we wanted to document. We also got close to the border with Alberta, passing the important Summits on the way, such as Roger Pass, for example. On the way back, we took it through the Okanagan Valley, a region rich in vineyards and orchards, stretching from the city of Kelowna down to the city of Osoyoos, which lies on the border with the United States, and from there we returned to Vancouver," he explains.

Looking back on the trip, we asked what stayed with Davido the most and how British Columbia left its impression on him.

"It was great to get this opportunity, and each personal visit enriches you both personally and professionally. I had the chance to see places that I would probably never see under normal circumstances. British Columbia is a truly amazing place, and at times, I was amazed by some of the scenery. There was always something to admire."

Davido then continues.

"If I had to say in general, Canada impressed me as a mix of American and European culture. The people are nice and helpful, and speak the same language as in the United States. They also drive big cars. You can see American trucks there, some American brands, etc. On the other hand, in many places, Canadian patriotism and pride in their own products were quite noticeable. Also, as a European, the metric system suited me much better," he says.

We were also curious to know what truly defines British Columbia, especially when it comes to its architecture and the overall character of the map.

"I think that small towns, where it is often really difficult to find something that would meet our requirements for a landmark, are more typical of Canada. Only Vancouver meets the definition of a metropolis, and even there, the architecture is different from the US. In this respect, American cities are much more interesting, and their federal buildings, like city halls, post offices, banks, courts, etc., are very beautiful and recognizable buildings in every city. There are also a lot of beautiful churches in America, which we usually recreate as landmarks. It's always fun to give such places care in the game. Unfortunately, I am missing some of this a bit in Canadian cities. Also, the network of large truck stops that we're used to seeing in the US is simply not there, so it will be a bigger challenge for us to capture the right feeling. British Columbia will simply be much more about the natural scenery and interesting industry," Davido answered.

At the end, we asked what he was most looking forward to seeing in the finished map of British Columbia.

"I would say everything. We are currently at a stage where we have thought up and created designs for all the roads and cities, and I can already say that players will have a lot to look at all the time. Personally, I'm looking forward to Vancouver and its surroundings. It's a truly significant and beautiful city that we want to take care of. I'm also looking forward to the capital, Victoria, which we were not able to visit in person, but it's also one of the beautiful, architectural cities, and I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to see it at least in the game. And of course, all the mountains, peaks, rivers, and lakes that we can offer to players," he shares with us.

Davido and all of us here at SCS truly believe that you, our #BestCommunityEver, will fall in love with British Columbia. Opening the gates to Canada is a major milestone for American Truck Simulator. As you’ve read, bringing an entirely new country, landscape, and atmosphere into the game requires a tremendous amount of work and dedication. But we’re confident that once you hit the road and take in those mountains, forests, cities, towns, and lakes for yourselves, you’ll agree it was absolutely worth it.

We hope you enjoyed this peek behind the curtains of this upcoming expansion. Don't forget to add the British Columbia DLC to your Steam wishlist! Make sure to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter for future updates. Until next time, safe travels and happy haulin'!