SCS Software Statement

On February 24, 2022, Russian military forces attacked the free country of Ukraine, which is located very close to the country of the Czech Republic, where our studio and team are based. We have all been left shocked and with very deep pain in our hearts since that day. All our thoughts are with those people and their families suffering the terrible effects of all that is happening over Ukraine during the past days. We would like to announce our company statement: we stand against the invasion of Ukraine. We deeply condemn this act of aggression for which there is no reason, nor excuse.

Even though our teams are multinational, the core of the company has its roots in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. The history of our country carries a memory of sad happenings that resonate in very similar ways with what has been happening in Ukraine in the recent days, weeks, and months. We see a very close parallel with what happened here back in 1938 and 1968, and it leaves us deeply concerned and full of emotions and pain that the modern world has to witness such horrific times again.

As soon as we learnt about this disastrous news, the whole company has immediately turned 100% of its focus and energy into finding ways in which we can provide help and support to those in need, towards those affected the most by the sad impacts of war. 

We are in close touch with multiple charities to which we have already sent over 20,000€, and more of such direct financial help from our side will come in the upcoming days and weeks. We have also relocated a part of our team to immediately start working on a much needed DLC - the Ukrainian Paint Jobs Pack, which we are racing to bring to the Steam Store as soon as possible and from which we are going to donate 100% of the income towards those in need.

Besides all this, we are also doing our best to support our team members in any way we can. Several of our colleagues are from Ukraine. We have bound ourselves to give them and their families all the support we can, whether it is financial support for any extra costs they might have during these hard times; early salaries; mental health support; extra days off, or special and flexible working times; or even providing them the company spaces and facilities for accommodation. We are not only doing this as a company, as we are getting multiple messages from almost all of our team members, that they are joining and supporting charities, providing blankets, clothes, hygiene, medical supplies, and other items to charity collections, and more. 

Dark and difficult times are here and we know that now is the time for all of us to stick together and help in any way we can, no matter if as a single person, or as a collective, team, or company. The world responded and there are multiple avenues in which every single one of us can join in and support those affected by this terrible war. We, as the SCS Software team, plan to keep on supporting and providing help in the upcoming future too, whether it would be a direct financial donation from the sales of our games or any other way we will discover. 

Our prayers and hopes are with you, Ukraine.

Gamepads & Steam Deck Support

We are just one day away from the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, which means that this is the perfect time to bring you up to speed in regards to the support of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator on this new gaming system.

Our developers were extremely excited to work on this interesting project and they have done everything it takes for players to enjoy the smoothest possible experience. In addition to making some tweaks necessary to support this handheld gaming PC, our games will include several special bindings, along with a basic version of touchscreen support (clicking on the screen to select menu buttons). Moreover, we’d like to point out that by choosing to play on Steam Deck you will not be left behind when you will want to drive along with your friend in the Convoy mode, as "cross-platform" gameplay will be supported.

The development of the Steam Deck support went hand in hand with overall gamepad support, which, apart from resulting in general small improvements, adds a new mini-feature into our games - the description of gamepad mapping. Simply put, this means you will have a bindings legend on the screen to always be sure which button has what purpose. This addition represents another step-up in our continuous support of gamepads and steering wheels, and we hope we will be able to push it further in the future.

We hope you will enjoy playing ETS2 or ATS on the Steam Deck and we can’t wait for your feedback on your experience. If you get your hands on this device, make sure to let us know about how your trucking journeys went by tagging our social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). And if you find something that still needs a bit of a tweak, leave us a report over at our forum. Finally, if you will enjoy playing with a gamepad much more after this update, leave us a positive review on the ETS2 or ATS Steam page.

Montana - Truck Stops

While Montana is home to marvelous nature and interesting history, it also features numerous practical facilities which are extremely important for the truckers themselves. So, whether you will just need to quickly refill gas, or the time to take a break has arrived, truck stops will provide you with both. Today, we’ll present to you the gas stations and rest stops featured in the upcoming Montana DLC for American Truck Simulator.

Gas stations in Montana have a history dating back to the early 1940s and there are still tons of available vintage screenshots that depict a rather small building with one or two filling stations. However, these facilities have seen an incredible development over the years, and nowadays they are usually in a more convenient location with a much more open area. And since this progress went hand in hand with an increased amount of visitors, these areas became rather crowded.

The alternative for those who prefer a bit more silence, with the area being quite often surrounded by beautiful nature, are rest stations. These are much bigger facilities with enough space for the main service that is being provided - the all-important resting.

We hope you have enjoyed this early look into the Truck Stops of Montana DLC. While what we have shown you today is still very much a work-in-progress, make sure to add the map expansion to your Steam Wishlist and you will always be in touch with every piece of the puzzle, which will eventually lead to a magnificent full picture, that you will be able to get your hands on!

1.44 Unmarked Roads Exploration

While trucking should mainly be about striving to achieve excellent performances and getting the job properly done, the size of the maps of our games tends to bring out a desire to explore every corner of every accessible area. And in the upcoming 1.44 update, this aspect of the game is going to receive a very important change!

The most observant amongst you may be aware of the fact that during your journey, you can sometimes stumble upon a passage that is not shown on the map and which leads to something... interesting. Afterward, once you leave the area, the unmarked passage is still not visible on the map. This will however be slightly different in the future!

With the 1.44 update, we are bringing into ATS and ETS2 a new feature; once you drive onto an unmarked road, you will be notified about having done so with a message in the route advisor, and the explored road will appear on the map as an orange dashed line, with any unexplored part ahead of you shown in gray. On one hand, this will ensure that you will immediately be aware of the fact that you have found something interesting, and on the other hand, if you ever decide to re-visit a hidden zone you will know where to go.

Well, it looks like once the new update is available, it will be the perfect time to awaken your inner explorer and always be wary of any suspicious turns that could lead to something unique. Once you get your hands on our games with this new feature, make sure to let us know via social media or on the forum what interesting thing you managed to find!

California Rework - Truckee & Agricultural Inspection

Nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California, you'll find the charming town of Truckee, a large town which attracts visitors from all over the world, thanks to its abundance in natural beauty and ski resorts. 

As an already existing city in American Truck Simulator, you may have travelled here a few times before. However, with the California rework project in full swing, our team have been working hard on bringing true to life assets, textures and layouts to its surrounding road networks and industries. 

Truckee is a town that proudly retains its historic charm with its well preserved old western style architecture, which serves as a backdrop to the surrounding snow capped mountains. In the historic downtown area, you will find a variety of shops, art galleries, restaurants and more. As you can imagine for most drivers, it is a nice change of scenery when coming from the hustle and bustle of the west coast!

With the rework of Truckee, you'll find many new industries to support the local economy; including a sawmill and local market, you'll find no shortage of jobs when you are in town. The local road network and surrounding highways have also been reworked, with a realistic junction layout which better represents its real life counterpart. 

Locals who are knowledgeable about the area already know about the Donner pass, which offers winding roads, beautiful scenic vistas and plenty of natural beauty. Whilst this road is usually off-limits to truckers, it is one road you do not want to miss out on exploring! 

Drivers leaving Truckee or arriving from Nevada will be subject to a stop at an Agricultural Inspection Station. Whilst these stations have been included since the first California rework phase, Truckee features a unique looking stop. Even though these stops are mandatory, we recommend taking a moment to appreciate the size and style of this station. 

We can't wait for you to check out Truckee for yourself and take advantage of its 4 roundabouts to admire the details over and over again. We look forward to sharing more developments updates to the road networks and more in upcoming blog posts!

Austria Rework - Vienna

In the heart of Europe lies Vienna, the capital of Austria and a historic imperial city. With a population of almost 2 million people, it is home to people from numerous nations and cultures. Whether you are visiting for tourism or business reasons, Vienna has something for everyone! 

As one of the older parts of our base map in Euro Truck Simulator 2, we are giving its virtual counterpart a much needed update. We are excited to share with you a range of screenshots showcasing the work which has been undertaken in Vienna and its surrounding road networks by our Austria rework team. Let's take a look at the changes that are to come in this rework, shall we?

As the largest city in Austria, recreating this historic capital and important truck routes was by no means an easy task. Since the release of ETS2 in 2012, time, tools, skills and technology have changed significantly, allowing our teams to create a more realistic and detailed recreation. Some of the detailed parts of Vienna you will be able to see and drive past include the The Wiental and Danube Canal which was a challenging addition for our map team.  

Drivers will also be able to enjoy many sights including the famous Schönbrunn Palace, one of Europe's most beautiful Baroque complexes, which dates back to the 1700's; as well as other landmarks such as the Uniqa Tower, and the Bundesministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Energie, Mobilität, Innovation und Technologie; which is a very very long name for a building. 

Truckers will also find a new industry area south of Vienna near the A2 Highway featuring several industries including an oil refinery, warehouses and a supermarket. We can't wait for you to see and explore it all! 

We look forward to you re-visiting Austria again in the future, but until then, be sure to keep an eye out on our socials and blog posts for updates on reworks, DLC's in development and more.