Friday, January 3, 2025

Iowa - Meet the Team

In June 2024, we announced that we had begun production on Iowa for American Truck Simulator! Today we're happy to introduce the Team working on this upcoming DLC! 

We figured it would be best to let them introduce themselves in their own words, with a little message about themselves and what they are currently working on in the team. We hope you enjoy these words for you, our #BestCommunityEver! 

Saimon

"My love for games like Sonic and Heroes sparked a passion that eventually led me here, to this amazing company. One of the highlights of my career was starting as a lead on the Texas DLC. My other passion lies in art and landscaping, which naturally reflects in the DLCs I’ve been involved with. I also deeply enjoy working with people, and I must say, as a team, we’ve made an incredible journey since the release of Nebraska. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and excited for what we’ll achieve next!"

Vacky

"I have been working at SCS for four and a half years now, and since my humble beginnings with the Texas DLC, I have always enjoyed being challenged with different tasks. The biggest challenge for me has been creating large cities, but I also appreciate designing a nice scenic road or a custom depot. At the moment, I am enjoying my time working on Cedar Rapids."

Tony


"My initial journey at SCS led me to the arid plains of Texas, where I began paving the first miles of Highway 90. This also involved creating a significant number of rock formations, which naturally steered me toward specializing in crafting geological features. With every new project, I strive to push my boundaries and introduce exciting elements that delight curious players and offer them something fresh—whether it’s the view from Scotts Bluff National Monument or a drive through the forgotten mines of the old Oregon Trail. My greatest challenge so far has been creating the Making of Texas book. It allowed me to leverage my experience with graphic design while also teaching me many new skills along the way."

Draky

"Hi, my nickname is Draky. I’m a map designer at SCS Software, where I’ve been working for three years. My main focus is landscapes, especially vegetation and materials, which I really enjoy. My first big project was Nebraska, where I contributed from start to finish. Currently, I’m working on the state of Iowa, developing and refining landscape details while striving to capture the right atmosphere. The city I was responsible for is the beautiful, modern Davenport. I even had the chance to visit this city in person during a company trip, and I immediately fell in love with it. I hope you’ll enjoy it. For the Flowers!"

Evgeny

"A few years ago, I joined Simon's great team, which had just finished working on one of the coolest Texas DLCs, and I had the opportunity to work on Texas 2.0. I still remember the excitement I felt when I learnt that I would be working on the city of Texarkana and a small settlement.

Since then, I have worked with this team on the Nebraska DLC, where I delved deeper into the art of map design. With every new city or landscape, I gain valuable experience and learn something new about map-making. I build a personal connection to each of these places by studying their history and culture through articles and local news.

The toughest yet most creative part of my work is capturing the experience of a specific place within the very limited space available on the map. It’s exciting! Cities are my jam, but these days I also enjoy working on custom depots, large industrial sites, and managing generic assets for the entire DLC."

Morrys

"My journey at SCS Software began not too long ago when I joined midway through the Iowa project. I don’t have a specific specialization yet, and I’m enjoying the opportunity to work on a bit of everything. Working on the Iowa DLC has been an amazing experience, thanks to its diverse landscapes, fascinating cities, and unique locations. I have a strong eye for detail and always strive to deliver an authentic and immersive experience for players as they explore each area. I hope you’ll enjoy every mile of this DLC!"

Fregar

"I’ve been working at SCS as a map designer for over four years now. I started with Texas DLC, including creating new content in Texas 2.0, then moved to Nebraska, and now I’m continuing with Iowa. My main focus here is on Iowa City, one scenic town, and the surrounding roads. I’m the kind of person who’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to design. Outside of work, I enjoy Warhammer, drawing, and, of course, video games. Oh, and at home, I have two parrots to keep me company!"

Maky

"I’ve been working at SCS as a map designer for over two years now, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had. Being part of a relaxed team of like-minded people is just as important to me as the creative work that truly fulfils me. Although I initially thought I’d feel more confident working on landscapes, I’ve gradually discovered that I enjoy cities, scenic towns, and especially truck stops even more. Since Nebraska, I’ve been responsible for truck stops in this team. I love tackling their technical design, and I find them fascinating as a concept—serving as meeting points for truckers."

Karel (Citymanlive)

"It’s been 4 years now since I started working at SCS as a map designer, and because I love city-building strategies, I think I’m in the right place! I began working on the legendary rework of California, then jumped to the massive Texas DLC, Kansas, lent a hand in Nebraska, and now a beautiful Iowa awaits me. I’m excited, and when you drive through Waterloo, let me know how you like it!"

Eren

"My career at SCS Software began in 2023 with the state of Nebraska. When I was assigned to Iowa, I was tasked with creating its largest city, Des Moines – something I didn’t expect at all. Looking back, I see it as a necessary trial by fire that gave me an incredible amount of experience. Although Iowa might seem unassuming at first glance, it actually offers a lot of interesting locations, which will be reflected in our DLC. I believe you’ll enjoy exploring this state as much as we enjoyed putting it together!"

Theo

"I’ve been working at SCS for a little over a year now, but Iowa is the first DLC I've been part of from the very beginning of the creation process—and it’s been a great journey! My main responsibility is Sioux City, which poses an interesting challenge since it’s my first large city. What I like most, however, is creating the long, scenic roads that connect the cities. It’s my goal to accurately recreate the fields, rivers, and expansive landscapes of Iowa, all while capturing the region’s authenticity for players."

Eevee

"I’m new at SCS and just starting to work on my first project as a junior map designer. It’s definitely a big challenge for me, but it motivates me even more to grow and create maps with creativity and vision. Luckily, everyone here is friendly and willing to help. Even in these few months at SCS, I’ve learnt so much, and I look forward to growing further and turning my ideas into something truly exceptional."

We hope you enjoyed meeting the team members behind the Iowa DLC, who are working hard to deliver a great map expansion. We can't wait to share more of their ongoing work with you in the future. If you are excited about this upcoming DLC, be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! Until next time, keep on truckin'.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Louisiana - Meet the Team

A few months back, we unveiled Louisiana as another upcoming state that we are working on for American Truck Simulator. Before we start to show you glimpses of this map expansion, we would like you to meet the team that is currently working hard to prepare it for you!

We hope you will appreciate their messages for our #BestCommunityEver and you'll get in the mood for some more upcoming Louisiana topics. Now let's meet them!

David

Louisiana is the 5th project I've been managing as a DLC leader and we're all enjoying working on this DLC because Louisiana is very diverse. You can look forward to architecturally interesting cities, unique vegetation, more custom depots and several new industries that are typical for this area. Although it's a small state, the DLC has the potential to be a lot of fun and I promise we'll try to squeeze the most out of it.

Zuzana

I have been working for SCS as a map designer for 5 years now. My specialization is in road layouts - complex junctions, truck stops, rest areas and this sort of stuff. I've been excited to work on Louisiana since the time we visited with some colleagues of mine last year (check the vlog ;) ). Anyway, hope you'll love it and enjoy the state in our game!

Joanna

Louisiana is my 5th DLC project, following Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The state caught my attention with its unique landscape, architecture and road layout. It presents interesting challenges, which is exactly what excites us :) In addition to designing the map, I’m also in charge of the vegetation, which is very special to Louisiana. I really enjoy working on it, and I hope our community will appreciate it too.

Tomáš

I've been with SCS for around six years now. In that time I worked on many map DLCs including Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and most recently Arkansas. In the past, I was more focused on the natural aspects of the DLCs, which is still my passion and from time to time I like to return to such tasks. But now I am looking more into industrial depot areas and custom depots, which I also enjoy very much since it is the core of our gameplay and I like to design interesting places for players to deliver. Louisiana is very unique and interesting in both aspects - nature and the industry, so I am very excited to work on it and I hope players will enjoy it as well.

Lukáš

I started working in SCS Software three years ago on the Montana DLC. Since then I have worked on Oklahoma and Arkansas and done some work on Texas and the California reskin. I loved working on the natural scenery of Arkansas and can't wait to continue the work on the rich and diverse environments of Louisiana. Without giving away too much, my responsibility is a part of south Louisiana with a rich French heritage. And I hope I can manage to fit in as much of its charm despite the scale we are working with to bring the true soul of Louisiana to our players.

Kateřina

I joined the Louisiana team in October this year as a map designer. This is the first DLC I will be a part of and I am super excited about it! I am currently working on a very beautiful area located in northwest Louisiana and I'm truly hoping I will be able to capture its beauty well in our game. Each place is a challenge for me and I am ready to face them all and do my best!

Eliška

The Louisiana DLC is my first project as a map designer in SCS. My main responsibilities include smaller towns and connecting roads. I really enjoy this work, as it allows me to learn a lot of new things and contribute to creating an engaging game world. I can’t wait for players to experience this project and discover the charm of Louisiana!

Terka

I have been in SCS for over a year and my first project was the Arkansas DLC where I worked on Siloam Springs and a couple roads, which I really enjoyed, especially when they had some rock formations. Now I am working on Louisiana DLC and have been assigned one of the cities and the roads that go with it, which will be a much bigger challenge. This state also has some of the most beautiful natural features, and I hope that I can reflect that in the map, even in our game scale.

Vladimír

I joined SCS 8 years ago as a Map Designer, during that time I was involved in the production of  Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas DLCs and now I've been working on Louisiana. I specialize mainly in the creation of smaller cities, landscapes and brownfields.

Tereza

I am new to the team and I am really looking forward to the very first DLC I will be participating making. Louisiana has beautiful natural features and many interesting places. The whole process will be a challenge for me, but also a great opportunity to learn new skills. So far I have been enjoying building roads that connect major cities. Louisiana has beautiful nature and wetlands, which are my favourite.

Vendula

Louisiana DLC is the very first project I am working on. I find Louisiana beautiful because of its nature and the wetlands are my favourite. I am currently working on a single road as my first ever task in production and so far it has been going great, the nature there is stunning and I am looking forward to where my journey continues. I also enjoy the technical aspects of map design and in the future, I would like to focus on those parts as well.

If you are excited about Louisiana, make sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist. Don't forget to give our X/TwitterInstagramFacebook, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow as you'll receive updates about our games straight to your feed! We look forward to sharing more with you down the road.