If you've been wondering where our rework efforts will head next after the successful overhaul of California in American Truck Simulator, we're happy to reveal that now. Our next step is the Route 66 Rework, where we'll revitalize selected parts of this iconic highway!
Over the past couple of years, our team has completely reworked California, one of the original states from the ATS base game. This massive project involved wiping it clean and rebuilding everything from the ground up to reflect the real-world Golden State more accurately, and to showcase just how far our game has come since its release. That rework was completed at the end of last year, and now our talented map designers have shifted their focus to the next exciting project.
With the upcoming release of the Illinois DLC, the historic Route 66 will finally be completed. However, not all of it currently lives up to the standards of our current map design. That's why we've kicked off the Route 66 Rework Project, focusing on key segments in Northern Arizona and parts of New Mexico, especially along I-40.
We aren't reworking entire states just yet, but instead concentrating on towns, roads, and areas along Route 66 that need the most attention - everything will be rebuilt from the ground up to be brand-new for a more immersive experience for you!
While this phase focuses on areas tied to Route 66, our teams have multiple rework projects across the map up their sleeves. So don't worry, there's more on the horizon!
As part of theProject Scandinavia Refresh for Euro Truck Simulator 2, we’re excited to introduce a brand-new addition to the map: the city of Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city! Our talented teams have been hard at work bringing this fresh location to life, and today we're happy to share a look at their progress.
Known as the City of Smiles, Aarhus will be accessible to drivers travelling along the E45 motorway, with two major highway junctions leading into the city. Aarhus itself features a blend of modern infrastructure and thriving industry, making it a must-visit destination for truckers!
One of the major landmarks in our recreation of Aarhus is Dokk1, a striking multi-purpose library and cultural hub located on the harborfront. It is the largest public library in Scandinavia and was named Public Library of the Year in 2016. Nearby, you’ll also spot the Havnearbejdernes Klub Århus, a historic waterfront building that once served as a social space for dock workers.
An industry we couldn’t leave out is the Port of Aarhus, Denmark’s largest container port, responsible for handling more than 50% of the country’s container traffic. Consistently ranked among the most productive container terminals in Europe for crane moves per hour and overall berth efficiency, it plays a vital role in national logistics and supports a strong local economy. We're sure drivers will find plenty of job offers here!
Surrounding the port are numerous industrial sites, large and small, including a chemical factory, which players will be able to deliver to and from. Be sure to brush up on your ADR skills before heading in!
Our team has also included several cultural and architectural highlights to give the city a distinct identity. Drivers can come across sculptures such as “Historiske Spor” by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, as well as two unique art murals that bring a splash of local character to the streets. While exploring, you might also catch glimpses of other distant landmarks such as the International Student Centre, Domen Aarhus, Aarhus City Hall (with its tower visible on the skyline), and even the spire of Aarhus Cathedral.
In the heart of the city, players will also find the Aarhus Bus Station. This central hub has been carefully recreated with attention to detail and will eventually play a role in the recently announced 'Project Coaches' module. Whether you're delivering goods or preparing to transport passengers, Aarhus should have something for everyone!
We’re happy to bring this much-requested addition to the Scandinavia DLC as part of the ongoing refresh project, and we look forward to sharing more from this development in the future. We always appreciate your support and feedback and until next time, keep on truckin’!
There's something uniquely captivating about the open roads of the north - the dramatic coastlines, winding mountain passes, and the quiet charm of remote towns. Today, we would like to show you some of the roads in development for the Nordic Horizons DLC, and where they will take you!
The European route E6 begins in southern Sweden before crossing into Norway, where it becomes one of the country’s most important north–south highways. It runs the entire length of the Land of the Midnight Sun, all the way to North Cape, the northernmost point in Europe accessible by car.
About halfway along the route, truckers will pass through the Nordlandsporten gate. Further north, the journey continues across the 300-meter-long Kåfjordbrua bridge.
Running like a spine along the eastern coast of Sweden, the European route E4 stretches from the south all the way up to the city of Haparanda on the Finnish border. It's one of the country's most vital routes, passing through bustling cities, dense forests, and long stretches of open countryside.
Drivers will also cross the beautifully recreated Högakustenbron, one of Sweden's longest suspension bridges, standing high above the Ångerman River, and the Sundsvall Bridge, curving across the water just outside the city center.
Cutting through the heart of Finland from south to north, the European route E75 begins in the capital, Helsinki, and winds its way deep into the Arctic. It takes drivers through ever-changing landscapes - from the forested hills around Jyväskylä, known for its lakes and lively university town atmosphere, to the quiet, rugged beauty of Ivalo, above the Arctic Circle.
After the release of Async Loading Experimental Beta in May, we are happy to announce the arrival of the 1.55 Open Beta for Euro Truck Simulator 2, which includes various improvements and new content.
It will take a few weeks before the full 1.55 release, so please keep in mind that this is the first open beta iteration and it is still a work-in-progress build that will receive updates throughout the open beta period.
If you want to take it for a spin, you can help contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section of our official forums. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team, and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out. So, what can you expect to find in the 1.55 Open Beta for ETS2? Let's take a closer look!
Driving Academy - Truck Driving Proficiency
This new Driving Academy module, called Truck Driving Proficiency, will introduce a set of much more challenging scenarios, which will test even the most skilled drivers to the limit. For this new module and set of scenarios, we will also introduce a new reward system. The most important thing is still to precisely complete a scenario by driving along the designated path and avoiding any collisions. For proficiency level, there may be additional conditions you will have to meet to successfully pass the scenario.
Players will be able to achieve up to 3 collectable stars in this module, which can be earned by meeting additional conditions such as only using the interior camera, limiting gear shifts between drive and reverse, or completing the scenario in the set time. You'll earn a reward for completing all the scenarios, and you can unlock additional rewards by collecting all 3 stars in each one.
To really test your skills, you won't find any pre-recorded video tutorials, and you will have to use all the knowledge we taught you in our first module of Driving Academy.
Asynchronous Loading
We have been hard at work implementing a major overhaul in the way our game loads and processes data, a new system we call Asynchronous Loading. This system is designed to improve the loading process by ensuring that the game and loading screens remain uninterrupted while assets are loaded in the background. The primary benefit here is the mitigation of stuttering, resulting in a smoother experience overall.
We'd like to thank everyone who contributed their feedback to the Experimental Beta in Euro Truck Simulator 2, which was centred around this new update. Your feedback was incredibly valuable to our team, and now we are happy to be able to continue to bring this new feature forward into the Open Beta. You can help us fine-tune this feature by reporting any unusual loading behaviour in the dedicated 1.55 forum section.
FH Tuning Pack Update
This DLC will now be fully compatible with the Volvo FH Series 6 as well, so you'll be able to customize every Volvo FH truck with a wide range of tuning parts. But that's not all, as we are also improving several current components, introducing new customization options, along with paintable parts.
You will be able to pick the front badge plate, rear fender top, front mask, and front grille bottom in chrome, while the decal, windshield frame, front badge plate, rear fender, rear fender top, and more are now paintable!
Custom City Intros for the Vive la France ! DLC
We have reworked all of the in-game intros for every city in France with an ownable garage, both in the base game and the Vive la France ! DLC. A total of 21 cities have received new or updated Custom City Intros.
Mail UX Redesign
The mail screen has been redesigned to enhance UI, UX, and controller navigation. It features two main sections: a mail list on the left and the mail content on the right, which is now larger for improved readability and easier to scroll through. Mails populate from the top, and when the list exceeds the screen, pagination is used. Users can navigate through emails using the arrow keys or the controller's D-pad, with emails opening instantly on selection. Mail content may include clickable or keybind-accessible embedded links.
Options QoL Improvements
In this update, we've added a small but useful quality-of-life improvement to the graphics settings menu. You'll now see example screenshots next to various settings, giving you a better idea of how each option affects the game's visuals.
Whether you're tweaking things for smoother performance or aiming for the best possible look, these previews should make it easier to find the right balance for your setup.
Map Improvements - "My Location" Hotkey
We are adding a "My Location" hotkey as part of our map improvements. When pressed, it instantly centers the game map on the player's current location. We hope you find this small addition useful on the road!
Change of Steam Achievements
Our team is working around the clock on engine updates, many of which are not visible during regular gameplay. Some of these are visible instantly, such as new light systems, but we also need to work on changes that are not normally visible when you play.
Updating the achievement system gives us foundations that will allow us to make different and new types of achievements, as well as manage existing ones that often rely on different DLCs and regions. As a part of that, we have a new system coming out in 1.55, which we would like to test in open beta.
To ensure that the new code is well tested before release, some small changes were made to existing achievements and their goals to let us see if the changes we make are working smoothly for all of our users.
Changelog
Gameplay
Driving Academy - Truck Driving Proficiency
Map improvements - "My Location" hotkey
Vehicles
FH Tuning Pack Update for Volvo FH Series 6
Visual
Custom city intros for Vive la France ! DLC
Mail UX redesign
Options QoL Improvements - Graphics settings visualisation
Other
Steam achievements update with text and icon improvements
Save manager improvements
Asynchronous loading
So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version, so you may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get there faster, we'd appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in the dedicated section.
Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.
If you wish to participate in this Open Beta, you can find this version in the Experimental Beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on Euro Truck Simulator 2 → Properties → Betas tab → Beta Participation drop-down menu → public_beta. No password is required. Sometimes you will have to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.
Welcome to the third-largest city in the Hawkeye State! In today's blog, we bring our #BestCommunityEver another preview from the upcoming Iowa DLC for American Truck Simulator. Let's take a tour of Davenport!
This city is part of the Quad Cities, a complex of cities at the Iowa-Illinois border which actually includes five metropolitan hubs, Rock Island, Davenport, Moline, East Moline, Illinois, and Bettendorf, Iowa. This area is the only place where the Mighty Mississippi runs east to west. With the release of the Hawkeye State, you will be able to visit the Iowa part of the Quad Cities, but you can also look forward to trucking to the rest of this complex when Illinois DLC releases.
Davenport is nestled along the northern bank of the Mississippi River. This city is full of history and beautiful architectural gems, which our teams have recreated for this map expansion, so you will feel like you are really there!
When you are driving through, keep your eyes peeled for landmarks like the Dillon Fountain, the Figge Art Museum, the Skybridge, the Arsenal Bridge, the Mississippi River Bridge, the City Hall of Bettendorf, and the Waterfront Convention Center, but also several stunning sculptures.
If you are looking for a job around the city, make sure to visit the local Aluminum Factory, a brand-new prefab depot created by our asset designers with fresh assets around it, nicely complementing the area. Other than that, you can also get yourself busy at the custom River Port and Quarry depots. With multiple companies to choose from, you can haul a wide variety of cargoes.
