South Dakota: Community Spotlight

Since the release of the South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator, we’ve loved seeing all of your screenshots, videos, reviews, and trucking adventures from across the Mount Rushmore State. Watching our community explore this new expansion has been incredibly rewarding for our team, which is why we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our favourite community content, as shared by you!

For those of you who may not have had the chance to hit the road in South Dakota just yet, we wanted to highlight a few YouTube videos we enjoyed, to give you a glimpse of what awaits in this newest map expansion for ATS. We hope these will inspire you to start your own journey through the The Land of Infinite Variety! A big shoutout to everyone featured below, be sure to give them a subscribe and a like!



We’ve also been seeing plenty of amazing screenshots and videos shared across social media on X, BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more. Thank you to everyone who has tagged us, shared their adventures, and shown off their favourite areas of South Dakota. Our teams genuinely enjoy scrolling through your photos and seeing your unique trucking setups and routes. Here are just a few that we liked!

chuchuexpress.bsky.social

@techtwp.bsky.social

@scoutalt

@redwineex

@MohSkinerr

@martin-263.bsky.social

@Luz_Noceda

We also want to thank everyone who has taken the time to leave reviews and feedback on Steam. Reading your comments and impressions means a lot to our developers, map designers, artists, and the entire team behind American Truck Simulator. Your support, suggestions, and enthusiasm continue to help shape the future of the game and motivate us every day. 

If you’ve been enjoying your time in South Dakota, we’d really appreciate it if you considered leaving a review on the DLC Steam page, we would really appreciate it! You can find the review section at the bottom of the Steam Store page.

We have also reached out to a few content creators who got the opportunity to try out this DLC in early access to give us their opinion on the South Dakota map expansion. It's safe to say they enjoyed it too! We also recommend checking out their channels for more content!

BadMae

"We’ve had such a fun time exploring South Dakota together! Seeing Mount Rushmore was definitely a highlight, but we also loved discovering the quarries, landmarks, and quiet towns throughout the state. With a little research, you start to realize just how much history is represented across the map and how each place played a part in shaping South Dakota. We also got an early taste of the new Road Trip experience, which gave us an entirely new and fun way to explore the South Dakota map. South Dakota has been a great addition to ATS, and we’re excited to keep discovering more!"  - Christian & Monique, BadMae

Milan

"South Dakota's the first state DLC in a while that actually made me slow down on purpose. The plains stretch forever, then you drop into the Badlands and it feels like someone switched planets, especially around golden hour.

Mount Rushmore is the obvious photo stop, but the real grin moments are in the smaller details: that quarry plonked weirdly in the middle of the Sioux Falls suburbs, the trailer plants in Watertown and Mitchell, and farm depots surrounded by actual shelterbelts dating back to the Dust Bowl era.

Deadwood still has that Wild West vibe, which I personally enjoy, and compared to some previous DLCs, South Dakota feels like it has several different personalities packed into one state. You keep getting those "wait, is that a real landmark?" moments along the way. That's probably what I like most about it. It feels more like a proper road trip."

TheHuskie

"What impressed me the most in South Dakota DLC is how much effort has clearly gone into making the state feel authentic and realistic. The scenery is incredibly detailed, and the variety between the wide-open Great Plains, the Badlands, and the Black Hills makes the experience feel very different depending on where you are driving.

I especially enjoy the Black Hills and the more winding roads there. They provide some really beautiful driving experiences and, from a content creator’s perspective, give me a lot of opportunities to create cinematic shots. Mount Rushmore and the other landmarks also make exploring the map feel more rewarding, while the smaller towns and rural areas add a lot of character to the journeys."

We would like to thank you all for your continued support! Keep on sharing your journeys through the South Dakota DLC with us on our social media channels using the hashtag #CruisingSouthDakota and by tagging us on Social Media. Until next time, keep on truckin'! 

SCS On The Road: Gamescom 2026 Aftermovie

In today's episode of SCS On The Road, we take a look back at our participation at this year's Gamescom. Take a look at how it went!

This year, at the end of August, we once again took part in Gamescom in Cologne, Germany! We had a booth with six PC stations and two of our 4D Motion Simulators, where fans could get hands-on with previews of our upcoming Coaches, Road Trip: Ford, Iceland, South Dakota, and British Columbia DLCs. The cherry on top was the brand-new Volvo FH Series 6 100 Year Edition, which Volvo Trucks were kind enough to bring along and display at our booth.

Over the five-day show, we welcomed a huge number of visitors and content creators who came to try out our upcoming DLCs. We're incredibly happy that so many of you could make it and meet with us there! Now, let's take a look at how our Gamescom adventure went in this episode of SCS On The Road.

And that's it for today! We hope you enjoyed this episode. Remember to follow us on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok to receive updates on our upcoming projects and future SCS On The Road episodes. Or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, we will see you on the road!

Pinktober 2026

Every October, people around the world come together to raise awareness of breast cancer and show their support for those affected by it. Pinktober is a time to stand united, share important information, and remind ourselves and others of the importance of taking care of our health.

Supporting Through Driving

Since 2019, we have been proud to support Pinktober alongside our community through our special Pink Ribbon Charity Pack DLCs for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.

As in previous years, 100% of the income from these DLCs will be donated to the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer at the end of October. The organization works to support and empower people affected by breast cancer, and we are grateful to be able to contribute to their important work together with you.

By adding the Pink Ribbon Charity Pack DLCs to your collection, you can give your trucks a vibrant new look while helping support a meaningful cause. Whether you pick one up for yourself or as a gift for a fellow trucker, every contribution counts.

A Reminder to Take Care of Yourself

Pinktober is about more than showing your support on the road. It is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of our own health.

• Take the time to perform regular self-checks.
• Stay informed about potential symptoms and risk factors.
• Visit your doctor for regular screenings and professional advice.

Regular check-ups and appropriate screening can play an important role in early detection.

Put Your Support on the Road

We'd love to see our #BestCommunityEver bring Pinktober to the roads of American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. Customize your trucks with the Pink Ribbon designs, hit the road, and share your screenshots with us using #Pinktober2026.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our Pinktober campaigns over the years. Your generosity continues to help us support those affected by breast cancer and contribute to a cause that reaches far beyond our virtual roads.

Let's make Pinktober 2026 another year of solidarity, awareness, and support. Together, we can drive for a cause.

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!