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!

South Dakota DLC Release

The road is calling! The South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator has arrived, bringing local industries, rolling prairies, stunning scenery, and some of America’s most recognisable landmarks to your journeys.

The South Dakota DLC is now released and available on Steam!

It’s been an exciting road since we first announced that South Dakota was in development, and today we’re excited to finally release it to you. So saddle up, warm up the engine, and get ready to roam the Mount Rushmore State! To help you get your bearings, here is a look at the full map of the DLC, showcasing the cities, towns, and road networks waiting for you.

We can’t wait to welcome you to the Mount Rushmore State! So what can you expect from this DLC?

• Explore 13 faithfully recreated cities, including Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and more!
• Discover 21 scenic towns and settlements across the state, such as Hot Springs, Wall and Sturgis.
• Travel across a road network representing around 3000 miles of real-world roads, with connections to Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa.
• See iconic South Dakota landmarks including Mount Rushmore, the Corn Palace, Sioux Falls, and the Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture.
• Deliver cargo to 10 custom depots and discover new industries, including trailer manufacturing, residential housing, and a landmark food production facility in Sioux Falls.
• Explore stunning natural locations such as the Black Hills, Badlands, and the landscapes surrounding Reva.
• Experience the variety of South Dakota’s scenery, from dramatic rock formations and forested hills to wide-open plains and bustling cities.
• Discover famous sights, local landmarks, scenic roads, and hidden details as you travel across the Mount Rushmore State!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

From busy roads in Rapid City to the wide-open Great Plains, dramatic Badlands, and winding roads of the Black Hills, South Dakota offers plenty of variety for truckers to discover. Along the way, you’ll encounter some of the state’s most iconic sights, including Mount Rushmore and the waterfalls of Sioux Falls, while hauling cargo through the diverse landscapes of the Mount Rushmore State. We can't wait for you to start explorin'! 

Release Live Stream

Don't forget about our special Release Live Stream, which starts today at 3 pm CEST! Joining us will be some special guests, including the CEO of SCS Software, Pavel Šebor, all of whom will be chatting with us about this exciting new addition while we drive through South Dakota.

Towards the end of the live stream, we'll officially release the South Dakota DLC together, with a live video feed from our office release party, so make sure to be there!

World of Trucks: Cruising South Dakota Event

With the release of our South Dakota DLC, we're excited to welcome you all back & invite you all to join us for our World of Trucks event - Cruising South Dakota! Roll through the Mount Rushmore State and take in its wide-open landscapes, natural beauty and rich history.



This event invites you to explore the new map, deliver cargoes to and from its many cities, and contribute to a community goal, which will you earn you special & unique in-game rewards. 

Rewards

Personal Goal: Players who complete deliveries to or from all 13 South Dakota cities will earn a personal World of Trucks Achievement and a Call of the Badlands ATS truck paint job Steam inventory item.

Community Goal: When the community goal of driving 150,000,000 miles (241,402,000 km) during deliveries to or from any city in South Dakota is met, players who have also achieved their personal goal will receive a Ring-necked Pheasant Steam inventory item.

And there’s an extra treat as well! Truckers who complete a job using External Contracts or the External Market TO or FROM Rapid City will be rewarded with the Quartz Triceratops hanging item for their cabin. Combining South Dakota’s official state mineral, rose quartz, with its official state fossil, the Triceratops, it’s the perfect souvenir from your travels across the Mount Rushmore State!

You can find all the rules and further details about the event in our dedicated Cruising South Dakota DLC event blog!

We are eager for you to start trucking in the Mount Rushmore State. Remember to tag us in your photos and videos from this map expansion using the hashtag #CruisingSouthDakota on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky. If you'll enjoy your time in South Dakota, we'd really appreciate it if you left a review on its DLC Steam store page. We thank you for all your support, and until next time, happy haulin'!

Soul of Anatolia: Building Intersections with Pavel

Today, we’re taking a look behind the scenes of the Soul of Anatolia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, this time focusing on the complex work that goes into creating the roads and intersections that connect its cities and landscapes. We spoke with Pavel, one of our Map Designers, who shared more about his work on the project and the process of building a road network.

Hi! My name is Pavel, and I’ve been working at SCS Software as a Map Designer for more than 7 years.

For the past two years, I’ve mainly specialised in everything related to roads and highways.

For Soul of Anatolia, I design large highway interchanges and create specifications for other departments for prefabs, tunnels, and traffic lights. I also work with my colleagues to place these elements throughout the map and strive to create a consistent driving experience for players.

What similar projects have you worked on in the past, and how is working on Soul of Anatolia DLC different?

The project that comes closest to my work on Soul of Anatolia is the Greece DLC, where I had some experience with the geometric design of interchanges and maintaining consistency in road elements such as toll gates.

Working on Soul of Anatolia is different mainly because of the scale of what I’m responsible for. I’ve been given much more room to influence the road layout.

How large is this DLC, and what challenges does it bring for you?

From my perspective, with my focus mainly on roads, this DLC is truly huge. For example, we have more than a hundred large highway interchanges on the map.

The challenge for me is to make sure these interchanges meet our requirements while also making sure everything fits within the map.

How does the creation and implementation of highway interchanges work?

Since the project is usually already underway in some form by the time I start working on it, I create pre-assembled interchanges separately from the project in a dedicated test map, where I also test newly created prefabs.

In this map, I always start with a rough prototype built by hand, where the main focus is choosing the right number of road lanes and the type of road intersection. I then iterate on this prototype, adjusting curve radii and fine-tuning road lengths to meet the rules we have established, such as clearance heights under bridges, road banking, and maximum gradients.

I try to calculate and build everything so that the interchange matches its real-world counterpart as closely as possible, is as compact as possible, and is also comfortable to drive through.

Once I’m happy with the prototype, it is copied into the project and placed in its designated location, where it may still undergo some minor adjustments. At that point, my work on the interchange is finished.

You spoke about prefabs; how does the creation of new prefabs work?

First, I consider whether a prefab really needs to be created for a particular situation, or whether the situation could be solved with a prefab we already have, perhaps with a small compromise.

If I conclude that a new prefab is necessary, I start designing it. I begin by putting together a rough prototype using roads. For the design, I use simple geometry, such as calculating the radius and sector of a circle.

It’s important not to make the prefab unnecessarily large while also finding the right compromise that allows both our AI traffic and players to drive through it without problems.

Once I’m happy with the shape, I create a simple blueprint of the prefab. In addition to its shape, it also shows the road markings and the routes that AI traffic will take.

Once that is ready, I create a specification for our road department. Along with the coordinates of the pre-assembled prototype, I include the blueprints and a basic description.

After that, I simply wait for the prefab to be created. Once it comes back to me, I either provide feedback on it or approve it for use on the map.

What are you most looking forward to seeing completed on the map as part of Soul of Anatolia DLC?

A little selfishly, I’m looking forward to finally having all the highway interchanges and prefabs completed. Toward the end of the project, I’ll also add the necessary accessories to them, such as traffic lights.

After that, most of my work will be focused on details and small touches that will allow me to give the project some extra care and bring the level of detail closer to the real-world references.

What have you enjoyed the most about Soul of Anatolia DLC so far, and what are you looking forward to the most?

I’m really enjoying one new type of interchange, and one modified existing type of prefab that I’ve wanted to have ever since I joined the company. I’ve now managed to get them created, and they’re already waiting for you in the map for you to drive through.

What do you think players will like the most about Soul of Anatolia DLC, and what shouldn’t they miss?

Of course, waiting at traffic-light intersections!

No, just kidding. It will definitely be the landscapes and landmarks. Even now, at a really early stage of the map’s development, some places can really surprise me with how detailed and beautiful they already look.

We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into building the roads and intersections of Soul of Anatolia. A huge thank you to Pavel for sharing more about his role and giving us a glimpse into the process behind creating the region's road network.

If you are excited to be cruising in this map expansion, don't forget to support us by adding the Soul of Anatolia DLC to your Steam wishlist.

Also, remember to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow, as you'll receive updates from our games straight to your feed. Or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, safe travels!

Road Trip: Quick Jobs & Freight Market

Who says deliveries are only for trucks? In today's blog, we're taking a closer look at how Quick Jobs and the Freight Market will work in our upcoming Road Trip module for American Truck Simulator. Let's check it out! 

Before we continue, we’ve also put together a video version of this blog for you to enjoy. You can check it out below!



Players familiar with American Truck Simulator will already know Quick Jobs and the Freight Market from their trucking careers. Road Trip builds on these systems with its own approach to courier work, customer reviews, and progression.

Just like with trucks, you won't need to have your own vehicle to take on a Quick Job. A suitable vehicle will be provided for you by the company offering the job, allowing you to jump straight into work as a courier driver. Fuel, repairs and any other expenses you encounter will be covered by the company, just as they are with traditional Quick Jobs in American Truck Simulator.

So what kind of jobs can you expect? Drivers can be tasked with delivering small packages and documents, as well as transferring vehicles between car dealerships. The jobs available to you can also vary depending on the type of vehicle involved, so a pickup truck may receive different contracts compared to a sports car or a classic vehicle.

However, completing the journey is only one part of the job. After each delivery, the customer will review your performance across three areas; Time Management, Vehicle Appearance, and Cargo Handling.

These reviews are specific to the delivery you have completed. Damaging valuable documents, for example, may lead to very different feedback compared to successfully delivering delicate plant seedlings without any issues. Our goal is to make each job feel a little more personal, with a customer waiting at the other end to judge how well you handled their delivery.

Some customers may also place a higher priority on one of these three areas. You'll be able to see this before accepting the job, and meeting their expectations will be more demanding. However, taking on that extra risk can also result in a better financial reward.

Time Management also works a little differently from simply beating a deadline. Customers expect you at a particular time, which means arriving too early can be just as unwelcome as arriving late. Each completed delivery is also given a star rating, which contributes towards your overall Courier Rating.

Your Courier Rating determines the types of jobs available to you, the maximum distance of the routes you can take on, and how much you can earn. Maintaining a higher rating will unlock more challenging work, such as fragile or valuable cargo and jobs with tighter delivery windows, while also providing a bonus to the offered payout.

Drivers who consistently achieve five-star deliveries can also build a Perfect Delivery Streak, which will reward drivers with additional money bonus.

Already saved up enough money to purchase your own vehicle? Then you'll have access to even more job opportunities! Players of American Truck Simulator will already be familiar with the Freight Market, and Road Trip introduces its own equivalent, known as the Dispatch Market.

The Dispatch Market works in a similar way to Quick Jobs, but instead of using a borrowed vehicle, you'll complete the job using a vehicle from your own garage. As you're supplying your own vehicle, these jobs will also offer a slightly higher payout, as you'll be responsible for your own expenses, including repairs and fuel.

The same Courier Rating, customer reviews, and performance criteria apply here too. Naturally, some jobs will differ from those found in Quick Jobs, such as car jockey work, after all, asking you to give away your own car would be a little unfair.

Any money you earn from these jobs goes directly into your existing ATS profile, which is shared between your trucking career and Road Trip. There is no separate XP system for this mode, instead, progression is earned by your Courier Rating, customer reviews, and your ability to maintain a Perfect Delivery Streak.

For the initial release of Road Trip, jobs will focus on getting yourself and the delivery safely from point A to point B, with more possibilities we hope to explore in the future. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about how jobs will work in Road Trip. We’re looking forward to seeing how you build up your Courier Rating, tackle different types of deliveries, and make the most of these new opportunities on the roads of American Truck Simulator.

If you’re excited to get behind the wheel when Road Trip arrives, be sure to add the Ford Car Pack and RAM & Dodge Car Pack to your Steam Wishlist! Until next time, keep an eye on our official channels for more news and previews from Road Trip. We’ll see you on the road!

Isle of Ireland: Cavan

Today, we're excited to take you on a journey to another destination coming to the upcoming Isle of Ireland DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 - the county town of Cavan!

Located in the heart of Ireland's lakeland region, Cavan is known for its picturesque countryside, rolling green landscapes, and rich agricultural heritage. As our map team continues to recreate the unique atmosphere of Ireland, we knew this important regional hub deserved its place on the road network of the Isle of Ireland DLC.

While exploring the area, keen-eyed drivers may spot a stone wall or even a rugby field, well-known local landmarks that help bring even more regional identity to the town and its surroundings. Combined with carefully crafted roads, vegetation, and architecture, these details help create a location that feels true to its real-world counterpart.

Of course, no town in Euro Truck Simulator 2 would be complete without plenty of opportunities for work. In Cavan, truckers will be able to deliver cargo to several industries that play an important role in the local economy.

One of the key destinations is a local oil supplier, serving businesses and communities across the region. Whether you're hauling fuel products or supporting regional logistics, this depot offers an important link in the supply chain.

Drivers looking for refrigerated or packaged cargo will also find work at a food distribution depot. Acting as a hub for incoming and outgoing goods, this facility ensures products reach stores and customers throughout the island.

In addition, a supermarket depot provides another busy destination for deliveries. From everyday consumer goods to fresh produce, truckers will have a variety of cargoes to transport while helping keep shelves stocked across the region.

Our teams have worked hard to capture the atmosphere of this charming Irish town, from its characteristic rural surroundings to its industrial areas and landmarks. We hope that Cavan will become a memorable stop on your journeys across the Isle of Ireland.

We look forward to sharing more previews from the Isle of Ireland DLC in the future. If you're excited to discover, explore, and travel across the Isle of Ireland, be sure to add this upcoming map expansion to your Steam Wishlist!

Don't forget to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, and YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter for all the latest news. Until next time, keep those wheels turning, and happy haulin'!