Heart of Russia DLC Statement

Our dearest community,

We’ve been receiving a lot of questions from you about the future of Heart of Russia, our map expansion DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2. So today, after much consideration, we feel it is time to respond by shedding some light on the situation for everyone.

On the 24th of February 2022, our Heart of Russia team was some 6-8 weeks away from completing work on the highly anticipated new DLC. We all felt really good about the result; a lot of effort had been invested in making this new region look truly fantastic in the game. We were absolutely sure that our community, especially those in Russia, would really appreciate that.

Then, all of a sudden, the entire world was rocked by the news that Ukraine had been invaded by Russia. We were in shock.

With deep concern, we watched the news about the war, and we quickly realized we had to do something to help those who were suffering. Immediately, we started contributing to several charities providing humanitarian aid within the territory of Ukraine and assistance to those who were evacuating. Later on, with the kind participation of the #BestCommunityEver, we have further increased the donations by contributing all the proceeds from the sales of the Ukrainian Paint Jobs Pack DLC. It’s incredible to see that, as of now, over 85,000 of you have decided to purchase it and contribute to this noble cause. Thank you!

However, now Heart of Russia DLC was facing a lot of uncertainty. We asked ourselves many questions, including the obvious ones. Can we ever release the Heart of Russia DLC? Should we even finish the work? Since then, we have finally consolidated our thoughts.

When developing our games we try to be as apolitical as possible, in a way shielding the global player audience from everyday controversies. We quite like the idea that our shared passion, for a truck simulation, allows people to connect, to pay a virtual visit to a neighbouring country in peace, and to enjoy a hobby that we commonly share, rather than allowing anything divisive to set us apart. But since our DLC, Heart of Russia, directly concerns Russia, and with so many people suffering, we decided to refrain from releasing the DLC so that it is not perceived in any way as being in support of or tolerance of the aggression.

We strongly believe that there is hope for the proud people of Ukraine to prevail and for the suffering to end for all. Injustice cannot and must not win. And, when the time comes for Ukraine to rebuild and heal, then we will endeavour to find a way for our Heart of Russia DLC to play whatever part it can in that healing process, for everyone.

Let us work together and live in hope that the days of despair and grief will be over soon.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support.

SCS Software.

Heart of Russia - Gameplay Video #1

You’ve already seen several beautiful screenshots from the upcoming Heart of Russia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2. Inevitably, now comes the time to put it all together and present to you the very first gameplay video. Please relax, get some snacks or a drink to accompany you on this journey, and enjoy this short ride-along, covering a drive from Vyazma to Kaluga.

Please keep in mind, that everything you are about to see in this gameplay video is still very much in the 'WORK IN PROGRESS' phase.

It seems like the Heart of Russia DLC is shaping up great and our dedicated team is doing impressive work! If you agree, make sure to add the expansion to your Steam Wishlist, and eventually, you will be able to drive through the same roads as shown in the video yourself. Until then, we have many more interesting topics to cover so keep an eye out for any updates in the future! 

Heart of Russia - Entrance Monuments and Region Signs

While previously talking about the sculpture monuments of Russia on our blog, we have purposefully left out a very specific type of these structures. Let’s take a look at why you should always be on the lookout for any interesting entrance monument in the upcoming Heart of Russia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2!

Entrance monuments are unique structures most often made of concrete, or they can be variously decorated signs or inscriptions. Their main purpose is to indicate the entrance of a city, which is a type you will most commonly pass by in this expansion. Every city will make its best effort to let you know you are officially entering their administrative area. Speaking of which, these monuments also serve as markers of three important Russian administrative divisions - oblast, okrug, raion.

Perhaps the most important one out of the three is the structure indicating the border of a so-called oblast (province/region), which is a type of federal subject of Russia, that serves as a first-level administrative division. Another use includes marking an administrative okrug (district), which involves outlining a district inside a city, which is sometimes divided into smaller units - raions.

It looks like even with a slight GPS malfunction, no trucker should get completely lost in the Heart of Russia map expansion. And if you cannot wait to pass by numerous of these entrance monuments and signs, make sure to add the DLC to your Steam Wishlist to show us how excited you are to be able to drive through this fascinating country!

Heart of Russia - Road Network

As the world’s largest country, Russia has vast and various landscapes to explore. Driving there is an experience in itself too, as you’ll encounter all types of road, from slick highways to bumpy dirt roads. In our upcoming Heart of Russia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, our team has been hard at work to replicate some of these road networks.

During the early research phase of Heart of Russia, which has been on-going since the release of 'Beyond the Baltic Sea', many of the roads highlighted for the road network of this DLC were quite old and very well used. However since that time, local map sources were updated which allowed us to bring in some recent changes, which we have replicated virtually to bring the most up-to date road network possible. 

Our teams have also taken a new approach for a lot of road assets in the 'Heart of Russia' DLC, such as bridges, railings and curbs; which are bigger and denser. Traffic signage have also been a particular focus for our teams too, as there is quite the variety of them in Russia. Besides the standard road signs on poles, we encountered new challenges, such as hanging signs, dynamic warnings, new horizontal signage, unique railway crossings and many more.

Whilst Russia maybe known for its very well-used roads, the truth is that most of the major road connections intended for truck transport are in good condition; especially around major cities such as Moscow, which are very well maintained. One type of Highway that drivers will often find themselves driving on are Russian federal highways, which are owned and maintained by the government as they are of regional and intermunicipal importance for the country and economy.

This does not mean, however, that we have not encountered completely different situations in other areas. Prefabs, textures and assets have been especially adapted to the various roads conditions found across this vast country. Our teams have also focused on creating a better ratio between local roads and highways too. Drivers will find themselves often routing onto local roads rather than on a highway, as smaller roads make up a majority of the road network in Russia. You can also expect to find quite a few dirt roads too! Just be sure to keep an eye out, as these tricky roads are often used by local traffic too.

Our teams have focused on bringing lots of unique and small details to the road network in Heart of Russia, which we hope is evident from the screenshots in this blog. We cannot wait for you to explore them all for yourselves! We hope you enjoyed this first look at some of the roads that will be featured in the Heart of Russia DLC. If you did, then consider adding to add Heart of Russia to your Steam Wishlist. Огромное спасибо!

Heart of Russia: Ryazan

Today, we are happy to share with you the first look at one of the many cities that will be featured in our upcoming Heart of Russia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2. Introducing Ryazan, the 3rd largest city by population in Central Russia after Moscow and Yaroslavl. 

Located near the Oka River, Ryazan is a bustling industrial centre and transport hub. Despite the city's size, Ryazan is not usually on a tourist's list of places to visit in Russia. If you do choose to visit however, you will find many beautiful historic landmarks, such as cathedrals, as well as other interesting attractions such as museums that attract residents and visitors alike. 

Ryazan is home to the one of the oldest museums in Russia, The Ryazan Kremlin. Located on the top of a steep hill, it is surrounded by rivers and a dry moat. This monument of architecture and nature reserve of federal importance is included in the State Register of Especially Valuable Objects of the People of the Russian Federation. 

Truck drivers travelling to Ryazan for work can find a variety of industries, including a refinery and oil storage facility, a sawmill, warehouses and car dealerships. All of these which are located in around the city's main ring road, where you will also find shopping malls and many apartment complexes.  

So whether you are just passing through or staying the night in Ryazan, we hope you will decide to take a few moments out of your driving schedule to admire this unique and historical city. We hope you enjoyed this first look into one of the many cities that will be featured in the Heart of Russia DLC. If you did, then consider adding to add Heart of Russia to your Steam Wishlist. Огромное спасибо!