Farming Simulator 25 News

Just before launch of Farming Simulator 25, we thought some more cuteness would be appropriate. Let's start with a GIF you can basically hear:



We even had a chat with our Senior Animator Rahul Narode about the adorable animations of newborn and juvenile creatures on four legs. And two legs... because chickens. Check out the interview below. There will be more baby GIFs to hold your attention.



There's more! We got some information on the animal types and the customization of animalistic living spaces - as you can create custom fences for animal pens. That means more individual farms that focus on animal husbandry. Isn't that nice?


[h2]Make your own pens & pastures[/h2]
[h3]Full-on fence fun for fauna fostering[/h3]



To provide animal farmers more control over the pens, you can customize them by changing colors, adding solar panels, and, more importantly, draw the fences yourself. Customize the layout to create any shape you want, and build pastures around obstacles or occupied space!



We continue after this short baby animal break:

Awww...


[h2]Animal Variety[/h2]
[h3]Colorful barns and pens...[/h3]

Thanks to the animalistic offspring as well as Water Buffalos and Goats joining with Farming Simulator 25, you can expect your animal farm to get way more lively and colorful.

Animals start their life as tiny newborns, then become juvenile, and ultimately productive adults. Let's take a look at what each animal provides and what you can do with it.



[h3]Chicken[/h3]


[h3]Pigs[/h3]


[h3]Sheep & Goats[/h3]


[h3]Cows & Water Buffalos[/h3]

https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNG42bjFnYXB3b2syZ2NtZ2h6cGw1ajB3cGR3bTVwOXUyemkzZWMxayZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/rE7odUSTFEy8645oXF/giphy.gif


[h3]Horses[/h3]



So who's responsible for all this animated adorableness? It's this guy!



First, tell us a bit about you and what you do in general! I am a Senior Animator at GIANTS Software. I did various animations for Farming Simulator 25, reviewed animations and developed them up to the mark, so they’re up to our required standards, before I integrated them in the game.

When you begin to animate, how do you start, what are the steps? Before starting animation, I always take time to think about what needs to be done specifically for an animal or what output is required. That means thinking about the characteristics of animals, studying their movements, gathering proper references.

I try to look for video references that show the real animals and their behavior. It requires a thorough study of the animal's characteristics to achieve every little detail.

When I spot interesting movements to showcase in the game and when I am happy with the collected references, I will start to create the actual animations, followed by multiple stages of revision until they’re up to our standards.

What unique behavior will baby animals exhibit, and what was challenging about it? Unique behavior would be that they are realistic according to their respective species, but also fast and cute at the same time.

Tiny animals are very quick and tricky to animate, because they are so swift in their behavior. So to catch their every movement or every action is a challenging task, especially in key frame animation.

Do you personally have a favorite type of (baby) animal - and why? My favorite in Farming Simulator 25 would be the baby goats because they hop and jump around, which is adorable - I love that playful energy. But in reality, rabbits are my favorite animal. They are so small yet so fast. I love their quick jerks like they are scared but adorable at the same time. And I find their ear movements quite fascinating.

Anything else you’d like to tell our fans or let them know? We have created a unique game with Farming Simulator 25, and I hope our fans and players will have a lot of fun with it. The whole team has put a lot of effort into making it special!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300320/Farming_Simulator_25/

Welcome to Hutan Pantai, where the harmony of the East Asian countryside meets the vibrancy of modern cities - a symbiotic relationship, as Associate Producer and Technical Artist Horia Serban calls it. Learn more in our interview as he explains what he and his team of environmental artists envisioned when creating the map.



Farming Simulator 25 releases November 12th. There's still some time to pre-order which gets you the MacDon Pack! Or go for the fancy Collector's Edition, including a USB Ignition Lock to start your in-game tractors.



Horia, tell us a bit about you and your position!

I'm an Associate Producer for the Environment Department here at GIANTS Software, and I also work as a Technical Artist. I've been in the gaming industry for about 20 years now, and for the past 8, I've had the pleasure of working at GIANTS. My journey here started with Farming Simulator 17 back in 2016, and I immediately connected with the unique aspects of the game. Before joining, I worked on a variety of titles, like Call of Duty: Ghosts, Dead Rising 3, and Test Drive Unlimited 2, mostly in outsourcing.

But it was with Farming Simulator that I found a new passion – this game is special to me, and being part of its growth and evolution has been truly exciting. Watching the franchise expand over the years and knowing I've played a role in that journey brings me so much happiness and pride. I'm thrilled to help bring this world to life for our players, season after season.




[h2]Inspiration & Atmosphere[/h2]

What kind of atmosphere were you aiming for?

With the Hutan Pantai map, we wanted to create an authentic East Asian atmosphere that embodies the harmony between countryside landscapes and the vibrant, modern cities typical of this region. This symbiotic relationship—where the bustling cities are sustained by the hard work and dedication of the rural areas—is central to the map’s vision. The contrast and connection between these two areas were essential elements for us to capture.

We also wanted to integrate specific elements unique to the region, showcasing how the modernization of cities has facilitated the movement of goods. Through features like elevated highways and suspended train bridges, we connect the fields to the urban centers, creating a seamless flow that mirrors real-world infrastructure. Our goal was to present a world that feels both familiar and rich with the unique cultural blend of East Asia.

In addition, we made it a priority to preserve the heritage and culture of the region by designing a traditional village and a temple area, both with architectural styles that have been in use for hundreds of years. These elements honor the historical and cultural richness of the area, ensuring authenticity and a sense of legacy.



Where did the inspiration come from?

Our inspiration came from a variety of sources, each helping to shape a different aspect of the Hutan Pantai map. For the traditional village area, we drew heavily from Studio Ghibli films, especially 'From Up on Poppy Hill', one of my favorite animated films. Ghibli’s art captures the soul of these small, timeless villages, and that’s the feel we wanted for this area.

For the industrialized town area, we looked to the vibrant, neon-lit streets of bustling cities like Seoul and Tokyo. Those lively, illuminated scenes bring an energy that reflects the rapid pace of modern life, something we aimed to recreate with our urban spaces through bright lights and dynamic structures.

The inspiration for the temple area came from multiple sources, including several K-dramas and close-up visual references that beautifully showcase the intricate architecture of these structures. By drawing from these detailed depictions, we were able to create a space that feels authentic and respectful of the cultural heritage it represents.

For the farming areas, we explored both traditional and modern agricultural practices unique to East Asia. We wanted a blend that showcased the roots of farming life alongside its evolving practices, creating an experience that honors the past while embracing the future. Drawing from such a wide variety of sources allowed us to bring a diverse and immersive world to life, filled with elements that feel true to the essence of East Asia.




[h2]Creation & Challenges[/h2]

When starting to work on a new map - how do you approach it?

Every new map starts with extensive research focused on the specific area or theme we're aiming to recreate. We dive deep into the culture and unique characteristics of that region to bring the most authentic experience to our players. Our approach involves splitting up tasks within the environment department to ensure we gather as much relevant information as possible.

Some of our team members focus on researching the local architecture, while others concentrate on understanding the vegetation, farming practices, and community-specific elements we need to capture. We also pay close attention to details that we should avoid to ensure the map is respectful and enjoyable for our community.

Once the research phase is complete, we move into the prototyping or pre-production stage. Here, we experiment by gray-boxing, creating basic 3D models to establish the layout of the map. This stage allows us to test and adjust the positioning of essential elements like production buildings and landmarks. It’s an exciting process of turning research into a tangible environment, and it helps us set a strong foundation for the final map.



How did you approach the environmental design and landscape?

Our approach to Hutan Pantai’s environmental design started with a clear vision focused on symmetry and balance. This map stands apart from others by emphasizing the unique contrast between tradition and modernization, a recurring theme in the region's landscapes. We concentrated the industrial area near the city, where a port serves as the endpoint for the farming process, symbolizing the export of goods beyond the map’s boundaries. While this is just a metaphor rather than a gameplay feature, it reinforces the flow and purpose of the farming life cycle.

Our goal was to capture the essence of East Asia as accurately as possible, blending the charm of the countryside with the dynamism of industrial progress. The flow of farming processes on this map moves from the southwest to the northeast, guiding players through this journey of production and transportation. It’s all about balance—maintaining an equilibrium between heritage and technology, old and new. This balance is not only in the physical layout but also in the map’s character, creating an experience that feels true to the cultural and geographical realities of East Asia.



What were some of the challenges in the creation of the map?

Creating the Hutan Pantai map brought its own set of challenges, especially with the complexity of the city. This was beyond anything we’d done before, so we had to carefully balance authenticity with performance. We wanted the city to feel real and dynamic without taking up too much of the map’s surface area or impacting performance on consoles and PCs. Achieving that balance was a significant technical and creative challenge.

Another major challenge was designing the infrastructure to connect the city with the rural areas. Building a highway that seamlessly links the main city to the rest of the map required meticulous planning, and adding tunnels to the route brought another layer of complexity. Ensuring this infrastructure was both functional and visually integrated into the landscape was a true test of our design and engineering skills.




[h2]Team Efforts[/h2]

What aspects are you the most proud of/what’s your favorite part of the map?

I’m proud of every part of this map and what we achieved with Hutan Pantai, pushing the boundaries a bit further. But what I’m most proud of is the incredible work of our Environment Team. Their talent and dedication truly brought this vision to life.

Our technical artist, Evgen, played a huge role in the technical breakthroughs we needed. Kevin, who has an amazing eye for detail, meticulously refined every element with a patience and precision that brought out the best in each piece of the map. Our vegetation team, Vanessa and Kenan, created the rich, immersive plant life that adds so much depth. Gabriel poured countless hours into bringing the neon-lit cityscape to life, making it pulse with energy. And Anton, who had the patience and dedication to elevate every element, always pushed to make everything just a bit better.

It’s a team effort through and through, and seeing each of their contributions come together in this map is what I’m most proud of.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300320/Farming_Simulator_25/

Need helping hands on the fields? Or, let's say, assistance. Not only have we reworked the AI helpers to be more precise and reliable, every vehicle can now use a GPS-driven steering assistant to farm smarter, not harder. Unless you want to be old-school. The choice is yours.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300320/Farming_Simulator_25/

Farming Simulator 25 is only days away! There's still time to pre-order which gets you the MacDon Pack! The game will be available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on November 12th.


[h2]Smarter Helpers[/h2]

Pressing the key to activate an AI worker will instantly let a hired hand take over, as before. Holding the button will offer you some additional settings, however.



The first of two modes, "AI worker", is dedicated to the functionality of your virtual helper. The ideal settings are already preselected and depending on the size and shape of the field, you can preview how exactly he will operate.

• Working Width is based on the tool of the respective action that should be performed. If multiple tools are attached, you can customize the width to take overlaps into account.
  
• Number of Headlands is set based on the machine and action, but can be changed, too.
  
• Work the Headlands tells your helping hand if the defined area should be handled like the rest of the field (therefore cultivated, harvested, etc.) or just defined as lanes to turn vehicles, for example.
  
• Start with defines if the worker will start with creating the headland first (e.g. when harvesting to not unnecessarily destroy crops, or last when cultivating or plowing).
  
• Skip lines orders the helper to leave some more room between the lines, which gives you some room to operate your own machines in between, for example.

When the AI worker starts, he will choose the best direction of operating his machines in addition to the settings. He will always prioritize working within the borders of a field.


[h2]Assisted Steering[/h2]

Want to operate the machines yourself instead of paying an AI worker to do the job for you? You can do that - with every tractor in the game, as it's possible to just retrofit older models with GPS functionality. Convenient, isn't it?



Switching from the AI Worker tab to the Steering Assist, a few other settings become available that allow you to customize how the field is handled by the steering assistant.

• Working Width is again set in accordance with the tools used.
  
• Number of Headlands is also customizable and automatically set to the selected tool.
  
• Work Direction can be changed in degrees. In case you want to operate in a direction where you don't look at the sun at noon or something like that.
  
• Side Offset can be changed in case you have tools attached with an offset, like certain mowers, for example.
  
• Show Lines enables or disables the 3D lines you can see live on the field, whether you operate in third-person view or look onto the soil from within the cabin.

With the live display of the lines, you can always see what's happening when operating the machine. The HUD will display a "ready" indicator as part of the dashboard when you have aligned the machine to a line and can start.



A selected line is displayed in orange and will turn green as soon as you begin to drive. Meanwhile, the working width of your machine is depicted in blue lines. All lines still to do are displayed in white. They're greyed out as soon as they're done.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300320/Farming_Simulator_25/

It's not a secret anymore, that the ground in Farming Simulator 25 will deform. But you want some details, don't you? Well, go and get some!

Alongside new screenshots visualizing how the ground will deform, Senior Software Engineer Eddie Edwards from GIANTS Software will go further into detail on how it actually works.



Eddie, tell us about you and your position first - what’s your role?

I’m one of the Senior Engine Programmers for Farming Simulator. I’ve been at GIANTS since the early days of FS13. I created the original PlayStation 3 port, and I have been responsible for other ports of the GIANTS Engine to PS4, PS5, Switch and iOS. I’m very much “the PlayStation guy” at the company, but I also work on cross-platform engine technology such as Density Maps, rendering, shader compiler, some physics, audio, etc.  

There’s not much in the GIANTS Engine that I haven’t worked on to some extent over the last 12 years! And in particular, of course, I created the new technologies that bring us ground deformation for FS25 - the improved Density Map system, the new terrain geometry system, and the terrain virtual texturing system.

[h2] [/h2][h2]Firmness & Viscosity[/h2]
How the Ground Deforms

Depending on the ground type, the deformation and compression of the soil is dependent on multiple factors. Take a look!





Which factors define how the ground deforms?

Eddie: A number of factors affect this. Firstly, every ground type has a different level of “firmness” and “viscosity”. Tarmac cannot be deformed at all, for instance, while mud can be deformed a lot (due to different “firmness”), and driving on snow instantly crushes it, while driving on mud causes it to compress over a longer time (due to different “viscosity”).  Also, if the ground is wet, this affects the deformation as well.

Which vehicle you are driving also affects the deformation - the weight of the tractor and the width of its tires both affect the reaction of the terrain. And a slower-moving vehicle will sink faster than a fast-moving vehicle.

How does ground deformation affect gameplay? What will players “feel”? 

For the first time, FS25 gives a real physical response from the terrain - you will feel the tractor bumping over the ground, and you will see it creating ruts and tracks, and if you go back and drive over those ruts and tracks you will feel the effect from them as well. 

It is also harder to steer if you have dug into the ground, just as it is in real life. Driving in rain will be more difficult than driving when it is sunny. Your tire configuration now has a greater effect, too, and you may need to consider which tires are best to use for different seasons and different types of field work.

[h2] [/h2][h2]The Fun of Plowing[/h2]
Plowing on another level

While the deformation on the soil is individual to the machines, their weight and other conditions, one field activity in particular will probably feel a whole lot different in Farming Simulator 25.

What kind of machines/equipment will showcase ground deformation best? 

Plowing is a new experience now - the plow creates real physical furrows which can not only be seen more clearly on screen but also affects the tractor when driving over them.  Also, machines with caterpillar tracks come into their own now, as they can handle uneven ground so well.

 
[h2]Want to know more?[/h2]
Let's talk performance, visuals & challenges!



What were the technical challenges in implementing ground deformation?

The ground deformation works on a grid size of 12.5cm which works out to 16K x 16K for a 2km map (that’s 256 megapixels - the map itself is only 4 megapixels). There were various technical challenges with storing this data efficiently, and also with processing the data efficiently, for instance when tools like cultivators or plows work on the fields, and when vehicles drive over the fields and react to these fine-scale bumps and ridges.

There is also a “procedural” level of ground deformation, which is mapped with geometry in a similar way to how the terrain is texture-mapped with images, except it runs on the CPU instead of on the faster GPU, so we had to heavily optimize this code.

How is ground deformation data stored and managed?

Since ground deformation works at a higher resolution than we’ve dealt with before we wanted to save memory in areas which are not deformed (e.g. on rocky mountains, or in places where the player has not yet been), so we created a “sparse” version of the Density Maps.  This stores tiles of data only in regions where deformation actually exists. Furthermore, to reduce memory footprint even more, the tiles are all compressed, using a more advanced version of the existing Density Map compression that we’ve used in the past.

Additionally, to support fast operations on this high-resolution data we created a Density Map Processing Unit (DPU) which is like a little GPU emulator that runs on the CPU, and is capable of performing operations on Density Maps at much higher speeds than previously.  It can actually be programmed using our in-house shader language, although this feature is not used in FS25 yet.

For speed, the whole system (data compression, DPU operations, and procedural generation) is written using native SIMD instructions (SSE4.1 or AVX2 on PC and consoles, and NEON on ARM-based Macs).  There is far more SIMD-optimized code in this version of Farming Simulator than we’ve ever had before.

Tell us about how you optimized deformation physics for performance.

In previous versions of Farming Simulator the custom vehicle physics was dealing with terrain at a resolution of 0.5m. With terrain deformation and displacement, the resolution is now 0.125m - 4x greater in each direction, or 16x as many triangles.  This made our wheel vs terrain collision detection 16x slower, so we wrote a custom implementation of this for FS25 which is approximately thirty times faster than the old code, so overall our vehicle physics is now about twice as fast as before, even with all the new features.

The new physics code involved some quite heavy math and numerical analysis - fortunately I have a Master’s Degree in Mathematics, which helped me a lot on this task!

How does the game handle visual transitions for ground deformation?

Another new feature for FS25 is the terrain quadtree mesh, which enables high resolution triangle rendering near the player but uses a lower resolution further away - there is no need to render the deformed geometry when it is hundreds of meters away. 

The geometry smoothly morphs from deformed to not-deformed some distance from the player.  However, this transition is quite well hidden because of another new technology in FS25, which is the terrain virtual texture system. 

Although deformation is not rendered in the distance using triangles, it is still shaded and rendered into the terrain texture (using a graphics technique called normal mapping). So the deformation is still clearly visible, even on distant areas where the rendered triangle count is very low, and you can see the tracks left by the AI vehicles even if you are watching them from half a kilometer away!

What do you personally like most about ground deformation in the game?

It was a very rewarding experience to implement all these new technologies, and I love the fact that the result is not only a better visual experience for the player, but also that it interacts with physics and gameplay in such interesting ways, making FS25 a much more interesting and realistic “simulator” than ever before!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300320/Farming_Simulator_25/


By pre-ordering Farming Simulator 25 (all versions), you get the MacDon Pack with five highlight machines on top!


[h2]Want More FS25? [/h2]


Want to know more about Farming Simulator 25? We bet you do. There are still a lot of things we have yet to reveal - so stay tuned for more in the weeks leading up to its release on November 12th. Check out our FarmCon presentations for more details!

Farming Simulator 25 features a small ensemble of characters to talk to - NPCs. If you decide to talk to them. Let's learn more about them and how they work.




We wanted to make the towns a bit more lively, so you can meet a handful of virtual people, brought to life by real voice actors. Each character has their own personality and area of expertise. Because we were able to create the characters without drawing developer resources from other game features, we added them as a side bonus.

To provide especially new virtual farmers some touching points in the form of guidance, they offer some advice and help for the farming basics. If you want to know more about them, you can just casually talk to them and see what spontaneously comes to their mind. Sometimes they might ask what you think.

They may also need a helping hand and offer you some contract when there's something to be done in the neighborhood.




As is traditional in farming, the farm is passed down from generation to generation. In this case, however, Grandpa Walter isn't passing the farm on to his son, who would normally be next in line, but wanted to explore another life away from the countryside.

Walter will share some of his experience and tell you more about the history of the family farm, and send you to his trusted, old friend and helper if you require assistance for modern agriculture.

I’m doin’ this for a while now. Despite all the modernization, there are still farmers sitting on tractors, right? My own grandfather, yes I had one too, he was old-school. And I mean it in the actual definition.

He did everything on horseback. Plowing, sowing, getting to town and delivering his produce to the market. As did most of the others. Horses were the backbone of it all.

Back then, a significant portion of his farm was about horse breeding and selling strong, healthy mares and stallions to other farmers.

Then, tractors became a thing. Slowly, at first. Then, more and more horses were retired from plowing duty.

Having been the trusted friend of Walter's for more than 30 years, Ben can tell beginners more about the farming basics. How to sow and harvest crops, operate the machines for the various field working steps, and more. He's always near at the starting farm.

Well, since your grandfather slowed down, he didn't really bother with the latest machines and did a lot of stuff... well, in an "old school" kind of way.

That's probably why he sent you to me. I'm an avid reader of all those agricultural magazines, you know. Old, but still learning…

If you come to me, I can help you make sure everything grows well in the fields.

Neighbor David is not a farmer, but tries to be. He's a beginner. He made some mistakes on the way and will warn others not to repeat them. In return, you may tell him, that it would be better for him to learn operating a baler instead of opening a hotel with wellness treatments, offering people to sleep on fresh hay - which he heard from others is a thing.

Additionally, being from the city, he can explain his perspective on both city life and living in the country and how he learned to really appreciate farming when he put his hands into the soil himself.

Sure, there are reasons for that. Growing practices so we can feed the population with huge amounts of food, for example.

I then learned that produce for mass markets is often harvested before it is fully ripe to withstand transportation and storage, for example.

Refrigeration, humidity control, long periods of storage, and so on. That all of these can affect the flavor and what you can taste and smell.

Never thought about that when I was still your common city boy. But I know now. And I appreciate what I harvest with my own hands even more now.

After traveling the world, Katie came home and took over the animal farm from her family. She is a hands-on person and can explain the basics of livestock farming. If you want to know more about her, she can share some personal stories and anecdotes from her travels.

Most of her anecdotes include animals in some way, and some of her stories are just myths she collected here and there. She's not always serious.

Aren’t you a curious one!

When I was reading about medieval farming, I was reminded that I really loved our farm, and the country life surrounded by nature, animals and livestock.

So I changed my major to agricultural sciences and only minored in history. Can’t escape your families' legacy sometimes, huh?

When I finished college, I traveled the world and worked on farms to see how they were doing things in other countries and cultures.

Noah is the local forester and lumberjack. His main profession is taking care of the forest, making sure it's handled with respect. If needed, he can explain the forestry basics.

But he prefers to talk more about woodcarving, even though his well-crafted objects are usually not as practical as he thinks, and you are free to point out flaws in his designs.

Since he also likes detective stories, he will pursue anyone who leaves an empty can of Fizzy Sprizz lemonade in the forest. Prepare to get a preventative lesson on how to behave in the woods.

This is what some people think of me and my profession, and it fills me with emotions on the negative side. It is important to handle any forest with care and respect to leave its overall structure intact.

I just wanted to make sure that you know that my job is not to eliminate all the trees around here.

We take what we need, we replace it, and we are respectful of the forest and its inhabitants. It also helps David so he can meditate in one of its clearings.

He already got a lesson on littering in the woods. I am a bit skeptical, but I believe him when he says that it fell out of his pocket. He stays under surveillance nonetheless.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300320/Farming_Simulator_25/