American Truck Simulator News

[p][/p][p]Dear #BestCommunityEver,

Another year has nearly passed, and with it, the holiday season is fast approaching! We'd like to wish everyone celebrating a very happy holiday, wherever you are and however you choose to enjoy it. Like many of you, much of our team here at SCS Software will be taking some time away from the office to enjoy the traditional festivities with friends and family. During this period, things may be a little quieter on our official channels, but it won't be long before we're back on the road again in the New Year!

The year 2025 has been amazing for both of our games, and we hope we made our #BestCommunityEver happy with the updates and new DLCs released for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. 

This year brought major expansions across both games, including the long-awaited Nordic Horizons DLC that opens up the far north of Scandinavia, as well as three new U.S. states - Missouri, Iowa, and Louisiana - adding a wide range of new roads, cities, and industries to explore. The cargo lineup grew as well, with additions such as the Forest Machinery and Krone Agriculture Equipment DLCs, complemented by numerous updates and improvements to the base games and their existing DLCs.

And there's even more to look forward to, with preparations underway for bringing our games to consoles, new map expansions such as the Isle of Ireland, Iceland, British Columbia, Illinois, and South Dakota in active development, and additional content like the Coaches and Road Trip DLCs on the way. The future is shaping up to be an exciting one!

None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our incredible team and partners and, of course, the unwavering support of you, our community.[/p][p][/p][p]Looking to rack up some extra miles this festive season? Join our Woven Wonders of Winterland World of Trucks event for both ETS2 and ATS! Travel through the magical Winterland, delivering Christmas-themed cargo around the world. Every delivery counts toward your personal and community goals, unlocking tiers of festive in-game rewards along the way. This year's event also brings a few special updates to make the experience even more magical than ever. You can read more about it here.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]We recently hosted our traditional Special Christmas Live Stream with our CEO, Pavel Šebor, where we looked back on the past year and shared teasers of upcoming projects, and a glimpse of what lies ahead for the future of our games. If you missed it, the full stream is available to re-watch on our official YouTube channel.[/p][p]We would like to thank you once again for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing many more miles on the road with you in 2026. From all of us at SCS Software, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. [/p]

[p]Hello #BestCommunityEver! Since the release of the Louisiana DLC for American Truck Simulator, we've been thrilled to see all the amazing feedback you've shared - from photos and videos to reviews. Watching you explore this newest map expansion has been incredibly rewarding, and your positive responses truly warm our hearts. That's why we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our favorite Louisiana content created by you![/p][p] [/p][p]In case you didn't see any content from Louisiana or couldn't play it yourself, here is a little peek at various content creators' journey through the Pelican State. We hope these will make you want to explore this DLC yourself![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]And there are a lot of you sharing some beautiful screenshots with us on social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok) using the hashtag #CruisingLouisiana when participating in this World of Trucks Event. Thank you for that! Make sure to take part as well to earn unique rewards for your truck! You can read more about the event here.[/p][p]Source: RedTiger98_ [/p][p]Source: Aedeni0n [/p][p]Source: Christian [/p][p]Source: Jennywisegames [/p][p]We're incredibly excited to hear what you think about our game! Reviews, whether from the media or directly from you on Steam, mean so much to us. Positive feedback not only motivates our team but also helps us grow and reach more players who might enjoy the game as much as you do. [/p][p][/p][p]If you want to, you can still write a review for the Louisiana DLC on its Steam page. We would really appreciate it! You can find the review section if you scroll to the bottom of the Louisiana Steam 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 Louisiana map expansion. It's safe to say they enjoyed it too! We also recommend checking out their channels for more content. [/p][p]WildAnnie [/p][p][/p][p]“One thing that always amazes me about SCS Software is how well they capture the vibe of each state, and Louisiana feels like a wonderful and unique place to drive around. From the river-ferry crossings with their tailored cutscenes to the wildlife hiding in the swampy areas, the detail is really nice. Driving through New Orleans is a whole experience in itself! I’ve never been there in real life, but even at night the game makes it feel alive. One thing I love to look out for are the landmarks you can always discover, and in this case, you find murals scattered all over the map; they’re really solid representations of the real thing. It’s pretty cool how perfectly they nailed the mood.” - WildAnnie. [/p][p]Creepyhorseman [/p][p][/p][p]"SCS Software has blown me away with the Louisiana DLC. Crossing that state line, it was clear that they did their research on the state. Capturing everything from the wetlands to the city landscapes. Driving through the winding bayous and across the bridges really brought out the overall feel for Louisiana. Cities like New Orleans, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge are amazing. They put in so much detail. And the smaller towns made it feel like I was there. The industrial ports are massive! Crossing the river on the ferry alone is a super cool feature for this DLC. The sounds of Louisiana were not forgotten either. You can hear the wildlife in the background. I even heard a guitar coming out of an old shed, giving out some Louisiana vibes as I drove by. If you're a fan of ATS, you will absolutely love this DLC!" - Creepyhorseman.[/p][p]Mr. GermanTruck[/p][p][/p][p]"SCS has done a fantastic job with the Louisiana DLC. The Louisiana DLC is a great addition that perfectly captures the unique atmosphere of the American South. With an impressive 11 breathtaking cities, it offers a wide variety of environments – from historic towns to vibrant industrial hubs. The amazing secret roads are especially exciting, taking you off the main highways and through fascinating landscapes that spark a real sense of exploration. The new dynamic unloading areas are excellent, adding more variety, realism, and depth to every delivery. Overall, it’s an absolute highlight for every ATS fan." - Mr. GermanTruck. [/p][p]Jamesdgaming [/p][p][/p][p]"I think Louisiana was really well done, loved the scenery, the countryside, and also the city. They felt alive. I've never been to the US IRL, and driving through Louisiana in American Truck Simulator makes me want to visit. Well done to the team, and SCS has smashed it again. Looking forward to the upcoming DLCs, #BestCommunityEver. Keep up the awesome work! ;)." - Jamesdgaming.[/p][p]We would like to thank you for your continued support! If you don't have this map expansion yet, don't forget that you can get the Louisiana DLC on Steam. And don't forget to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow, as you'll receive updates from ATS straight to your feed, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed! Happy haulin'.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]The cold winds return to Winterland once again, carrying whispers of joy and echoes of seasons past. But something is different this year. The realm, once quiet and still, now hums with new life, warmth, and cosiness, not just of fire and festive light, but of memory, pattern, and tradition.

Each of the five magical depots, from the mountain glow of Snowy Peaks to the sweet halls of Marigold’s, have begun to weave their warm spirit into the fabric of the land. Their stories now ride with you, stitched into the trailers you haul: woollen patterns of festive charm, echoing the heart of each place and delivery made.

These aren't just cargo trailers, they’re moving tapestries, motifs of magic, crafted with love. They speak of chocolate and crafts, letters and laughter, snow and song, energy and life.

So, we welcome our #BestCommunityEver back to Winterland and invite you to take the wheel and help carry Winterland’s wonders, woven in joy, across the frost-kissed roads of this living, breathing realm in our Woven Wonders of Winterland event for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator![/p][p][/p][p]Prepare to embark on a heart-warming Winterland journey! As the magical depots awaken and their woven motifs spread across the land, we’re calling on the community to help carry this newfound spirit far and wide. Your task is to gather 200 Snowflakes for cities across the map in each of the 5 tiers, 1,000 Snowflakes in total.[/p][p]Every completed tier will reward you with a unique cabin item, each one inspired by the warm patterns and traditions of Winterland’s five enchanted depots. Step into the season, take the wheel, and let the tapestry of Winterland grow with every delivery you make![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]This year, you'll notice far more activity along the roads than before. Local traffic glides past in festively painted vehicles, their colours and patterns echoing the magic of the depots themselves. Each encounter offers a spark of warmth to the frosted landscape, making the whole realm feel more alive than it has in seasons past.  [/p][p][/p][p]You’ll be able to track the community progress on World of Trucks or directly in the game using the updated External Contracts interface.[/p][p][/p][p]Christmas Winterland Directions[/p][p]A portal to Winterland appears once you accept event cargo bound for Winterland.  Find it on the map and navigate to it. Look for the sparkles! Leaving Winterland with cargo takes you to its destination; without cargo, you’ll be sent to a random city for a new job. [/p][p]In preparation for your travels, we’ve also added a new Winterland Desktop Background Theme, bringing the realm’s warmer glow straight to your screen. Soft, cosy lighting now fills the world, a cabin radiates life and warmth from the hearth, and a parked vehicle rests beneath a blanket of snow, adding to the seasonal charm. These touches deepen the seasonal atmosphere and set the stage for the adventures ahead. [/p][p][/p][p]Return to Winterland Event Rules:[/p][p]Using External Contracts with a World of Trucks-connected profile in Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both, the community is to deliver supplies and gift packs to and from Christmas Winterland using as many cities as possible. There are 5 different depots in Winterland for all deliveries, to and from. They are: [/p]

1. [p]Christmas Market...a town square market[/p]
2. [p]Marigold's...a chocolate factory[/p]
3. [p]Northstar...a post office[/p]
4. [p]Rudolph's Crafts...an arts workshop[/p]
5. [p]Snowy Peaks...a mountain resort market[/p]

[p]Your personal goal is to complete 15 deliveries for them including at least 1 delivery to or from each depot, using Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both games combined.

Snowflakes are gained for those cities that have delivered to or received from Winterland. For a city to receive 1 Snowflake, the community needs to complete 1000 deliveries between it and Winterland. Each city can receive up to 5 Snowflakes!

The community goal is to reach at least 1000 Snowflakes for cities across all trucking territories. A unique community reward will be unlocked for each tier of 200 Snowflakes accomplished, with 5 tiers in total.[/p][p]
Rewards [/p]

• [p]Personal: Your contribution of 15 or more deliveries to or from the 5 Christmas Winterland depots will gain you:[/p]

• [p]A special World of Trucks Achievement.[/p]
• [p]A wonderful Winter Woollies truck paint job[/p]
• [p]A bonus reward, for those that don't already have it, of last year's collection of 6 festive arrays of decorative exterior cab lighting, designed as truck accessories for each game. This collection is compatible with the top-tier trucks from all brands.[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Community: There will be 5 tiers to unlock. Each tier will bring a special cabin item reward for both games, based on the 5 unique depots within Christmas Winterland, so let's hit the road![/p]

[p][/p][p]The event will be concluded on Sunday, the 11th of January at 23:59 UTC. 
[/p][p][/p][p]We will also be hosting a special livestream with the devs, where we’ll explore how this year’s Christmas event was designed and created, in a relaxed conversation with our colleagues from the World of Trucks team, while also playing and contributing toward the community goal. Join us Tuesday the 16th of December from 18:00 CET on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook, and explore the Woven Wonders of Winterland with us!

Also, pencil in the 18th of December, from 18:00 CET, for our annual Christmas Stream featuring Pavel Šebor! There will be plenty of interesting updates as usual, some teasers for upcoming content, but for sure, there will be loads of fun with a touch of SCS magic! The stream will take place on our Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook, so don't miss it![/p][p]
We await your stories from your journey back to Christmas Winterland of the wonders and joy you’ve shared and discovered. We’d be thrilled to see more photos as you reach your goals and enjoy the rewards of this season of giving. Share your screenshots and videos with us using the hashtag #WovenWondersOfWinterland on our Facebook ATS / ETS2, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram profiles and we will share our favourite ones.[/p]

[p]We’re back with a brand-new episode of our SCS On The Road series! This time, we’re bringing you an interview with a very special guest who visited our booth at the Poznań Game Arena 2025 in Poland. Introducing Iwona Blecharczyk, a passionate truck driver, influencer, and owner/operator of her own transport company, Imagination Transport.[/p][p][/p][p]
With 15 years of experience behind the wheel, she has handled a wide range of cargo and trucks throughout her career, from delivering wind turbine blades to driving across Canada and the USA. She is also a pioneer in the trucking industry, becoming the first Polish lady to drive on the Ice Roads. As one of the very few drivers trusted to haul off-road B-train rigs on oil fields, with a permissible gross vehicle weight of up to 63 tons, Iwona continues to serve as an incredible inspiration to drivers around the world.

She is best known for her social media presence and her established YouTube channel, Trucking Girl! Since 2013, she has shared countless vlogs documenting her life on the road and continues to do so to this day, with over 1 million subscribers and more than 1,200 videos uploaded!
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]It was an absolute pleasure having Iwona visit us at PGA, and we truly appreciate her taking the time to meet with us, share her story, and pass on her passion to all of you. Make sure to give Iwona a follow on her socials (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook). 

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to give it a like! We’d love to create more interview-style episodes in the future, so if you have any suggestions for who we should chat with next, feel free to leave a comment on our video. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay up to date with all our latest SCS On The Road episodes and more. Until next time, keep on truckin’![/p]

[p]In today's blog, we would like you to take a look behind the scenes of how we build the upcoming South Dakota map expansion for American Truck Simulator. We interviewed one of our map designers working on this DLC, Evgeny, who told us more about his work.[/p][p][/p][p]If you are wondering what a map designer working on an American Truck Simulator map expansion has to do, Evgeny gave us a great summary of his job.[/p][p]"I started my work on South Dakota with a pretty wide range of responsibilities. Besides the usual map design - building roads, shaping terrain, building towns - I also focus on several more specialized areas. For example, I work on the design of big, complex industrial sites and depots. Another part of my job is managing the asset list and giving feedback on anything related to depots or more generic (non-vegetation) assets. I also get the chance to create environments and small decorative scenes for depots across all of our projects," he says.[/p][p][/p][p]Map designers need to cooperate a lot with other colleagues on a daily basis. They share reference materials, discuss ideas. "We keep pushing toward a common goal: creating something beautiful, meaningful, and fun at the same time," Evgeny shares with us.[/p][p]Before the start of the actual map design, our departments need to do a lot of research to get the map as close to the real world as possible. "Some of my teammates went on a road trip to the state. They spent several days there, collecting as much information, atmosphere, and emotion as they could. They brought back thousands of photos and stories about the places they visited," Evgeny told us.[/p][p]Meanwhile, our research department provided layers and layers of valuable information - cultural, industrial, and historical.[/p][p]"It's like putting together a giant puzzle where every piece reveals something new about the region. Then there's my personal favorite research method: digging on my own. I watch local news, read articles written by South Dakotans, and follow community discussions. It helps me understand how people there think, what they value, and what makes their environment special."[/p][p][/p][p]"During all this research, I became fascinated by the landscape - the calmness, the wilderness, the open horizon. It reminded me of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, one of my all-time favorite stories. I love how the spirit of Indigenous peoples still lives in the region, mixed with a raw, classic Western vibe. And I really appreciate how much of the farming industry is still run by small, family-owned businesses," Evgeny shared with us. [/p][p]All these layers of discovery help the map design team bring color and flavor to the experience of trucking through South Dakota. "That's one of my favorite parts of the job. As an artist, I always want to capture the soul of the region - its uniqueness, its special characteristics. So we're constantly hunting for the little things that make South Dakota feel like South Dakota."[/p][p]The team working on South Dakota already has experience from designing the Texas, Nebraska, and Iowa DLCs, so Evgeny believes they will be able to capture the beauty of nature and build believable, detailed environments.[/p][p]And what does Evgeny feel like is going to be the best place to visit there? "From my perspective, the Black Hills and the Badlands are going to be an outstanding experience - especially for players who love beautiful nature and the feel of Western culture. South Dakota is full of wide-open landscapes where you can see fields stretch all the way to the horizon. Some of the views here are like nothing we've ever had in ATS before. I'm personally looking forward to seeing Sioux Falls in the game, as well as some of the smaller towns around the Black Hills," Evgeny told us.[/p][p][/p][p]Because of the scale, not everything we wish for could make it into the map. "But I truly believe we do our best to depict the region in the most authentic and enjoyable way possible. Oh, and for players who enjoy a little adventure, there are a few hidden roads waiting to be discovered," he hints. [/p][p]Apart from scale, there are also some other challenges that Evgeny describes here. "First is finding the right balance between the level of detail, the development time, and the amount of fun we want the player to have. There's always a temptation to add "just one more detail", but we also have to keep our pace. Second, I really wanted to create an immersive sense of scale - that feeling that the world extends all the way to the horizon. South Dakota is huge, and capturing that vastness inside a compressed game world is a creative challenge. But I believe every limitation is actually an opportunity for a creative solution. It pushes us to think differently, and sometimes that leads to even better results."[/p][p][/p][p]At the end of this blog, Evgeny has a short message for our #BestCommunityEver. "It's an honor to work on a project like this - to try to depict the beauty and uniqueness of American nature and culture. South Dakota has a special atmosphere, and we hope players will feel that same sense of wonder that inspired us during development."[/p][p]If Evgeny got you excited about this map expansion, make sure to add the South Dakota DLC to your Steam wishlist! [/p][p]Also, remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube for all the latest news from this map expansion and American Truck Simulator, or sign up for our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, we wish you happy haulin'![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]