American Truck Simulator News

A few months back, we unveiled Louisiana as another upcoming state that we are working on for American Truck Simulator. Before we start to show you glimpses of this map expansion, we would like you to meet the team that is currently working hard to prepare it for you!


We hope you will appreciate their messages for our #BestCommunityEver and you'll get in the mood for some more upcoming Louisiana topics. Now let's meet them!

[h3]David[/h3]

Louisiana is the 5th project I've been managing as a DLC leader and we're all enjoying working on this DLC because Louisiana is very diverse. You can look forward to architecturally interesting cities, unique vegetation, more custom depots and several new industries that are typical for this area. Although it's a small state, the DLC has the potential to be a lot of fun and I promise we'll try to squeeze the most out of it.

[h3]Zuzana[/h3]

I have been working for SCS as a map designer for 5 years now. My specialization is in road layouts - complex junctions, truck stops, rest areas and this sort of stuff. I've been excited to work on Louisiana since the time we visited with some colleagues of mine last year (check the vlog ;) ). Anyway, hope you'll love it and enjoy the state in our game!

[h3]Joanna[/h3]

Louisiana is my 5th DLC project, following Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The state caught my attention with its unique landscape, architecture and road layout. It presents interesting challenges, which is exactly what excites us :) In addition to designing the map, I’m also in charge of the vegetation, which is very special to Louisiana. I really enjoy working on it, and I hope our community will appreciate it too.

[h3]Tomáš[/h3]

I've been with SCS for around six years now. In that time I worked on many map DLCs including Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and most recently Arkansas. In the past, I was more focused on the natural aspects of the DLCs, which is still my passion and from time to time I like to return to such tasks. But now I am looking more into industrial depot areas and custom depots, which I also enjoy very much since it is the core of our gameplay and I like to design interesting places for players to deliver. Louisiana is very unique and interesting in both aspects - nature and the industry, so I am very excited to work on it and I hope players will enjoy it as well.

[h3]Lukáš[/h3]

I started working in SCS Software three years ago on the Montana DLC. Since then I have worked on Oklahoma and Arkansas and done some work on Texas and the California reskin. I loved working on the natural scenery of Arkansas and can't wait to continue the work on the rich and diverse environments of Louisiana. Without giving away too much, my responsibility is a part of south Louisiana with a rich French heritage. And I hope I can manage to fit in as much of its charm despite the scale we are working with to bring the true soul of Louisiana to our players.

[h3]Kateřina[/h3]

I joined the Louisiana team in October this year as a map designer. This is the first DLC I will be a part of and I am super excited about it! I am currently working on a very beautiful area located in northwest Louisiana and I'm truly hoping I will be able to capture its beauty well in our game. Each place is a challenge for me and I am ready to face them all and do my best!

[h3]Eliška[/h3]

The Louisiana DLC is my first project as a map designer in SCS. My main responsibilities include smaller towns and connecting roads. I really enjoy this work, as it allows me to learn a lot of new things and contribute to creating an engaging game world. I can’t wait for players to experience this project and discover the charm of Louisiana!

[h3]Terka[/h3]

I have been in SCS for over a year and my first project was the Arkansas DLC where I worked on Siloam Springs and a couple roads, which I really enjoyed, especially when they had some rock formations. Now I am working on Louisiana DLC and have been assigned one of the cities and the roads that go with it, which will be a much bigger challenge. This state also has some of the most beautiful natural features, and I hope that I can reflect that in the map, even in our game scale.

[h3]Vladimír[/h3]

I joined SCS 8 years ago as a Map Designer, during that time I was involved in the production of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas DLCs and now I've been working on Louisiana. I specialize mainly in the creation of smaller cities, landscapes and brownfields.

[h3]Tereza[/h3]

I am new to the team and I am really looking forward to the very first DLC I will be participating making. Louisiana has beautiful natural features and many interesting places. The whole process will be a challenge for me, but also a great opportunity to learn new skills. So far I have been enjoying building roads that connect major cities. Louisiana has beautiful nature and wetlands, which are my favourite.

[h3]Vendula[/h3]

Louisiana DLC is the very first project I am working on. I find Louisiana beautiful because of its nature and the wetlands are my favourite. I am currently working on a single road as my first ever task in production and so far it has been going great, the nature there is stunning and I am looking forward to where my journey continues. I also enjoy the technical aspects of map design and in the future, I would like to focus on those parts as well.

If you are excited about Louisiana, make sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist. Don't forget to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow as you'll receive updates about our games straight to your feed! We look forward to sharing more with you down the road.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3012580/American_Truck_Simulator__Louisiana/

Another piece of the puzzle from the upcoming Missouri map expansion for American Truck Simulator is here, our #BestCommunityEver! Today, we are eager to show you the unique underground warehouses you will find and deliver cargo to in the Show Me State. Let's take a look!


You will come across four underground warehouses while trucking in this map expansion, all inspired by their real-world counterparts. The biggest one is located in Kansas City, and it is in fact the largest underground business complex in the world!


Mining of limestone began here in the 1940s using the room and pillar method. This process left behind a network of tunnels separated by massive limestone pillars. Over time, these spaces evolved into a series of rooms, domes, halls, corridors, and columns. Today, the site serves as an ideal storage facility, used by hundreds of companies to store a wide variety of products, thanks to its stable year-round temperature and humidity.


Another facility is located in Springfield, also within a former limestone mine. Although it is roughly half the size of the one in Kansas City, it still spans an impressive 3.2 million square feet (nearly 300,000 square meters). The facility is highly active, accommodating over 600 trucks daily and even features a train connection.


Similar in size is another underground warehouse located in the southwest of Missouri near the city of Joplin. It is mainly used for food storage so even though the storage space is fairly cold, it is being further chilled with refrigeration units on the surface.

If you head south of St. Louis, you will come across the smallest one of them. But don't be mistaken, this warehouse is still pretty big as it is located in an old limestone mine again and you will be able to deliver plenty of different cargo in and out of there.


We hope you are looking forward to exploring these unique warehouses in the Missouri DLC. If you do, make sure to add this map expansion to your Steam Wishlist! And don't forget to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. Until then, keep on truckin'!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/

Dear #BestCommunityEver,

The holiday season is upon us! For many, this is a time to reflect on the past year and cherish moments with loved ones. Wherever you are and however you celebrate, we hope you’ll find the time to enjoy the holiday spirit this season brings. Like many of you, a majority of our team here at SCS Software will be taking a holiday away from the office to enjoy traditional festivities with friends and family. During this time, you can expect a bit of a quieter period from us across our official channels, but it won't be long before we're back on the road again in the New Year!

2024 has undoubtedly been a year of growth, change, and progress. With the release of Nebraska and Arkansas for American Truck Simulator and Greece for Euro Truck Simulator 2, many new miles have been added to the in-game world! From exciting firsts, such as the introduction of the first electric truck in ETS2, the Renault E-Tech T to the launch of the Driving Academy, we’re proud to have delivered new content and features to our #BestCommunityEver.

We also can’t overlook the major milestones we’ve achieved this year, including moving into new offices and expanding our team of over 360! 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.


Looking to get some extra miles in over the festive period? Take part in our Return To Winterland World of Trucks event for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator! Experience the magical Winterland as you help deliver supplies and gift packs across the globe, which contribute to your personal and community goal to unlock tiers of in-game rewards! This year's event features a few special updates to make it even more magical than before. Read more on how you can take part here.


We also recently hosted our traditional Special Christmas Live Steam, which reflects on the past year and where we shared some teasers, glimpses of upcoming projects, and what is in store for the future of ETS2 and ATS. With Special guests including our CEO Pavel Šebor, don't miss out on what we shared! You can re-watch the entire stream at our official YouTube channel here!

We'd like to thank you all again for your support, and we can't wait to spend many more miles on the road with you in 2025. From all of us here at SCS Software, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

By now you've heard the story old
About a place where you were told
That only few have ever been,
And yet this place you now have seen.

So in your heart, you know it’s true
That there’s a special place for you,
That’s filled with Christmas fun and cheer,
A kind of magic everywhere.

There’s joy and laughter to be had,
And no one there is ever sad,
Especially with the time at hand!
Let’s all Return to Winterland!

So once you’re ready for the ride
And offering your help with pride,
A snowy portal will appear.
Just look around, you’ll find it near.

Then drive to it, and don’t delay
Now park inside, then on your way!
Once you arrive, explore, have fun.
It’s Winterland for everyone.

And last not least, just one more thing,
As well as all the Gifts you bring
There is an unexpected task
That means a lot to those who ask.

In Winterland, before you leave,
Your help is needed to retrieve
Some Gift Packs, that were sadly lost,
In last weeks snow storm, in the frost.

We ask your help to search and find
And load these Gift Packs, if you’re kind,
Then take them also with your haul
So no one misses out at all!

Then once you’re back, with gift packs done,
You’ll help to spread more snowy fun!
But not just fun, a legend grand,
Of magic Christmas Winterland!

So, haul for one and one for haul
And Very Merry Christmas All!

Once again the festive season is upon us, so we are delighted to invite you back to our wonderful Winterland this Christmas. This time we've added a few special updates to make it even more magical than before, we hope you like what you find! So, to our #BestCommunityEver, we give you our Return to Winterland event for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator!


Get ready for an unforgettable Christmas adventure! Join us as we journey back to Christmas Winterland, where you'll deliver supplies and gift packs across the globe. We’re challenging the community to collect 200 Snowflakes for cities everywhere for each of the 5 tiers—1,000 Snowflakes in total. Each tier unlocks a special cabin item reward, with designs inspired by the five festive depots of Winterland!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
This year, the weather in Winterland has changed a bit. You'll experience brighter, sunnier days than before, offering beautiful views with a fresher, crisper feeling. But don’t be fooled—there’s also a good chance you may encounter rougher weather, with snowfall in the forecast. You never quite know what you'll get!


You’ll be able to track the community progress on World of Trucks or directly in the game using the updated External Contracts interface.


We've designed a new #ReturnToWinterland Desktop Background Theme, and you may notice an elusive blue gift box that pops up every now and then, providing a small clue about something extra that's in store for you. Since the weather in Winterland is a bit different this year, you might be asked to help rescue some gift packs that were lost in a past snowstorm. We trust that you'll rise to the challenge and answer the call for help! Who knows where it may take you in this magical land, perhaps to a place you've never visited before. When the time comes to help, you'll know—just follow the instructions from Winterland and be on your way!


We invite you to join us for a special Christmas stream which is happening today, on the 16th of December, on our Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. We will show and tell you everything about this wonderful event!


[h3]Return to Winterland Event Rules:[/h3]

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:

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

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.

[h3]Rewards[/h3]

Personal: Your contribution of 15 or more deliveries to or from the 5 Christmas Winterland depots will gain you:

• A special World of Trucks Achievement.
  
• A collection of 6 festive arrays of decorative exterior cab lighting, designed as truck accessory items for each game. This collection is compatible with the top-tier trucks of all truck brands.
  
• A bonus reward, for those that don't already have it, of last year's beautiful Winterland truck paint job
  

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 haul!


[h3]Christmas Winterland Directions[/h3]

Access to Winterland is available using a portal, which materialises after you've accepted any event cargo. Find it on the map and navigate to it. Look for the sparkles!

When leaving Winterland through a portal, you can either deliver a cargo to its destination or travel to a random city for a new job to Winterland.

Note: In order to qualify for any community reward, you must complete at least your personal goal in Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both. Each reward will be a Steam inventory item for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. Once completed, claim your reward in the Events page on your World of Trucks profile.

[h3]The event will be concluded on Sunday, the 12th of January at 23:59 UTC.[/h3]

We can’t wait to hear about your return journey back to Christmas Winterland and we’d be thrilled to see more photos of you as you reach your goals and enjoy the rewards of this wonderful season of giving. Share your screenshots and videos with us using the hashtag #ReturnToWinterland on our Facebook ATS / ETS2, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram profiles and we will share our favourite ones.

We also plan on hosting a special live stream in which we will explore more about how this year's Christmas event has been designed and created for all of us in a detailed, nice, and relaxed talk with our colleagues from the World of Trucks team while also playing and contributing towards the community goal. Join us this afternoon from 18:00 CET on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook, and Return to Winterland with us!

An important aspect of creating realistic virtual representations of cities and towns in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator is not only the road networks and buildings, but also the recreation of important and unique landmarks in those areas. One such common landmark is statues, which are created from scratch by our talented digital sculptors, whom we've had the pleasure to talk to and share more about their work with you today!


We spoke with Martina D and Věra Š, both of whom work in our Asset department and they create many of the statues along with a variety of other custom assets. We will let them introduce themselves!


"My name is Martina D. I joined SCS Software about six years ago as a Map Designer. After three years, I transitioned to the Asset department, where I continue to work today!"


"Hello, My name is Věra Š. but I´m also known as Bee! I work as a 3D Graphic Assets Designer and my specialty is statues. I´ve been working at SCS Software for over 2 years."

A real-life reference of The Homesteaders statue located in Enid, Oklahoma

We're interested to know, how did you get into sculpting? Was it something you learned at school, or did you teach yourself at home? "I always had a strong artistic background," Martina tells us. "Since elementary school, I have been attending art classes twice a week. When I was 14, I discovered the world of digital painting, which made me even more obsessed with creating art. When I started working at SCS, I became interested in the process of creating assets, so I began experimenting with 3D programs. Sculpting quickly caught my eye. It’s like painting, but with a third dimension, and it somehow felt so much more satisfying than painting. I completely fell in love with the process."

Věra also shares her answer "As a lover of figures such as Warhammer, or video games, and classical historical statues, I was mesmerized by such art forms and wanted to create something on my own, so I downloaded Blender and started my journey. Thanks to YouTube I learnt the basics of 3D sculpting and couldn't stop creating."

A 3D Digital Sculpture of The Homesteaders statue

When creating digital sculptures for ETS2 or ATS, what kinds of tools and software do you use? "For sculpting, we use the ZBrush software from Maxon." Martina shares "It is the leading and the most efficient sculpting software on the market. As for hardware, I use my big non-screen Huion graphic tablet and a short keyboard that will fit next to my tablet and allow me to use shortcuts comfortably".


The process of creating and integrating a digital sculpture or asset into a game is far from quick or simple. It requires multiple steps and the use of specialized software. Věra explains, “First of all, I start with a block-out. In this step, the main goal is to create a simple shape that resembles the general form of the sculpture. After that, we can start sculpting, which is my favourite part since we’re playing with all the details. At this stage, we use ZBrush, which is excellent for sculpting organic forms.”

Martina agrees on the importance of starting with the basics, saying, “Everything starts with good proportions. I use the most basic shapes with the lowest polygon count possible. Each time I feel satisfied with the proportions, I increase the polygon count. It’s always good to work with lower polygon counts initially because I can use the polygon flow to my advantage. Once my sculpture feels finished after a few rounds of detailing, I use a decimation tool to drastically reduce unnecessary polygons while keeping all the details. This version isn’t usable for further sculpting, but it’s perfectly optimized for import into other software.”


The next step is creating a low-poly version of the model, a process called retopology. Věra explains, “If I’m satisfied with the high-resolution sculpture, I move to Maya, where I create a more optimised version of the sculpture. This step is crucial because we have to lower the resolution, or it won’t run in the game.”

Once the lower-poly model is ready, UV mapping comes next. “UV mapping,” Martina explains, “is the process of transferring a 3D model into a 2D space. It tells us which part of the model will be covered with texture and where.” Věra adds a colourful analogy: “I would describe UV mapping as peeling an orange. If we want to draw on a 3D object, we need to flatten it first. So, like peeling an orange, we peel the model and draw on the 2D rind.”


The final steps involve texturing and assembling the model. “I use Adobe Substance Painter,” says Martina. “First, I import the low-poly model and use the ‘baking’ tool to imprint all the details from the high-poly model onto a normal map texture. Then, I can easily apply any material to the model. I’ve created some of my own metal materials, which I modify as needed.” Věra shares a similar approach: “The fun part is adding colours and details in Substance Painter. Sometimes, we need to make adjustments in Photoshop before going back to Maya to assemble everything, create LODs, and add the finishing touches.”

"However, in some unique cases, to save time on more difficult or interesting sculptures, I like to re-use older statues or just parts of them and re-sculpt them to look brand new."


So how long does a sculpture typically take from start to finish? "It depends on the complexity of the sculpture," Martina explains. "Some statues take a few days, while others can take weeks. Realistic statues always require a bit more time and care."

What are some of the more challenging aspects of creating sculptures? "Optimization is always very critical for us," says Martina. "Sometimes, it can limit us or require us to come up with alternate solutions. It can be challenging, but it also makes my job more interesting."


We then went on to ask about their favourite sculpture they had created. "One of my proudest works is the Enid Heritage Center statue." Věra shares "It warmed my heart to see it praised in a Reddit post. Another favourite of mine is the Santa Cruz Clock Tower statue. This wasn’t an ordinary sculpture, it serves as a reminder of the loss and grief that war leaves behind, not just for a specific war. At one point during its creation, the statue depicted more intense pain, but it was eventually changed to avoid being too disturbing."

A real-life reference of the Buffalo Soldier Memorial statue located in Junction City, Kansas

Martina tells us of their favourite sculpture too "There was one really strange statue of a metal lady made out of metal scraps. It was quite challenging to make it look good and optimised at the same time. I usually sculpt statues of riders on the horse. Sculpting animals is my favourite. I worked lately on cows and dogs too." Between the both of them, Martina and Věra have created more than 50 statues for current and upcoming map expansions.


And for those who share similar interests in digital sculpting, do you have any words? Věra shares "There is no such thing as talent, you are going to get better only if you practice, and that applies to any art." Martina also adds "Fight for your dreams. Working in the game industry is more achievable than it seems".

We hope you enjoyed this insight into the world of digital sculpting and what goes into the work you see behind those landmark statues found across Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. We'd like to thank both Věra and Martina for taking the time to talk with us and share their work, knowledge and experience with you in this Under the Hood blog! If you have some suggestions for future topics, be sure to let us know in the comments below. Until next time, keep on truckin'!