American Truck Simulator News

We have the first piece of news for our #BestCommunityEver from the upcoming 1.51 update! Following your feedback, we have decided to update the vegetation in our Texas map expansion to better reflect reality. So let's take a look at what will change in the 1.51 update for American Truck Simulator!


We aim to reflect our community's wishes and listen to their feedback. That's why our map designers, in collaboration with our vegetation department, have replaced the older pines with more accurate loblolly pines, which are native to this area.


The loblolly pines were initially created for the Arkansas DLC but also naturally grow in Texas. To enhance realism and ensure a smoother transition when driving between these states, truckers will now encounter an abundance of these trees throughout the entire eastern part of Texas - along roads, in forests, and within towns.


These pines can reach heights of up to 125 feet, with trunks measuring up to 4 feet in diameter. They boast a dense, rounded crown of dark, blue-green foliage.


We hope you will appreciate our teams' attention to detail, going back to previously released map expansions and updating them based on your feedback to correct any imperfections. Until this update is released, make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to catch all the latest ATS information. We will see you on the virtual roads!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1465750/American_Truck_Simulator__Texas/

In this blog, we offer our #BestCommunityEver another look into our upcoming Arkansas map expansion for American Truck Simulator. This time, we want to show you some wonderful art of the Natural State you will encounter on your deliveries such as some beautiful murals and street art which are inspired by their real-world counterparts.


Fort Smith, the third most populous city in Arkansas, is home to many wall paintings. Truckers navigating our game will be able to encounter a mural of a Native American woman shooting from her bow there. Another notable artwork along US-64 features a comic book-style giant banana pointed at a horseback rider against a dark red background. And we could not leave out the paintings on the Fort Smith silos towering 100 feet into the sky. In the real world, they depict three local residents, whom we have transformed into our asset makers.


Magnolia, the county seat of Columbia County, offers plenty of colorful street art painted on the sides of buildings in the downtown area. These depict the different parts of the town's and county's history. If you find yourself in the northeast corner of Arkansas, visit Jonesboro which will feature its colorful lion painting in ATS. This one depicts three grey lion heads with a vibrant background.


Hot Springs, renowned for its thermal springs and spas, will also have a wall painting celebrating the first residents of the area, the Quapaw Tribe. This piece displays two Quapaw tribemen with a yellow background and can be found not far from the famous Arlington Hotel. Meanwhile, in the capital city of Arkansas, Little Rock, truckers can stumble upon a cute artwork of two foxes cuddling amidst a leafy setting.


When arriving into DeQueen, keep an eye out for their artistic welcome sign that is sure to make you feel right at home! And if you are passing through the US-64, you can come across a beautifully decorated wall right next to the road.


We believe you will appreciate this look into the art of Arkansas, which is still a work in progress. If you are excited about the Arkansas DLC, make sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! Stay tuned for more updates by following us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2585150/American_Truck_Simulator__Arkansas/

Today we are excited to share with you our first blog on Phase 4 of the California Rework Project. Our team is hard at work tackling the next area of this extensive project, which focuses on renewing one of the base game areas in American Truck Simulator. Without further ado, we'd love to share with you some of the progress made with the cities of Santa Maria & Oxnard, California!


Much like most areas previously completed, both these cities will receive a complete rework, which means removing the old and creating the new from scratch! This allows us to really bring as much into these areas as possible in terms of details, road networks and more. Currently this phase of the project is planned for the 1.52 update for American Truck Simulator. While this is still a while away, we wanted to share with you what we are working on.

[h3]Santa Maria[/h3]

Located along the famous US-101, also known as the 'Pacific Coast Highway', Santa Maria is known for its rich history and picturesque landscapes. Founded in 1874, the city's heritage is evident in its historic buildings and museums, reflecting its early Spanish and Native American roots.


Drivers delivering to Santa Maria will be able to see the beauty of the area for themselves as you drive through the city on California State Route 135 (CA-135). Here you will be able to travel around landmarks such as the City of Santa Maria City Hall, Santa Maria Public Library and the Santa Maria Town Center (an indoor shopping center).


Farming is also a cornerstone of the local economy, and plays a prominent role in the area. Drivers delivering to and from Santa Maria will be sure to find plenty of delivery contracts around the farming area, including a new type of farm depot.


If you've just long-hauled out from the Midwest or beyond, be sure to take a rest stop and fuel up at the Valley Pacific Traffic Centre nearby the US-101. This will certainly be a popular spot for all travellers alike.

[h3]Oxnard[/h3]

Known for its pristine shorelines, rich agricultural heritage, and as the Strawberry Capital of California, Oxnard is a coastal city which cannot be missed! From the north, you'll be able to travel on the US-101 and use the CA-126 junction. Along this route you'll find local businesses and shops, and green spaces such as the Camino Real Park.


Drivers will also be able to travel on the longest state route in California, the CA-1, which will take you to the Malibu coast. Along this route you'll find offices, warehouses and a variety of industrial areas. Looking for work? Oxnard will feature a large paper factory depot, which you can find nearby the Freightliner Truck Dealer in-game.


One stand-out feature in Oxnard that will be hard to miss is the Topa Financial Plaza, a 14-story, 160,347 square foot high-rise office building which is built using reflective blue metallic glass cladding. This gives it a mirror-like finish against the blue skies of the west coast, which is visible no matter where you are in the city.


We hope you enjoyed checking out a preview of what is to come in Phase 4 of our California Rework Project. We look forward to highlighting more of the cities, industries and more to come. Like what you see? Be sure to share you comments with us as our rework team would love to hear them! Until next time, keep on truckin'.

Welcome to Rolla, Missouri, a vibrant city where history, innovation, and natural beauty converge. Today we are happy to share with you more about this area, which drivers will be able to visit on their journey in our upcoming Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator.


Home to students from the states and beyond, Rolla is a hub of innovation and education, anchored by the renowned Missouri University of Science and Technology, one of the leading technical universities in the US, known for its programs in engineering, science, and technology. Drivers delivering in Rolla may even route through some of the areas around the university, which our map team has recreated in this DLC.


Located in the Ozarks, a region known for its beautiful landscapes and conservation areas, Rolla has a lot to offer for both visitors and residents alike. From nature, to landmarks such as a minimalist version of Stonehenge, we urge truckers to take the time to check it all out! One road drivers should not miss is the Historic Route 66, which Rolla is located along. You'll be sure to find references to this famous highway around the area.


Looking for work? You'll find the usual city industries to deliver to, including supermarkets, warehouses and even to a heavy machinery service site. You'll also find two unique depots located near the city, a Quarry and Timber harvest site, both which are custom built. We are sure you'll enjoy these industries large and small.


We hope you enjoyed taking a look at Rolla, and we look forward to highlighting more cities, industries and more from our upcoming Missouri DLC in the future. If you like what you see, be sure to add Missouri to your Steam Wishlist and thank you for your on-going support! Until next time, keep on truckin'.

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

With the 1.50 update for American Truck Simulator, we updated the International LT & International LoneStar. Now that a few weeks have passed, we bring you an interview with Andi, our 3D Graphic Designer, who was the main person behind this wonderful redesign!


For the International LT, we added new features and customizable options to selected parts of the truck, but also adjusted and polished some of the older parts and reworked the base geometry of the truck. The biggest upgrade was the addition of the S13 Integrated Powertrain which includes a new engine, the T14 transmission, and new accessories such as new chassis fairing extenders, bumper and grille options, FlowBelow fairings, an APU, blindspot detectors, and a completely new shorter day cab chassis.

Both trucks also underwent a complete interior overhaul with updated textures and interior materials, new customizable interior cabinets, and functioning cabin physics.


"Initially, the task was to facelift the LT with the S13 upgrade - new exterior accessories and engine options. However, during the pre-production process, we found ourselves not happy with the overall quality of the model, especially compared to the current standard of making trucks. The interior was especially lacking, so we decided to spend more time on the LT and LoneStar which meant remodeling parts of the interior and exterior, as well as making brand-new textures," says Andi.


Redesigning these two trucks was mainly a solo project done by Andi although, as he says, he had the support of his colleagues.

"I was responsible for modeling new parts, texturing them, and integrating everything into our game engine. Oscar helped us source reference data in the form of CAD files, Mark helped me double-check the accessory options, and our QA department made sure that everything was ready for release. I had help from my team lead Jarda throughout the project, he oversaw it and provided feedback where necessary. We also had some help from our paint job department which had to re-export the old paint jobs to fit the updated UVs after the facelift, as well as making a new custom paint job for the S13 package," Andi shares with us.


The project started in April 2023 and was finalized in the winter, then released with the 1.50 update in May. "It's game development, so roadblocks and problems are to be expected. During the summer the project was put on hold because we were missing some vital reference data. But overall it went really well and I had a great time working on this facelift. The community response showed us that we did a good job with this project, especially the update on the interior," Andi tells us.


What did Andi enjoy the most while working on this project? "For me, it was definitely modeling the new steel bumper and the new S13 grille, they were quite a challenge but I really love modeling such complex curved shapes. The interior refresh was definitely a lot of fun to work on as well since I got to use Substance Designer to create new tileable textures and it was a really enjoyable experience overall. Watching the interior change over time to what it is now was pure joy," he says.


On the other hand, the most challenging part was integrating everything into the engine. "Especially on a truck such as this, that has been in the game for a few years, I had to be extremely careful what I changed, otherwise we could break a player's savegame. Every change on an existing part required additional work to create a save patch. There was an issue with the cabin deflector logic that I had changed, which proved to be too problematic to resolve, so it had to be reverted. These are unavoidable things when working in game development, and navigating them properly is always a challenge," Andi says.


Andi is a big fan of the refreshed look of the International LT, so this project was really made for him. "I love the slick and sporty look of the LT. My favorite configuration is the Skyrise cabin with the S13 grille, S13 painted bumper, painted side skirts with the new closeouts, new roof extender, and painted all in a bright yellow," he told us.


We want to thank our friends at International Trucks who provided us with all of the reference data. And we hope you have enjoyed driving with these refreshed trucks so far! If you like them, make sure to share some screenshots with us on our social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok), we really want to see those!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/270880/American_Truck_Simulator/