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The best ATS mods 2023 - the 11 best American Truck Simulator mods

What are the best ATS mods in 2023? The cult -favorite trucking game is still going strong since its release all the way back in 2016. Luckily, there's a fervent modding community behind ATS to this day, meaning you can update the base game with everything from dynamic weather effects to new truck companies and brands. Given how long the game has been out at this point, finding the very best ATS mods can be a little bit tricky in 2023. But that's where we come in.


Here's our picks for the best American Truck Simulator mods to download in 2023. We've tried to include a good variety of mod types, from visual improvements, to mods that will change aspects of the popular simulation game like navigation and in-game economy/prices.


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Kansas - Release Date Reveal

There’s no place like Kansas, and the same rings true in American Truck Simulator! Mark your calendars and get ready to hit the virtual roads, because we're excited to announce that...

[h3]The Kansas DLC for American Truck Simulator will be released
on November 30th, 2023! [/h3]

We're just as excited as you are, and to keep your anticipation high, we've released the official trailer for the Kansas DLC on our official YouTube channel. This trailer will give you a sneak peek of the wonderful landscapes, historical cities & towns, unique landmarks, and local industries that await you in this map expansion. Take a watch of it below!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We cannot wait for your to make your first journey through the Sunflower State. Our team has been working hard to ensure everything is running smoothly upon its release. Our goal is to give you an amazing virtual trucking experience, and we're committed to making that happen!


From cities large and small to the diverse agricultural industries found across the region, Kansas has something new to explore around each corner. Be sure to keep an eye out for any viewpoints and landmarks along the way!


Excited to explore this new U.S. state? Then be sure to add Kansas to your Steam Wishlist to be notified as soon as it releases on November 30th!


We'd like to thank you, our #BestCommunityEver for your continuous support during the development period of the Kansas DLC. We look forward to seeing you real soon in Kansas!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2298430/American_Truck_Simulator__Kansas/

Czech & Slovak Games Week 2023

Today marks the beginning of Czech & Slovak Games Week, an annual event that celebrates games created by studios based in the countries of Czechia and Slovakia. Our studio has been around for over 25 years, witnessing the major growth of the local games industry. During our humble beginnings, there were less than than a hundred individuals creating games on a professional basis in our countries. These days, well over 2,000 people in the region are making a living creating games, and making quite an impact on the global gaming scene. What a ride it has been!

We may not be the oldest studio, but we are proud to be a part of this growth from the early years, and we are honoured to partner up with so many fantastic and creative studios during this week-long celebration.


Many of the games participating will be celebrating by offering cool discounts on Steam and any platforms where players can find them. Unfortunately, we used up our available discount slot recently on the launch of the West Balkans DLC, and we will only be able to do a promotional sale around the time of the Kansas DLC launch (wink wink). Still, we wanted to support the CZ & SK Games week in some way on Steam and give the people exploring the vast offering of locally produced games a bargain to try our titles as well; Or to catch up, in case they already own one of our flagship truck simulators, but were looking for an excuse to try the other one. We have found a working solution on Steam - a dedicated bundle may do just the trick! We are aware that most of our readers probably know our games in and out, but it may still be a good way of growing our fanbase.

[Check out the Czech & Slovak Games Week Bundle here]

One part of Czech & Slovak Games Week that always stands out is the unique and beautiful artwork that accompanies it. Anna Voříšková, one of our talented 2D artists, continues to be the main driving force behind the creation of these wonderful designs. We spoke with her to learn more about the process on creating artwork for such an event.

"This is the fourth year I've volunteered to create artwork for the event, and I feel like with each year I continue to challenge myself more and more in terms of the art's vision and composition." Annie explains "It's always my job to design everything, from start to finish, which is a very challenging job and a huge responsibility, but to see it done, see the event up and running, is such a rewarding feeling. I'm very proud of what we've accomplished together with my teammates at GDACZ."


"The theme I've chosen for this year's event is "togetherness". Czechia and Slovakia have a very warm relationship and I wanted to represent it in the artwork. The two characters - a Czech girl and a Slovak boy - play through a platformer together to reach a common goal, while munching on some popular local snacks. The platformer itself also pictures various landmarks from both Czechia and Slovakia. I really wanted the artwork to have an educational impact as well - it tells you a little about the culture of both countries."

"The cover art took around 30 hours to design, sketch, outline, colour, and polish. The details and clean, intricate lines are mostly to blame. I did most of the work on my iPad, which I like to take to cafés for a little change of scenery. And no, I really don't wanna think about the cost of all the large Starbucks coffees I had to consume to get it done!"

We are proud of the work Anna undertakes in her own time for this special event! The Czech & Slovak Games Week takes place between November 13th and November 20th and features a number of discounts for locally created games across a multitude of platforms, along with digital events and online streams. We urge you to check it out for yourself! You can find the Czech & Slovak Games Week Steam page right here.

Kansas - Gameplay Video

From fields of wheat to rock bands, Kansas has something for everyone! Today, we're excited to share with you the very first gameplay preview from our upcoming Kansas DLC for American Truck Simulator. Join us as we drive from from Kansas City to Hutchinson.

Please keep in mind that what you see here is still a work in progress and does not represent the final product

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
With industries and scenic roads to explore, Kansas has plenty of roads yet to be discovered. If you like what you see, add it to your Steam Wishlist! We thank you for your continued support and look forward to reading your comments. Be sure to check back here soon for more updates, news, and previews.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2298430/American_Truck_Simulator__Kansas/

Arkansas - Meet The Team

We've been tackling the demanding Arkansas DLC for some time now. Despite the necessary hard work and commitment, we haven't had a chance to give a shout-out to the often-overlooked heroes within our dedicated team.


We hope you will enjoy this presentation of the SCS map designers who are currently working on the Arkansas DLC and their short messages to the #BestCommunityEver.

[h3]David[/h3]

I have been working at SCS for seven years now, and during that time, I have progressed from testing to map design to a leadership position as the Map DLC Lead for American Truck Simulator. In this role, my responsibility is to lead the project from start to finish, which primarily involves managing the rest of my team, closely cooperating with other departments, and staying in touch with marketing. Among my previously released projects are Wyoming, Montana, and Oklahoma.

Our goal for Arkansas is to portray it exactly as it is—full of smaller picturesque towns, beautiful nature, and interesting businesses. We're striving to create another enjoyable DLC that people will want to add to their collection of ATS.


[h3]Joanna[/h3]

It's been almost 3.5 years since I've joined the SCS team. My first big task was to create the Yellowstone Park in the Wyoming DLC. It was quite a challenge but also an exciting mission for a newbie. While working on this task, I realized that creating landscapes and nature is the most enjoyable part of my job. In Arkansas, I work on the small, spa town of Hot Springs and its beautiful surroundings. I hope you will like it!

[h3]Vojta[/h3]

I joined SCS in 2019 and started working on Colorado DLC where I learned all the basics of the editor. Since then I've been working on many projects like the rework of California, Wyoming, a little bit of Texas, Montana, Oklahoma and now Arkansas where I'm responsible for Little Rock and most of the I-40 that goes across the state. What I've enjoyed the most is the variety of tasks that I get from rural roads, and truck stops to large cities.

[h3]Vopi[/h3]

It's already been five years since I joined SCS back in 2018. Nowadays I work as a Senior Map Designer and during my time here I was able to get my hands on DLCs like Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Oklahoma, where I usually focused on some mountainous areas and roads and on nature in general. I am excited about Arkansas because I like the lush and foresty feel it has. Of course, it is not the PNW, but in some ways, it reminds me of working on Washington. Among other things, I am responsible for the North-West Arkansas region around Fayetteville and I hope we can deliver some of its unique features so players can enjoy them.

[h3]Jakub[/h3]

It's been a long day at work or school. You are tired; you have had enough. All you want to do for the rest of your day is chill. And so you go trucking. As a fellow gamer, I get it. That's why I am always trying to follow this rule: no matter how pretty and accurate your game is, if it's not fun to play, people will not play it. It will soon be 3 years since I started working at SCS as a map designer on DLC Montana, then worked on Oklahoma, and now I'm doing my best to make sure you have fun trucking in Arkansas. My favorite parts of the map to design are small settlements because they have that American country vibe that I like.

[h3]Vladimír[/h3]

This is my seventh year working at SCS as a Map designer. I started with a road connecting California and Nevada through the Death Valley. Then I worked on smaller towns and neighbourhoods, mostly on the coast of California and Oregon (Redwood-Sequoia), Utah (Vernal), Idaho (Salmon), Wyoming (Jackson), Montana (Wolfpoint-Sidney-Glendive), Oklahoma (Idabel-Broken Bow-Hugo) and now I'm working on a road from De Queen to Texarkana in Arkansas. I enjoy working with the details of industrial areas and smaller towns the most.

[h3]Adam[/h3]

I joined SCS at the beginning of 2022 as a junior map designer without any previous game development-related professional work experience. I joined in the later production stage of Montana, where I made some interstates and settlements. Then I worked on some parts of cities in Texas and after that on Oklahoma right in the beginning so I had the opportunity to have creative freedom. These days I work on Arkansas which is by far my favorite project. Parts of the map I work on inspire me and I feel blessed to work specifically on this DLC.

[h3]Jáno[/h3]

It's been nearly three years since I started working as a map designer at SCS. In the beginning, I worked on Sacramento city for the California Rework project. Later, I joined Davido's team and started to design small abandoned settlements, wide-open plains, and stunning landscapes, which I really enjoyed working on. You can find some of them in the Texas, Montana, or Oklahoma DLCs. Currently, I am focusing on the eastern region of Arkansas, and I really hope the new DLC will be fun and exciting to play.

[h3]Zuzu[/h3]

It has been almost 4 years since I joined SCS as a junior map designer. I started with small roads in Idaho and soon discovered that my interest lies in the more technical aspects of mapping. Now, as part of the Arkansas team, I am responsible for road layouts, such as complex junctions and truck stops. In Arkansas, what I am aiming for is creating viewpoints in beautiful sceneries, crafted by my colleagues.

[h3]Lukáš[/h3]

I have been working at SCS Software for almost three years now, and every one of them has been entirely stellar. Since then, I have worked on Montana, Oklahoma, and now, of course, the Arkansas DLC, but also a few bits of the California rework and Texas. Regarding Arkansas, I am working on a few settlements and an unnamed city that might or might not contain some gold. But what I really love about Arkansas is the countryside. My absolute favorite places are the swamps, bogs, and overgrown little forest rivers. I always try to capture their true soul. I only wish Arkansas was a bit bigger, so we might be able to weave a few more such places in.


We hope you've appreciated this brief departure from our typical map-focused blog content. The team is putting in their utmost effort to deliver an exceptional experience, and we're eagerly anticipating revealing more of their ongoing projects in the future. Meanwhile, stay tuned to the blog or follow us on social media platforms (X/TwitterInstagramFacebook and TikTok) for any upcoming updates.