The Bus News

A list of frequently asked questions and answers for the upcoming dlc Hamburg City, created by third party developer (independent external developer) of that AddOn Halycon Media.

[h3]When will the Hamburg City DLC for The Bus be released?[/h3]
There is no fixed release date yet. However, we can say this much: it won’t be much longer! You can look forward to the launch very soon.


[h3]How much will the add-on cost? [/h3]
Hamburg City is a paid expansion for The Bus. Since March 2023, a dedicated team of up to 15 people has been working on its development. The final price will be announced at a later date.


[h3]Will AI characters and vehicles be adjusted? [/h3]
The core behavior of AI vehicles and pedestrians is based on The Bus's main game standards and can only be modified within limited technical constraints. Any adjustments will be made within the possibilities offered by the base game.


[h3]Can Hamburg City be played in multiplayer mode? [/h3]
Yes! Since The Bus supports multiplayer, the Hamburg City map is also playable in multiplayer mode. All players must own the same DLCs to use them together.


[h3]Will there be AI-controlled bus traffic? [/h3]
As long as the main game does not support AI bus routes, this feature cannot be implemented on the Hamburg City map either.
However, if The Bus introduces this feature in the future, we will provide an appropriate update. Timetables for AI routes are already prepared — and hubs like the central station are expected to feature busy AI traffic once activated.


[h3]Will a bus be included – and if so, which one? [/h3]
In contrast to other bus simulators such as OMSI2, maps and buses are separate in The Bus. This means that a map does not necessarily include one or more buses.
An original elevated railway bus from the real fleet in Hamburg is therefore not included in the scope of delivery, in addition to the buses known from the main game.
In addition, there is currently no vehicle editor available for buses, which means that it is not technically possible to create another drivable elevated railway bus yourself. It has not yet been decided whether we will release buses as a separate add-on in the future.
What we will deliver, however, are adaptations of existing standard buses, for example paintwork, seat upholstery, interior displays and matrix. More information on this will follow later.


[h3]Why develop a DLC while the main game is still in Early Access? [/h3]
The main game The Bus is being developed solely by TML-Studios.
We are responsible for the Hamburg City map expansion, which adds a new city and additional routes to the game.
We have no influence on the development or feature set of the main game and cannot introduce core changes.
Important: Work on Hamburg City does not interfere with the development of The Bus — these are separate teams working independently.


[h3]Are the Hochbahn buses shown in the screenshots functional AI vehicles? [/h3]
No. The Hochbahn buses currently visible in work-in-progress screenshots are static objects — placed at rest areas, for example — and serve to enhance the map's authenticity.
They are neither drivable nor AI-controlled.


[h3]Will Line 17 be extended to U-Bahn station Berne? [/h3]
There are currently no plans to extend Line 17 by another 10 km to the Berne U-Bahn station.
The route would be very diverse — passing through post-war housing blocks, high-rise areas, 1970s architecture, century-old housing estates, parks, new developments, and countless intersections.
Implementing this extension would take over six months. For that reason, we decided to focus on the current route up to Barmbek station.


[h3]Will there be more bus lines added to the Hamburg DLC in the future? [/h3]
At this time, no additional lines are planned for the Hamburg City map. However, this may change in the future — we’re always listening to community feedback!


[h3]Are typical Hamburg rail vehicles featured in the game?[/h3]
Yes! The Hamburg City map offers a vibrant cityscape featuring many iconic rail vehicles.
In addition to DT5 Hamburg U-Bahn trains, you’ll also see S-Bahn, Metronom, regional, and long-distance trains as AI traffic — realistically placed along their real-life routes.
For example, at Rödingsmarkt station, U-Bahn trains cross above Line 17, while at Barmbek you’ll see S-Bahn trains, and the central station showcases all train types.


[h3]Will the Hamburg expansion be released for consoles? [/h3]
Yes – the Hamburg City map is planned for consoles as well, once the main game becomes available on those platforms.
However, we cannot yet provide a specific release date.

Update 3.1 of the Early Access of The Bus is now available as BETA for testing.

This beta adds new character models, multiple improvements and bug-fixes to The Bus.

For the full detailed list of changes, please, see the changelog below.

---

Please create backup copies of your savegame files before switching to the EA BETA Update. Savegames may not be compatible with the new version of the game.

---
ATTENTION: This is a BETA update. Technical problems, instability of the game as well as bugs during gameplay can be possible.

How to install the beta version of the update?

Quite easily:

1. In your Library, you click with the right mouse button on the entry of the "The Bus"
   
2. In the drop-menu, you click on the entry "Properties"
   
3. In the window "The Bus - Properties" you select the tab "BETAS"
   
4. In the field "Select the beta you would like to opt into:" select the entry "beta-beta"
   
5. Now you can close the window and the beta version of the update should download right away
   
6. After downloading the update you can start The Bus via the "PLAY" button
   
7. In the main menu should now be the corresponding version number of the beta version of the update and you can test the update
   

---
Changelog 0.23.84120 EA Beta

• New Character Models
  
• Multiplayer Voice Chat
  
• Galaxis dashboard can now be exchanged
  
• Support for DLSS and FSR + FrameGen
  
• You can now choose between a male and female player character model
  
• Improved multiplayer vehicle synchronisation for drivers
  
• Fixed unable to move board computer in galaxis multiplayer
  
• Fixed bus charging not working in multiplayer
  
• You can now click any mirror or camera to disable them
  
• Fixed Busses spawning on top of other busses
  
• You can now right click while outside the bus to show cursor
  
• Arcade Mode no longer blocks actions
  
• Level Art Fixes
  
• Performance Optimizations**
  

Changelog 0.23.84517 EA Beta

• Fix allowed speed icon missing
  
• Removed black objects on map
  
• Fixed passengers leaving through front door
  
• Fixed passengers waiting for front door when entering through rear door
  
• Fixed passengers invisible when loading savegame
  
• Fixed passenger voice with wrong pitch
  
• Fixed passengers not appearing in mirrors
  
• Fixed passenger feet colliding with door clearance trigger
  
• Fixed passengers walking sideways inside the bus
  
• Fixed passenger feet going through the floor
  
• Fixed pedestrian groups not spawning at start
  
• Fixed date and time not applying from server settings
  
• Fixed AI vehicles not using lights at night in multiplayer
  
• Fixed tree appearance in winter in multiplayer
  
• Fixed controller keybinds resetting to default
  
• Fixed hair crash on older amd hardware
  
• Level Art Fixes
  
• Performance Optimizations**
  
• Known Issues: Distorted voices in voice chat
  

Changelog 0.23.84618 EA Beta

• Added bus driver announcements
  
• Fixed leftover black object
  
• Passengers no longer wait for front door when rear door is open
  
• Fixed passengers not entering to door halves
  
• Fixed passengers not seeing occupied seats on servers
  
• Level Art Fixes
  
• Performance Optimizations**
  

* Only occurred during the BETA test of this update

** Please, be aware that the impact of performance optimisations varies from system to system due to hardware configurations, installed software, and other programs running in the background

The new Hamburg City add-on for The Bus takes you on two exciting routes through one of Germany's most famous cities - with iconic sights, a true-to-life cityscape and a licensed bus repaint by network service Hochbahn AG.



🚏 Two lines - Two sides of Hamburg:


Line 6: From the quiet Borgweg through the city center to the historic Speicherstadt.
Line 17: From colorful St. Pauli to Barmbek - with Reeperbahn, Millerntor and more.

🌆 A city full of life:

Over 60 stops, 500+ individual objects, 200 of which are completely new
Landmarks such as the Elbphilharmonie, TV tower, Spiegel building
Authentic details: circus, markets, bicycle boxes, red garbage cans and much more
Lively traffic with S-Bahn, U-Bahn, long-distance trains

🛠️ Included:

Officially licensed repaint
Two lines with up to 45 minutes travel time per route
Completely new assets and detailed routes
Developed in cooperation with Hamburger Hochbahn AG

This week, we are focusing on an interesting section of the route network in The Bus DLC - Hamburg City, Saarlandstraße.
A place that, despite its rather quiet location in the game, catches the eye with its striking architecture and proximity to the subway station.




Even though bus route 17 does not pass directly by the station in the simulation, there is a clear view of the striking station and the adjacent bridge structures from the intersection at Wiesendamm.
This visual presence was reason enough for us to integrate the area into the game true to the original - including a small special feature: at irregular intervals, a Hamburg subway train will also be seen crossing the bridge, providing additional dynamics.



As usual, the images shown are from the current development phase. Some elements - especially the signage - still serve as placeholders, but they already convey an atmospheric impression of the surroundings.



The subway station was opened in 1912 and is part of the U3 ring line, one of Hamburg's oldest subway lines.
The station has only borne the name Saarlandstraße since 1970 and was previously called Bahnhof Stadtpark.

The station is located above ground on an embankment with a striking steel bridge over Saarlandstraße and the Barmbeker Strichkanal to the east.
This is a typical feature of Hamburg's elevated railway architecture of the time. The station was named after the street of the same name, which in turn was named after Saarland in the 1920s.
In the early days, the station was an important transfer point for workers from the surrounding residential and industrial areas, who found connections to the city center here.



Today, Saarlandstraße is no longer a classic transportation hub, but it remains an important part of the U3.
It connects the Winterhude district with the rest of the Hochbahn network and is particularly popular with commuters and residents.
Its proximity to the Alster, Stadtpark and Jarrestraße also makes the area attractive for leisure trips.
The architecture of the station with the adjoining railroad bridges has been largely preserved in its original state to this day and is a listed building. This makes the area not only functional, but also remarkable from an architectural and historical point of view.



In the virtual realization, we attach particular importance to the depiction of the characteristic brick facades, the curved bridge structure and the typical signal and traffic lights.

All of this contributes to creating an authentic cityscape that Hamburgers will immediately recognize - and that will also make newcomers want to explore the city digitally.

Do you have any questions, suggestions or requests for upcoming topics?

Then write to us as always: [email protected]

See you next time - and have fun exploring Hamburg in The Bus!

Your Halycon Media development team

Today we take a first look at the upcoming Hamburg DLC for The Bus! 🚍
Even though the add-on is still in development, we would like to show you two of the planned lines, as well as the first new decorative elements and details about the city environment.

👉

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]