Time flies and the 2021 is slowly coming to an end!



There are certainly some positives from our point of view that we can focus on when looking back on 2021, especially the work on new map expansions, new vehicles and parts, new game features, and general improvements for our games in new updates. Hopefully, we have succeeded in our goal to remain productive and, thanks to that, raising the bar yet again on the gaming experience in American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2.

Let’s take a look in the rearview mirror and explore the content and features we have released throughout 2021!



Due to the worldwide pandemic, this year was not as great as we were hoping for, but we believe that science and everyone cooperating together towards better days is the answer for the right direction next year. Once again, we’d like to stress the importance of staying optimistic and keeping your health in mind. Stay safe and act towards others with care. Sometimes there are those around us who require support, which can be as simple as hearing some encouraging words.

Moreover, there were quite a fair amount of teases and hints in our special Christmas live stream. Our teams are already working hard on several new and exciting projects, and we are looking forward to bringing you more specific information in the future.

And of course, there’s you, our #BestCommunityEver! You’ve all been tirelessly supporting us throughout the whole year and we greatly appreciate that. You all deserve a big THANK YOU.

Happy New Year 2022!

Today, we are happy to share with you the first look at one of the many cities that will be featured in our upcoming Heart of Russia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2. Introducing Ryazan, the 3rd largest city by population in Central Russia after Moscow and Yaroslavl. 



Located near the Oka River, Ryazan is a bustling industrial centre and transport hub. Despite the city's size, Ryazan is not usually on a tourist's list of places to visit in Russia. If you do choose to visit however, you will find many beautiful historic landmarks, such as cathedrals, as well as other interesting attractions such as museums that attract residents and visitors alike. 






Ryazan is home to the one of the oldest museums in Russia, The Ryazan Kremlin. Located on the top of a steep hill, it is surrounded by rivers and a dry moat. This monument of architecture and nature reserve of federal importance is included in the State Register of Especially Valuable Objects of the People of the Russian Federation. 



Truck drivers travelling to Ryazan for work can find a variety of industries, including a refinery and oil storage facility, a sawmill, warehouses and car dealerships. All of these which are located in around the city's main ring road, where you will also find shopping malls and many apartment complexes.  


So whether you are just passing through or staying the night in Ryazan, we hope you will decide to take a few moments out of your driving schedule to admire this unique and historical city. We hope you enjoyed this first look into one of the many cities that will be featured in the Heart of Russia DLC. If you did, then consider adding to add Heart of Russia to your Steam Wishlist. Огромное спасибо!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536500/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Heart_of_Russia/

We have already shared with you details and screenshots about the industrial areas of Heart of Russia DLC previously on our blog. However, the team of map designers is producing so much content, we actually decided to split the topic into two parts to avoid overwhelming our #BestCommunityEver with too many beautiful pictures. We hope you don't mind getting a second portion of beautiful screenshots related to this topic!










In the first part, you had the opportunity to see some of the new models arriving in these industrial areas. Can you tell if there is anything original in these screenshots as well?










If you managed to spot anything interesting let us know in the comments! Also, make sure to add the Heart of Russia DLC to your Steam Wishlist, which, apart from being a great way to show us how excited you are for the new map expansion, will also keep you in touch with all the latest news.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536500/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Heart_of_Russia/

Dear #BestCommunityEver,

The most wonderful time of the year is knocking on the door, and most of the SCS team is taking a bit of time off to enjoy beautiful moments with their families and to recharge their batteries. The pace of our social media posts and blog updates will be slowed down a little, but don't worry, because we still have a few more blog posts, screenshots, and social media videos ready to be released for you till the end of this year. And then we’ll return to our usual form in January with a lot more exciting news.



In the meantime, you can keep working on your progress towards achieving all the goals in our new special Christmas Event, which offers some incredible rewards and fun!

Even though we all would love to see the world around us back in better times, it’s impossible to deny that the global pandemic is still causing problems. We encourage all of you to stay safe and care for everyone around you responsibly. Only with mutual care will all of you be able to find a way to create a good mood in your families, and hopefully, you will spend these upcoming festive days with health and joy.

So, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea, put on some warm and cozy clothes, grab some nice holiday sweets, and just lean back and relax while watching some classic movies. Or, grab a steering wheel, a game controller, or your trusty keyboard and mouse, and play the games you love, including American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2.

Additionally, if you missed our Special Christmas live stream, you may want to watch the recording as well. Maybe it will put a smile on your face and put you in the right mood!


We all have different ways in which we enjoy spending our holidays, therefore, no matter which activity you choose, we sincerely hope you will have a wonderful time.

Merry Christmas!

The vast woodland territories of Russia account for more than a fifth of the world's forests, which means it holds more forest area than any other country in the world. This is why we would certainly be guilty of "treeson", if we were describing the content you can expect in the upcoming Heart of Russia DLC without mentioning a couple of their most interesting tree species along with some related industry information.





We have already slightly touched on the topic of Russian birch trees in our blog post dedicated to nature. But why exactly are these trees so famous all over the country? Well, as you may have noticed, quite often we call Russia "mysterious". That’s because its history and folklore are filled with myths and legends. And according to one of those legends, ancient pagan Slavs considered hugging a birch tree as a sign of good luck. Moreover, it seems that birch trees are generally considered to be magical.








From a more practical point of view, another important tree species you will be able to spot in this map expansion is the pine tree. Their lumber is well known for its texture, warm feel, and how easily it can be shaped. The wood is perfect for construction, components, millwork, and other products.




Due to this industry being so important in the country, there will also be a new prefab related to logging arriving with the DLC. This means that you will be able to deliver and haul for some of the forest harvesting areas and see the beauty of the local nature for your own eyes!







Whether you believe in myths or you are a driver that is focused on delivering cargo, hopefully, we've managed to strike the right note for you. If we did, be sure to add the Heart of Russia DLC to your Steam Wishlist and who knows, maybe once the expansion is released you will pass by a birch tree and it might just bring you some luck.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536500/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Heart_of_Russia/

As part of the 1.43 update, we introduced new level of support for the controller in the game UI. Unfortunately, due to our mistake, the Steam Input configuration files were not properly updated and required manual update from our players.
The fix for this just rolled out, but it will reset Steam Input configurations for those of you who already did it manually and made some custom changes for the configuration since the 1.43 update. This fix doesn't require any game update but we advise restarting the Steam client to automatically get the configuration change from Steam's servers. We are sorry for the inconvenience!

Now, go enjoy the Christmas event! ːwinter2019happyyulː

https://steamcommunity.com/games/227300/announcements/detail/5973460047022476916

There are some things in life that are timeless, where the memory remains as strong today as the feeling was in the past. Perhaps like the first time you were given your most favourite Christmas toy. If you agree then you may also concur that some toys from bygone days retain a charm and magic that makes them irresistible, even today, to both young and old alike. Moreover, we feel there is something incredibly rewarding when you get the opportunity in life to share such a toy with someone else. It’s a chance to offer something special and personal, something from your past.

So, without further ado, may we present to you our Christmas Toys of Yesteryear event, for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator! We would like to share with you, our ‘something old & something new’, take on Christmas this year.



For this challenge, we are asking you to deliver Gifts cargo across all trucking territories. We will be awarding Gifts to cities, based on the number of deliveries it gives or receives. The more a city gives or receives, the more Gifts that city gets, to a maximum of 10.

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 will be rewarding the players each time the community reaches a new tier with a specially hand crafted truck-interior vintage toy, created with fond memory and love, right here by our very own developers at SCS.



Along with this nostalgic event we also have our annual Christmas Stream featuring Pavel Šebor! We'll be revealing some exclusive content from upcoming projects, speaking about the past year including all that we did for our games, and we'll be hosting a massive giveaway sponsored by HyperX, DAF Trucks, Krone Trailers, Thrustmaster, and also us. This is not a stream to miss, and it will take place tonight, Thursday, Dec 16 from 18:00 CET on our twitch and youtube channels.



Then, on the following day the 17th of December from 18:00 CET, we'll host our own special Christmas Toys of Yesteryear developer stream, with game designer Gavin, where together we will join in on the event by contributing to the community goal, while discussing, among other things, the magic in the toys of yesteryear. You might even see some vintage toys that are owned and cherished by our very own developers.

Toys of Yesteryear Event Rules:

Using External Contracts with a World of Trucks-connected profile in Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both, the community is to get as many Gifts as possible awarded to as many cities as possible across all trucking territories. Every city can achieve up to 10 Gifts!

For a city to gain 1 Gift the community must make 1000 deliveries to or from it, using the provided Gifts cargo.

Each tier of 350 Gifts assigned, will unlock a unique community reward for both games.

For a Personal goal, complete at least 15 deliveries of Gifts cargo in either Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator or both games combined.




Rewards

Personal goal: Your contribution of  15 or more deliveries of Gifts cargo will gain you:

• A special World of Trucks Achievement
• A beautiful array of decorative lighting for truck cabs in each game, at least 1 for each truck brand, as a truck accessory item. 

Community goals: Each tier of 350 Gifts,  assigned to cities, will unlock unique community rewards for both games. There will be 7 tiers in total, so after 2450 Gifts are achieved all community goals will be completed, so let's ride!



One final tip, if you haven't already figured it out and you would like to add just that extra special Christmas touch, then if you have our Christmas Paint Jobs Pack DLCs (ETS2, ATS), you will find that you can perfectly match your truck paint job with the Gifts cargo event trailer paint job that you're about to haul!




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.

The event will be concluded on Sunday the 16th of January at 23:59 UTC.

We're looking forward to hearing from you during your nostalgic Christmas journeys and convoys, and we are especially looking forward to seeing more of your photos as you meet your goals and receive your toys of yesteryear, this season of giving! Share your screenshots and videos with us using the hashtag #XmasToysOfYesteryear on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles and we will share our favorite ones.

Today we are happy to reveal something which we've been working on for quite a while in cooperation with DAF Trucks and NVIDIA. We have joined forces with these big names in the technology, gaming, and automotive industry, and together we've created quite a unique project!



Earlier this year, while we were celebrating the release of the DAF XG and XG+ trucks for Euro Truck Simulator 2 via our blog and stream, we have also shown a cool platform created by DAF - the DAF Virtual Experience. On there, anyone can visit DAF's facility, museum, and much more, in a virtual 3D world served through your web browser.



Back then, in addition to working hard on bringing both the DAF XG and XG+ trucks to Euro Truck Simulator 2, we were also focused on a new ambitious project with DAF Trucks and NVIDIA. Today, we can finally reveal that this project is formally known as DAF Drive. This feature will be implemented and set available in the DAF Virtual Experience platform later today; a tailored demo version of our truck simulator has been created, allowing any visitor of the website to hop into one of the DAF Trucks vehicles and take a virtual drive through a short and scenic route. No login requested, no purchase required, no download needed.



The demo itself relies on the amazing streaming technology utilized by NVIDIA GeForce NOW platform, and we believe that collectively we have all created a unique and important cooperation showcase between the automotive and gaming industries. We believe that this pioneering effort could be a promising kick-off of a feature that will show other brands and automotive companies that there is a way to offer an exclusive experience to their customers from the comfort of their own homes/workplaces, whether it is checking out a 1:1 scale virtual model of their vehicles, their interiors, functionality, or taking it to a virtual test drive. Such a low-friction web-based application might contribute a lot in helping potential customers decide which vehicle they might be interested in, and which one will be perfect for their business or for themselves.

We at SCS Software are proud that our Euro Truck Simulator 2 game was recognized as a strong partner for such a project and that we are now able to let you, our fans, know about the part we are playing in this exciting project. However, what kind of a celebration would it be without something cool for the players of the game as well, right?

Therefore we are happy to announce that today we are also adding the amazing 2021 DAF XF truck for all of you to enjoy in ETS2 for free on Steam, whether you're playing on your computer or streaming with NVIDIA GeForce NOW to nearly any device you own!



Here’s everything you can expect from this new truck addition:

• Kerb View Window through which the driver can clearly see potential cyclists, motorbikes, or other vehicles positioned next to the truck
  
• 2021 DAF XF cab option
  
• New door handle option (half painted)
  
• 6x2 FTN and FTS chassis are available for all cabin sizes (XF, XG, XG+). The FTN chassis is unique as it is the first chassis with a steered trailing axle in the game!
  
• An additional shorter FT (4x2) chassis is available for the XF

We hope you're curious to check out the DAF Drive demo along with the new 2021 DAF XF in ETS2. To celebrate this release with us, spread the cool news, and test your luck, we are hosting a special social media sharing campaign in which you can eventually win some nice and exclusive rewards!

To participate, all you need to do is to visit the DAF Drive app, do a test drive in one of the new DAF XF, XG, or XG+ vehicles, and share a screen capture from it over Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook under the hashtag of #RideDAF along with tagging our, DAF Trucks' (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), and NVIDIA GeForce NOW's (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) official profiles. Later, we will pick a few of those posts that will steal our hearts and reward them with a very exclusive prize! We can't wait to see all the posts!

It has only been a short time since we last released an update for our truck simulator titles, however, we are happy to share with you that the 1.43 update is now ready to be fully released for Euro Truck Simulator 2. 



We'd like to thank everyone who participated, provided their feedback, and made bug reports during the Open Beta of 1.43. Your valuable input helped us make tweaks, changes and smash some bugs we may have missed the first time around. We hope you can now begin to fully enjoy the various new features which are included within this update, including some new ones that may not have made it during the beta!


So, without further ado, let's take a look at what 1.43 has in store!

Lyon Revamp

As previously mentioned in a dedicated blog, we are happy to share with you one of our latest revamp projects in Euro Truck Simulator 2. The city of Lyon in France will be receiving a major revamp, giving it a fresh and up-to-date look. So what exactly has been changed? Let's take a closer look! 






As you can see from these shots, a lot has changed! In fact, a majority of the city layout has been reworked to make it more realistic and true to life. We have now also updated these areas to include the routes that truckers actually use to enter and exit Lyon and its surrounding industrial areas. We have also added 3 new Landmarks significant to the city. 



Many of the older vegetation models such as trees and wildflowers have been replaced with newer ones, which gives the city a completely new look in terms of natural beauty. Road signs and roads, in general, have also been updated with more accurate, realistic, and detailed textures. While many of the major changes are quite obvious, we will leave it up to you to explore Lyon for yourself to spot them all! 

You can read the full dedicated blog on the Lyon Revamp here.

MAN TGX EfficientLine 3

This update features new parts and customization options which will allow you to upgrade your current MAN TGX to the current production version of the TGX.


The MAN TGX EfficientLine 3 features an improved cab interior and economical exterior changes including a new front grille design. The MAN TGX EL3 option will be made available at the in-game MAN dealership or as an upgrade at your nearest repair shop.



We believe all MAN trucks fans will be happy about this small, but important update. Read more about it here.

Tollgate Updates

Tollgates will also be receiving a revisit in this update. Our teams have revisited a majority of the tolls throughout Euro Truck Simulator 2 to update and apply fixes to speed limits, road signage and other minor adjustments. While this isn't a complete overhaul or redesign, we hope that this update (and future ones too) will bring a smoother experience when passing through the many of them that can be found across Europe. 

Unfortunately, we didn't make it around to all of the tollgates in time for this update, so expect this update to be continued in future game versions too. 

Viewpoints

As previously announced in a previous blog post, we are happy to share those viewpoints arriving in Euro Truck Simulator 2! 


There will be a total of 35 new viewpoints added across already released ETS2 locations in this update. 



From cities and ports to industrial areas, there will be a lot of reasons to revisit some of the older locations and see them from a different perspective. If you’d like to know a couple of more precise examples, you will be able to find new viewpoints focused on landmarks such as Cernavodă Bridge or Viaduct Poiana Teiului. 






We can’t wait for you to take a look at these new additions to the ever-expanding world of ETS2. Once the 1.43 update will be available, you can let us know which of these viewpoints you prefer the most by tagging our social media accounts on either Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and be sure to attach a beautiful screenshot or a clip! 

You can read the full dedicated blog on the viewpoint addition to ETS2 here. 

New Iberia Roads

From the scorching temperatures of the Tabernas Desert to the bustling city of Madrid, Iberia has been a popular destination for truckers since its release in April. Based on feedback from our community since its launch, our map team thought it'd be good to revisit the map expansion and bring some new additional content. 






1.43 for ETS2 brings new country roads alongside the many highways of Iberia for you to use and explore. So where will be these new roads located? The first new addition can be found north of Madrid, linking together the A-1 and A-2 highways. The second new road can be found in the south of Portugal, starting near the city of Sines, passing by the city of Beja and ending in Spain, just above Seville.




These new roads will not only provide truckers with alternative routes whilst out on delivery, but also more beautiful scenery and areas to explore in Iberia! We hope you'll enjoy this new and free additional content that is coming to the Iberia expansion! 

You can read more about the addition of these new roads here.

New Special Transport Routes

We are happy to announce that the small team responsible for the Special Transport DLC has found the time to bring new routes across previously released map expansions in Euro Truck Simulator 2.



All in all, there will be an addition of 8 new Special Transport routes and each will feature multiple missions. The new routes are: 

• Daugavpils to Rezekne
  
• Soria to Teruel
  
• Galati to Iasi
  
• Cagliari to Sassari
  
• Gothenburg to Helsinborg
  
• Brest to Rennes
  
• Bremen to Travemunde
  
• Warszawa to Katowice

Keep in mind, it may be free but as is always the case with these unique missions, it will be challenging as well! You can read more about these new Special Transport routes here.

Ownable Dumpers

We are happy to announce that Dumper Trailers are now ownable and fully customizable! These trailers are used for transporting bulk materials and depending on their length are best suited for different cargos. 



In Euro Truck Simulator 2, Dumper Trailers will have 2 customizable body types. These are aluminum and steel. Both of them are available in two different lengths (9m or 10m) and with 2 or 3 axles. Short dumpers are best for 'heavy cargoes' such as soil gravel, sand. Long dumpers are best for light cargoes such as barley, wheat, wood bark, and metal scrap.




Want to customize your Dumper Trailers? You will be able to add and modify some of the accessories on them including, markers, rear bumpers, front and rear mudflaps, front and rear fenders and paint jobs.



We can't wait to see you hauling these new Dumper Trailers in your company and how you will customize them! Be sure to share with us your photos of your newly owned trailers on our Social Media channels, (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Michelin Tyres Fan Pack DLC update



The Michelin Tyre Fan Pack DLC will also be receiving a much-requested update along with some new content too! This update will be free to all owners of the DLC and features:

• 4 New Front Tyres
  
• 4 New Rear Tyres
  
• 4 New Trailer Tyres
  
• New and Revisited Cabin Accessories
  
• New and Revisited Paint Jobs

We know how excited some of you will be to finally receive the option to use Michelin branded tyres on your trailer along with some new designs in this update. 









We look forward to seeing your images on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) so be sure to share them with us!

New Loading Screen Images

This update will also display new images to the loading screens alongside our Editor Picks from the user gallery at WorldofTrucks.com. These new shots will showcase scenic locations from across Euro Truck Simulator 2 featuring the new visual lighting system. 




However, that is not all! These new loading screen images will also come with a short description on where the photo was taken in-game and from which DLC (if applicable). 

We look forward to showcasing many of beautiful landmarks and sceneries from across the states with these new images.

Interior Cabin Sound Update

In this update, we have also implemented a new sound effect that simulates sound attenuation from surrounding environment noises, as well as the sound of the truck engine and wheels. Since each truck has different sound insulation, our sound team has simulated this with the use of sound equalization and reverb effects. 

Put simply, interior truck cab sounds have been updated to better simulate how engine, tyre, and other exterior sounds are dampened when driving from a first-person view.

This is just the first iteration of this update, as in the future we plan to bring more accurate attenuation simulation by the size of the truck cab. This update has been applied to all trucks in both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator

New SDF Fonts

Another new feature coming along with 1.43 is the use of SDF (Signed Distance Fields) fonts in-game. So how exactly does this affect the game? This font technique allows texts and fonts to be displayed perfectly in any resolution, scale, or distance. 



Instead of fonts being displayed like a picture, which can become distorted when on a smaller resolution or zoomed in on from a far distance, SDF fonts can be adjusted to any size and remain perfectly clear and sharp for the user. 

In the first iteration of this update, we are bringing this new font technique to Convoy name tags, the GPS, License Plates, Truck dashboard displays, and in the UI. At first glance, it might not appear that much has changed and in most cases, the difference will be quite subtle, however, when looking at more prominent or larger text (such as the UI or Convoy name tags) the difference is crystal clear!

We hope you can clearly see the difference when you see them. 

World Map Legend Filters

Are you looking for somewhere specific to visit? Maybe a city that you haven't discovered or the nearest fuel station? Introducing our World Map Legend Filters! You can now easily filter out specific icons on our world map. 



Simply choose which icons you would like to filter on our world map and you'll be shown just them. Now navigating to unexplored areas, rest stops and dealerships is easier than ever! We hope you enjoy this small yet useful feature.

Improved Controller Support

We are happy to share with you that 1.43 will also include a major update for the support of controllers in Euro Truck Simulator 2. The main aim of this update is to allow gamepad users to navigate the UI, without having the need to have input from a secondary device such as a keyboard. However, as you can imagine, this was quite a large challenge for our teams to undertake with the number of different controls and keys which are utilized in-game. While this update is just the first iteration, let's walk through some of the changes you can experience. 

Some of the more notable changes include being able to use the D-pad of your controller to move or select any part of the on-screen UI, alongside using the already implemented 'virtual mouse' to navigate. Combing these two features ultimately enhances the user experience for controller users. Each individual screen has also been revisited and streamlined for gamepad users. A lot of work has gone into each area so it feels great and intuitive on a controller. 

We plan to continually make changes and implement new features according to user feedback and more. We still have quite some work ahead of us, including revamping the driving in such a way that you can do everything from your controller. Plus the UI will receive more polish and additions too. You can help us report back your user experience with the improved controller support at our forums. We greatly appreciate your help in ironing out any bugs or problems during this time.

This update for controllers is extensive, however, we are confident that this will bring a more seamless experience for those who use them as their main controller. This also paves the way for future platforms which utilize similar controls.

Changelog:

Map:

• Lyon City Revamp
  
• Viewpoints Addition
  
• Tollgate Update
  
• New Special Transport Routes
  
• New Iberia Roads
  
• General Bugfixes

Vehicles:

• Ownable Dumper Trailers
  
• Michelin Tyre DLC Update
  
• MAN TGX EfficientLine 3
  

UI:

• New Loading Screen Images
  
• World Map Legend Filters

Other:

• Improved Controller Support
  
• Implemented Sound Attenuation
  
• MSDF Font Implementation

Today, we are happy to share that with the 1.43 update we are going to tick off a "debt" we've had towards all the MAN TGX truck lovers for some time.  


In this upcoming update for Euro Truck Simulator 2, along with all the other new content, we bring new parts and customization options that will allow you to upgrade your current MAN TGX to the long-requested EfficientLine 3 version. We believe that this addition will put some happy smiles on many faces from our #BestCommunityEver!







The MAN TGX EfficientLine 3 features an improved cab interior, a new dashboard, and various exterior changes including a new front grille design. The MAN TGX EL3 option will be made available at the in-game MAN dealership or as an upgrade at your nearest repair shop.




We know that many of you have been requesting this update for a while now. We appreciate your feedback and patience with us and we hope you'll enjoy these new options for your mighty MAN truck while our vehicle artists are already working hard on multiple new vehicles for both ATS and ETS2! So, be sure to keep an eye out here on our blog to not miss any of the latest news.