It's the beginning of a new and exciting year for SCS Software. We decided to end 2019 with a bang during our Christmas stream, with our surprise announcement of our next map expansion for both of our trucking titles. We also shared information on what you can expect to see arriving in the next update, which we will briefly recap some of the main points here.



Idaho known for its mountainous landscape, rivers and it's world famous potatoes will be the next U.S state to be released for American Truck Simulator. Be sure to check out the Steam store page, with exclusive images.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1209470/American_Truck_Simulator__Idaho/



It's time to head south to warmer climates to the Iberian Peninsula! The next map expansion to arrive for Euro Truck Simulator 2, will feature coastline roads, major cities and beautiful countryside. Don't forget to add it to your Steam Wishlist, it really helps us.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1209460/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Iberia/

Although these two map expansions have been announced sooner than previous DLC's, this does not indicate they will be released at an earlier time. This is because our main focus for the first half of the year will be spent working with the technical side of our truck sims. In our next planned 1.37 update, we will be changing the way you hear, as we introduce a new sound engine, FMOD. This will allow for the inclusion of more realistic environment sounds (such as nature, city traffic and trains), as-well as an improvement to how your truck sounds on different roads.

Thereafter, update 1.38 will bring new graphical updates to our trucking titles. A re-work of lighting, assets and more are being worked on to make sure the beauty of our game can really shine this year. All of these new changes are thanks to the introduction of DirectX 11. You can find a more detailed wrap-up of all the communities hottest questions for what the future holds!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmyMzWRHz-Y

However, these aren't the only projects on our pipeline! Our teams are currently working hard on creating several new trucks that we'd like to release in the future, as well as tuning packs for existing ones. World of Trucks events are also in the planning stages for this year, with lots of exciting ideas on the table, we hope to bring the community together for more exciting scenarios and rewards.

With all of this exciting content to arrive this year, please keep in mind the size of some these projects, which may take longer than one might expect, as our teams work with new tools and technology. Be sure to keep an eye on our blog and social media channels for more news on these exciting updates in the future. We thank you for all your support, and we can't wait to show you more.

Since we started game development, we knew that having an enthusiastic modding community is a real blessing in this industry. With that in mind, years ago we decided to bring to our community the ultimate toolchain for anyone willing to create content for our in-game worlds and to create mods for our titles. Blender Tools supports the complete creation pipeline of any type of in-game items such as trucks, AI vehicles, models, prefabs (including support for all possible locators including AI traffic lines) and many other game assets found in both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.



During all those years not only has Blender Tools evolved, but Blender did too. The Blender 2.8 project was started several years ago and since it's release last year, it has delivered massive changes all around. Including a big UI overhaul, new EEVEE render engine and a lot of underlying data structure changes also. Thus we were put up to a big overwrite of our tools and today we are proud to announce that Blender Tools 2.0 has arrived, supporting all new Blender 2.81 features. We have rewritten our whole material setup code to work with new render engine, which brings you even more in-game like result within Blender itself.

Thanks to the more efficient rendering of our 3D elements (locators, AI traffic lines) and rewritten several internal handlers, start-up, file saving and the overall experience should be smoother than it was ever before. As a cherry on the top of the cake, we would like to mention the new SCS Tools main menu, which enables you easy access to all Blender Tools functions and properties in one place.

These pictures show the new version in use with the truck pipeline, animations, prefab visualisation and the new SCS Main menu, in which you can find everything our Blender Tools offers.


The limits are bound only by you and your creativity! If you want to join the more creative part of the community, download Blender 2.8 here and Blender Tools here. (additional info might be found on our modding wiki).

We will constantly update this toolchain, making improvements based on the feedback from our community to make it easier for them to continue doing what they do best. Or we should say a legendary 50keda will, as he's the one doing all the work there!

Do join the Blender Tools general discussion and report the bugs you'll find, please - it's helping a lot!

Changelog:

• Ported to Blender 2.81 (this is THE big step, as half of tools had to be rewritten for version 2.8)
  
• Complete rewrite of viewport rendering based on EEVEE renderer
  
• Complete rewrite of custom 3D elements drawing (up to 16x times faster!)
  
• Complete rewrite of callbacks routines (should be less CPU consuming now)
  
• UI redesign to Blender 2.8 (sub-panels, icon themes, panels moved to more appropriate tabs)
  
• Other changes:
  
• New SCS Tools main menu
  
• New caching system for libraries for the instant start-up of Blender
  
• New "Merge SCS Materials" operator
  
• New "Relocate Roots" operator
  
• Simplified lighting setup using reference lighting by default, without extra climate profile
  
• Improved blender file save speeds, should be instant now
  
• Added compatibility code to load old blend files (saved with SCS Blender Tools v1.12)
  
• Numerous other new features & improvements (see full changelog)

It's better to give than receive. It's a truth best learnt through experience, and it benefits all involved. That’s why this year we are doing something very new and very special for our 2019 Christmas Grand Giving event in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.



So, we are asking the community to spread the spirit of Christmas giving across all trucking territories! We have trailer loads of big gifts to give and we will be awarding stars to each city, based on the number of deliveries it gives. The more a city gives, the more stars that city gets. A great list of rewards await you.

Let's do the cities of the world justice and prove that they can, one and all, be the grandest of givers during this season of giving! You’ll be able to track the community progress on World of Trucks or directly in the game using the updated External Contracts interface:



To celebrate the beginning of this festive event, we will be broadcasting a special Christmas Grand Giving stream. Along with taking part in the event, delivering jobs and having fun, we’ll also provide the community with more information on our end-of-year #XmasGrandGiving sharing giveaway.

Loads of awesome prizes await, including T-shirts, Steam keys, computer accessories and much more. Be sure to watch our Christmas live-stream on Thursday the 19th of December at 17:00 CET with special guests, festive fun, surprises, prizes and perhaps even a glance into the future. Watch us on either Steam or Twitch, you won't want to miss out!



Grand Giving Event Rules:

Using external contracts with a World of Trucks-connected profile in Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both, the community aim is to get as many stars as possible awarded to as many cities as possible across all trucking territories. Every city can achieve up to 5 stars!

For a city to gain one star, the community must make 1000 Gifts deliveries from it, using the provided Christmas Gifts trailer. Each tier of 200 achieved stars will unlock a unique community reward, with a special reward at the 1000 stars mark.

To achieve your Personal goal, complete at least 12 deliveries of Gifts in either Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator.




Rewards:

Personal goal: Your contribution of 12 or more deliveries of Gifts will gain you:
A World of Trucks Achievement
Your very own hanging Christmas Sock accessory, that’s packed with goodies.
A Christmas themed, Metallic Paint job to help you carry out more Gift deliveries during the event.

Community goals:
Each tier of 200 stars will unlock unique community rewards.
At the milestone of 1000 stars the community will receive a further 2 special rewards.

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.

The event will be concluded on Wednesday the 15th of January at 23:59 UTC.

When you see this truck on the road, there is no mistaking what it might be. It's a truck with a look like no other and with a reputation across the industry. Today, we are excited to announce that the International LoneStar is now available in American Truck Simulator.



Based on the high-precision 3D CAD references kindly provided by International, the quality and detail of the LoneStar in our game shall please every truck enthusiasts. Visit your nearest International Trucks dealer in-game to take a look at this new arrival. Available in a wide range of configurations including 3 cabin types, 6 chassis variants, 10 engine variations, 12 transmissions and 3 interior options with 2 colour variants.

The International LoneStar arrives as a free DLC addition for every owner of American Truck Simulator. Find the latest update on your Steam Client (which may require a restart for some users) to receive this new addition to your library.

Share your first journeys with us on Social Media using the hashtag #ATSLoneStar!

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

International® and all International Truck trademarks are trademarks licensed by INTERNATIONAL TRUCK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COMPANY, LLC

There is a star that is shining brighter than all the rest, but you won't find this star in the sky. Easily recognisable by its shape, size and unique large front grill, this truck stands out wherever it travels.

We are excited to announce that the International LoneStar will be arriving in American Truck Simulator as the sixth truck to join the fleet.

This new addition will be made available soon at your nearest International Trucks dealership as a free update for every owner of American Truck Simulator. Take a moment to enjoy these photos of the International LoneStar roaming the roads of ATS in all of its beauty.


Excited? Join us this Thursday at 17:00 CET where we will give you an exclusive look at the International Lonestar on the roads of American Truck Simulator. You can watch us either on Twitch or on Steam, see you there!

International® and all International Truck trademarks are trademarks licensed by INTERNATIONAL TRUCK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COMPANY, LLC

It's that time of year again where players across the world nominate their favourite games in 8 different categories in the Steam Awards! We believe this is a great opportunity for players to recognise and reward game studios and developers for creating a title they really enjoy playing.



This year, our titles Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are eligible to be nominated for the Labour of Love category which is described as "This game, to this day, is still getting new content after all these years" which we believe fits both of our games very well and with your support will continue for many years to come. If you choose to nominate us for this years awards, we will be very thankful for your vote.

As we approach the end of 2019, we thought to take a small look back on our updates for both games this year.

At the beginning of the year we announced Washington State for ATS, which was released in June. It includes many miles of new roads, unique industries, landmarks and more! We also released the Forest Machinery DLC along with the 1.35 update which included a ton of new content and updates.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1015160/American_Truck_Simulator__Washington/?snr=1_5_1100__1100

In July, we announced Utah for ATS which was a SCS Software first for releasing two maps in one year. It features many miles of road networks, cities large and small, new oil and mining industries and over 260 recognizable landmarks! Alongside it, we also introduced 1.36 which included map revamps, new ownable trailers, Direct X 11 support and more.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1104880/American_Truck_Simulator__Utah/

And just around the corner, is the release of the highly anticipated Road to the Black Sea for ETS2. Featuring the countries of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. As you've seen from more recently blogs, it includes more complicated border control checks, unique river ferry crossings, new industries and much more.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1056760/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Road_to_the_Black_Sea/?snr=1_5_1100__1100

And there has been so much more, such as new trucks for both titles, countless updates, the Pink Ribbon Event, competitions, live-streams, RGB peripheral integration, our on the road tour, World of Trucks events, GPS voice navigation, tuning packs, Sardinia and Corsica and more!

So for those who have already decided to vote for us, thank you, and if you wish to nominate us you have until the 3rd of December at 10am PST to do so! If you also have some spare time, we would really appreciate a Steam review of our latest releases, it really helps us and other users who may be thinking of giving one of them a try.

We are happy to see how much our community has been enjoying driving in American Truck Simulator with the recent release of Utah. New drivers also had the opportunity to hit the road with a free weekend and take advantage of sales to our ATS collection on Steam (available until Thursday!).

There was also a small surprise hidden in Utah - and we promised to tell you how to get it, right?



A great number of you got their Bee cabin toy already and the rest of you, early adopters who get Utah before the end of November, can get it very fast too - just follow this guide:

• Create an account to World of Trucks (if you don't have one already)
  
• In the game connect your in-game profile to your World of Trucks account
  
• Using External Contracts complete one delivery from Salt Lake city
  
• Redeem your reward on your World of Trucks event page

There's also a great period of time after we release a new map expansion when a number of community-made videos, pictures, gifs and other fan art appear - so as always, we're posting some of those. Hope you'll enjoy them as much as we did!


Gameplay videos:














Trailer videos:







https://store.steampowered.com/app/1104880/American_Truck_Simulator__Utah/

Inspired by truck manufacturers and truckers from around the world, this month of October we joined the international Pink Ribbon campaign and we asked you, our community, to take part and support this great cause by delivering Pink Ribbon goods across Europe and America in our World of Trucks event.

We also created a Pink Ribbon Charity Pack DLC for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator with the intention for all the proceeds to go to reputable Breast Cancer research and awareness charities dedicated to fighting this disease, to give you an option to do a good thing and get ting a little reward for it.



The Pink Ribbon Charity event concluded on Sunday the 20th of October, and we have to say that it was an incredible success! We could not have wished for a better response from the community. The first week saw us all reach massive 730,000 deliveries and the final numbers were...well see for yourselves!

Almost 70,000 players reached their personal goal with an average of 3,314 personal goals achieved every day. Wow, that’s an average of more than 55,000 deliveries per day with a final delivery count of nearly 1.2 million, well over and above our community goal of 1 million deliveries.

And, while educating and spreading the word was even more important than attending the event this time, we're happy to say the numbers were really tremendous there too! Just check them out:



So again, a big thank you to every single person from our #BestCommunityEver who joined in and shared a screenshot or video under the #PinkMyTruck hashtag!

It was also great to see other companies raising awareness like NHS England and MetLife, running unique donation campaigns, like Chevrolet or generally bringing more attention to this important theme, like Renault Trucks, MAN Trucks & Bus, DAF Trucks, Mack Trucks , Scania Group and many others.

Thanks to you, our community, we were able to collect much more than what we initially expected - over 45K US Dollars! So, we've decided to split that amount to include more than the initial two charities that were announced - Breast Cancer Research Foundation (US) and Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer (CZ). The first of the new beneficiaries is Breast Cancer Germany (DE), with more to follow from our shortlist.



For us, one of the best parts of the event was a visit from representatives of the Czech Rep based charity, Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer (Aliance žen s rakovinou prsu). They explained to us their supportive role, their experiences with patients, and the symptoms of breast cancer, including a hands-on self-examination tutorial. We learnt quite a few things that we didn't know before and it was great to hear how much our #BestCommunityEver's donation will help. We can't stress enough how important it is to do regular self-exams and to seek a full doctor check-up in case of any suspicions.

If you somehow missed the event but still want to donate, don’t worry, you can! Both charity packs will stay on Steam and Humble Bundle, and their sales will remain 100% dedicated to funding reputable Breast Cancer charities. Every time a sufficient amount is collected, we're going to send it to a charity dedicated to Breast Cancer research, awareness and patient support.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1068290/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Pink_Ribbon_Charity_Pack/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1162160/American_Truck_Simulator__Pink_Ribbon_Charity_Pack/