From all of us here at SCS Software, we want to wish you all a very happy Easter!
For those who celebrate it, Easter is an important holiday observed by millions around the world. It is also a time when many come together with family and friends to spend quality time together. A popular Easter-themed activity that many take part in is an Easter Egg hunt. For those who are unfamiliar with this game, eggs which are usually painted colorfully are hidden around an area for those participating to find, each of which contains a sweet treat for the finder to enjoy!
This year, for a limited time, we are egg-cited to announce our very own Easter Egg hunt, with a twist! Instead of a sweet treat as a reward, these eggs will contain some clues regarding future content coming to Euro Truck Simulator 2.
So where can you find these eggs and how many will there be? To save you from driving for hours in ETS2 or ATS, we will specify that these eggs will be hidden around various SCS Software related websites & social media pages. We will leave the rest of the hunting to you!
We urge you to get hunting quickly, as they will only be around for a short time; We hope you have fun and good luck!
A lot has changed in the world of Euro Truck Simulator 2 over the years. The project has seen many additions and updates, and we figured that the current video trailer dating back to 2012 barely represents the evolution and improvement process that is now clearly visible within the game. We are excited to let you know that we have been working on an updated version of a video trailer for ETS2!
In detail, there are a couple of reasons for us to upload a new video. First of all, the game is celebrating its 10th anniversary later this year, and just as our teams frequently revisit some parts of the in-game content and world by reworking it to today's quality standards, we also wanted to create a nice video trailer that would better represent today's look and features of the game.
This brings us to the second reason, which is the recently added new lighting system. This update, which was released last year, has changed the look of our games in so many ways that we felt the current version of the video trailer, that people find on YouTube and see on Steam, is not reflecting what the game really looks like now. The same can actually be said for all the features and content that came into the base game ever since we released it.
For the fans of our previous trailer, there is good news as well since we are not planning on removing that one, as we want to keep it as a legacy and a sort of memory token. After all, the same fate may be awaiting this new one in the upcoming years, because we are planning to bring a lot of content into the base game of ETS2 with future updates and therefore this new trailer will eventually need a refresh again. However, it is nothing we would be particularly sad about because we are proud of creating a game that we constantly update and bring new content for.
We also have something special in store for all of our players for the occasion of the 10th year anniversary of ETS2. There are already plans on amplifying this amazing milestone, so this updated trailer can be looked at as the first chapter of the celebration!
We are always trying to improve every aspect of our games and sometimes this progress paves the way for brand new realistic features that will solve any potential issues. One such addition is coming in the 1.44 update for both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. Adjustable Suspension Height is on the horizon!
The process of creating models for our games is constantly improving, as nowadays we are receiving extremely detailed reference materials (sometimes CAD files directly), and with it comes the need to make sure that the combinations of trucks/chassis/trailers will all work together without any problems such as visual glitches. That is why we have decided to introduce this new feature which is based on real-life suspension systems, which are important for keeping the vehicle stable and safe. This will solve any difficulties with attaching trailers in our games by allowing the players to adjust the height with a special key.
Please mind that this feature is a realistic addition that the players do not have to necessarily have turned on. However, if you will want to give it a try and start using this new system, make sure to assign the hotkey in the bindings settings, as by default the option will be unassigned.
We hope that many of you will rise up to the challenge and give the Adjustable Suspension Height feature a try. This change that is coming with the 1.44 update represents another step toward our games being much more realistic and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts about it on our forum or social media, where you can tag our profiles and tell us what you think (Twitter,Instagram, Facebook).
Salzburg, Austria, is a city best known as the beautiful backdrop to Academy Award winning musical, “The Sound of Music” and as the birthplace of one of the greatest composers in history, Mozart. As a city steeped in tradition and surrounded by nature, it is a modern cultural centre in the heart of Europe.
Salzburg, Austria, is a city best known as the beautiful backdrop to Academy Award winning musical, “The Sound of Music” and as the birthplace of one of the greatest composers in history, Mozart. As a city steeped in tradition and surrounded by nature, it is a modern cultural centre in the heart of Europe.
The layout of Salzburg and its surrounding road network has changed quite a bit, when compared with the current version in ETS2. While this city was one of the more challenging reworks for our team, especially due to scale limitations, they have managed to bring many new details into this area. From a brand new industry area featuring a beverage factory, to the Knoten Salzburg motorway junction; which is an important addition to Salzburg!
We are happy to bring updates on this rework project and we know many of you are itching at the wheel to travel to Austria again; and we will be sure to let you know closer to the time when it is ready! Until then however, keep on trucking and we will see you for the next exciting blog topic.
Today, we'd like to announce the release of the Ukrainian Paint Jobs Pack. A DLC featuring several Ukraine-themed paint jobs of which 100% of the income made from the sales will be donated to the People in Need (Člověk v tísni) charity involved directly in helping people affected by the war.
This paint job pack features 4 designs including various designs of the country's flag and the coat of arms (officially known as the Princely State Symbol of Volodymyr the Great).
The timing of the release of the DLC is not arbitrary, of course. Last week, Europeans have woken up to a new sad reality of a major war on their continent. A sovereign country was attacked by its much bigger neighbor. Something that we held as unthinkable in the 21st century, while the loss of millions of lives in World War 2 is still a living memory. The world is responding, showing resolve as well as compassion to those in need.
With so much human suffering, our mission of providing a sandbox for a relaxing driving simulation hobby seems suddenly so unimportant and vain. We can hardly claim that equipping a truck with yellow and blue colors and driving it around inside a computer simulation can alter the course of history. But as we are all looking for ways to express our concern and support, we are humbly offering another means.
We believe that our games should provide an idealized world that is friendly and open to the global community of our fans of all ages, where countries coexist in harmony. And this has always been our vision, we do not want the content of our games to communicate global politics. Our creations should not be seen as divisive or controversial.
At the same time, as creators, as real human beings with genuine feelings, we have a voice that we should be allowed to use. And our voice should be loud and clear – we consider the attack on Ukraine to be unjust and inexcusable.
If you decide to purchase the DLC, you can rest assured that all proceeds will be donated to charity. It's a tiny drop in an ocean that's needed currently with millions of people displaced and refugees pouring into neighboring countries, but drops are what an ocean is made of. Today, ahead of the release of the DLC, SCS Software has donated another 20,000 Euro to the same charity.
We feel that it would be unthinkable for our Ukrainian player base to have to pay for this DLC at this time. Therefore, we are also making it possible to get a key to unlock the DLC for free. You can use the widget below to request it.
We believe that on a personal level, we would easily get along with anybody in our fan base, no matter which part of the planet they come from. We would share good stories about the peculiarities of driving on the roads of our respective countries, offer some tips on how best to maneuver the semi-trailer in confined spaces, and generally have a good time. Would we expect many war-mongers among them? Not really. Universally, kids want to grow up and do something interesting with their lives, while mothers and fathers want their families to prosper and see their kids grow in peace.
War is a terrible thing. Any war. It always brings unimaginable suffering to the common, innocent people. We wish, from the bottom of our hearts, that the world can be a place of peace where everyone can live safely and without fear.
Seeing the screenshots of your trucks driven while wearing the Ukrainian colors would make us proud. If you want to share them through social media, we kindly propose to include the hashtag #TruckingForPeace. This way, the world can see our convoy for Peace in Ukraine clearly.
Is there anything that could possibly be even better than presenting the changes of a single city in the upcoming Austria Rework for Euro Truck Simulator 2? That’s right, presenting two locations in one blog post instead! Let’s take a look at what you can expect when driving through the updated cities of Linz and Innsbruck.
Linz is the third-largest city in Austria and as such, it had to change quite drastically. The bridge across Donau has been replaced with another one a bit farther, and a completely new bridge will be located on the city’s ring. Apart from that, you can look forward to a new scrapyard, magnificent new factory district, and overall inclusion of an industrial heart of the city, which, among other edits, meant moving some depots to more suburbian parts of the city. The final mentioned change will hopefully help the in-game Linz and its industry live up to the real-life counterpart and also enable players to drive through the beautiful small nearby villages.
Innsbruck is an internationally renowned winter sports center located in a broad valley between high mountains. That is exactly why the most important, and the most "invisible" change at the same time, is the integration of the junction of A12 and A13, which lies inside of a hill with Bergiselschanze - a ski jumping areal - on it. Moreover, the entire city’s ring has been reworked with an addition of numerous junctions and a beautiful view from the ring on the whole layout of the city with the Alps in the background.
The economy has also been tweaked a bit by removing a sawmill and adding Quarry and railway depot instead.
We hope you have enjoyed a "double-peek" into more changes that are coming with the Austria Rework project for ETS2! Will one of these two cities be your go-to location once you will get your hands on this new update?
On February 24, 2022, Russian military forces attacked the free country of Ukraine, which is located very close to the country of the Czech Republic, where our studio and team are based. We have all been left shocked and with very deep pain in our hearts since that day. All our thoughts are with those people and their families suffering the terrible effects of all that is happening over Ukraine during the past days. We would like to announce our company statement: we stand against the invasion of Ukraine. We deeply condemn this act of aggression for which there is no reason, nor excuse.
Even though our teams are multinational, the core of the company has its roots in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. The history of our country carries a memory of sad happenings that resonate in very similar ways with what has been happening in Ukraine in the recent days, weeks, and months. We see a very close parallel with what happened here back in 1938 and 1968, and it leaves us deeply concerned and full of emotions and pain that the modern world has to witness such horrific times again.
As soon as we learnt about this disastrous news, the whole company has immediately turned 100% of its focus and energy into finding ways in which we can provide help and support to those in need, towards those affected the most by the sad impacts of war.
We are in close touch with multiple charities to which we have already sent over 20,000€, and more of such direct financial help from our side will come in the upcoming days and weeks. We have also relocated a part of our team to immediately start working on a much needed DLC - the Ukrainian Paint Jobs Pack, which we are racing to bring to the Steam Store as soon as possible and from which we are going to donate 100% of the income towards those in need.
Besides all this, we are also doing our best to support our team members in any way we can. Several of our colleagues are from Ukraine. We have bound ourselves to give them and their families all the support we can, whether it is financial support for any extra costs they might have during these hard times; early salaries; mental health support; extra days off, or special and flexible working times; or even providing them the company spaces and facilities for accommodation. We are not only doing this as a company, as we are getting multiple messages from almost all of our team members, that they are joining and supporting charities, providing blankets, clothes, hygiene, medical supplies, and other items to charity collections, and more.
Dark and difficult times are here and we know that now is the time for all of us to stick together and help in any way we can, no matter if as a single person, or as a collective, team, or company. The world responded and there are multiple avenues in which every single one of us can join in and support those affected by this terrible war. We, as the SCS Software team, plan to keep on supporting and providing help in the upcoming future too, whether it would be a direct financial donation from the sales of our games or any other way we will discover.
We are just one day away from the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, which means that this is the perfect time to bring you up to speed in regards to the support of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator on this new gaming system.
Our developers were extremely excited to work on this interesting project and they have done everything it takes for players to enjoy the smoothest possible experience. In addition to making some tweaks necessary to support this handheld gaming PC, our games will include several special bindings, along with a basic version of touchscreen support (clicking on the screen to select menu buttons). Moreover, we’d like to point out that by choosing to play on Steam Deck you will not be left behind when you will want to drive along with your friend in the Convoy mode, as "cross-platform" gameplay will be supported.
The development of the Steam Deck support went hand in hand with overall gamepad support, which, apart from resulting in general small improvements, adds a new mini-feature into our games - the description of gamepad mapping. Simply put, this means you will have a bindings legend on the screen to always be sure which button has what purpose. This addition represents another step-up in our continuous support of gamepads and steering wheels, and we hope we will be able to push it further in the future.
We hope you will enjoy playing ETS2 or ATS on the Steam Deck and we can’t wait for your feedback on your experience. If you get your hands on this device, make sure to let us know about how your trucking journeys went by tagging our social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). And if you find something that still needs a bit of a tweak, leave us a report over at our forum. Finally, if you will enjoy playing with a gamepad much more after this update, leave us a positive review on the ETS2 or ATS Steam page.
While trucking should mainly be about striving to achieve excellent performances and getting the job properly done, the size of the maps of our games tends to bring out a desire to explore every corner of every accessible area. And in the upcoming 1.44 update, this aspect of the game is going to receive a very important change!
The most observant amongst you may be aware of the fact that during your journey, you can sometimes stumble upon a passage that is not shown on the map and which leads to something... interesting. Afterward, once you leave the area, the unmarked passage is still not visible on the map. This will however be slightly different in the future!
With the 1.44 update, we are bringing into ATS and ETS2 a new feature; once you drive onto an unmarked road, you will be notified about having done so with a message in the route advisor, and the explored road will appear on the map as an orange dashed line, with any unexplored part ahead of you shown in gray. On one hand, this will ensure that you will immediately be aware of the fact that you have found something interesting, and on the other hand, if you ever decide to re-visit a hidden zone you will know where to go.
Well, it looks like once the new update is available, it will be the perfect time to awaken your inner explorer and always be wary of any suspicious turns that could lead to something unique. Once you get your hands on our games with this new feature, make sure to let us know via social media or on the forum what interesting thing you managed to find!
In the heart of Europe lies Vienna, the capital of Austria and a historic imperial city. With a population of almost 2 million people, it is home to people from numerous nations and cultures. Whether you are visiting for tourism or business reasons, Vienna has something for everyone!
As one of the older parts of our base map in Euro Truck Simulator 2, we are giving its virtual counterpart a much needed update. We are excited to share with you a range of screenshots showcasing the work which has been undertaken in Vienna and its surrounding road networks by our Austria rework team. Let's take a look at the changes that are to come in this rework, shall we?
As the largest city in Austria, recreating this historic capital and important truck routes was by no means an easy task. Since the release of ETS2 in 2012, time, tools, skills and technology have changed significantly, allowing our teams to create a more realistic and detailed recreation. Some of the detailed parts of Vienna you will be able to see and drive past include the The Wiental and Danube Canal which was a challenging addition for our map team.
Drivers will also be able to enjoy many sights including the famous Schönbrunn Palace, one of Europe's most beautiful Baroque complexes, which dates back to the 1700's; as well as other landmarks such as the Uniqa Tower, and the Bundesministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Energie, Mobilität, Innovation und Technologie; which is a very very long name for a building.
Truckers will also find a new industry area south of Vienna near the A2 Highway featuring several industries including an oil refinery, warehouses and a supermarket. We can't wait for you to see and explore it all!
We look forward to you re-visiting Austria again in the future, but until then, be sure to keep an eye out on our socials and blog posts for updates on reworks, DLC's in development and more.