Not much time has passed since the last update of American Truck Simulator, and here we are again, excited to offer the community a glimpse of the upcoming version 1.38 improvements, fixes, and new functionality.

It will still take at least several weeks before the full 1.38 release, please keep in mind that this is the first raw open beta, very much still a work in progress build. If you want to take it for a spin, you can help contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter at the appropriate section of our official forums. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out.

So, what can you expect to find in the 1.38 Open Beta for ATS? Let's take a closer look!



First off, the city of Las Vegas has received a major revamp, which includes new road networks, updates to existing interstate junctions, more detailed scenery, and the inclusion of newer vegetation, terrain textures, and much more!



Some of the main changes include new Interstate connection (515), an overhaul to the US-93 junction, and correct positioning of the 'Welcome to Las Vegas' with a new pedestrian island. You can find a more in-depth blog post on the subject which showcases many of the changes found in and around the city.

But the best way to see it all is to see the city for yourself! So be sure to make that trip to Nevada and let us know what you think through our social media channels.

Las Vegas isn't the only part of the American Truck Simulator world to receive an update in 1.38, one of the more noticeable changes are to Truckstops. From our previous trips to the USA to community feedback, we have learnt a lot about these vital services for drivers.



One of the first changes you will notice at Truckstops in ATS is that fuel stations now have lanes with appropriate width for trucks to pull up and refuel in. This is because, in reality, most trucks refuel from both sides and not just from one side like a regular car.  We have also implemented (where possible) guidance lines to help drivers line up their trucks to avoid damaging their vehicles upon entry and exit. Plus there is a completely new truck stop placed on the US-111 road now!

Aside from the changes related to gas stations and truckers' resting areas, we've also implemented a few more content changes across the map. In this update, you will find that Utah has a new road to drive on, the UT-56, but that's not all!



The city of El Centro received a large revamp and we also added the US-191 in Arizona. We also made a few minor changes in preparations for future connection to Colorado in New Mexico's Shiprock and made layout corrections to the nearby US-491.

We are also excited to introduce the inclusion of a computer graphics technique for efficiently approximating ambient occlusion effects in real-time. Better known in it's shorter form, SSAO creates shadows in the areas where objects connect, to give it a more natural and believable look in terms of lighting and shadows.


So what exactly does this feature mean for our players? To break it down as simply as possible, SSAO adds missing shadows where they should have been and improves shadowing in general. It also improves the look of glossy surfaces (such as paint and chrome).



SSAO improves the driving experience and overall visual look of the game, however, this comes with an impact on performance. Technically, it is a post-processing pass on the whole rendered screen at the full internal resolution, so a lot of maths for each pixel.

Less powerful GPUs may struggle to keep up at full quality, and with 400% or similarly high scaling selected, even mid-range machines would feel the impact on fps. If you are not happy with framerate after this update, please open the advanced graphics options in the game and try to find the right combination of scaling and SSAO quality for you. With a weaker GPU, it may be advisable to switch off SSAO completely.


The easiest way to explain to you the benefits of using SSAO is by showing you a range of comparison images, take a look! Keep an eye or two on our blog because we plan to bring you more info about the SSAO in its own dedicated article soon!

We are also excited to introduce a long-requested update to the RGB Color Picker which drivers use to paint their trucks when purchasing or tuning their truck. You now have the option to input specific color inputs (HSV, RGB, and HEX).

Also, In addition to saving color preset for just a single color, the color picker now supports saving a preset for all paint job colors at once. This way player can store and easily try paint job color set with other paint jobs. With this feature we also extended number of user kept color swatches from 8 to 40, for your coloring pleasure.

We know that many drivers like to match their truck colors the same across their whole fleet, so we hope this feature is useful to you.



MAP

• Las Vegas city revamped (I-515/I-11 interstate bypass + the whole city switched to the template road system)
  
• US-191 road implemented
  
• UT-56 road implemented + reskin of a little stretch of US-93 around Panaca settlement
  
• CA-111 - new truckstop added
  
• El Centro revamped
  
• New company in Logan, UT (Plaster & Sons)
  
• Reworked all truck stop gas pumps to be more realistic. More realistic dimensions and the logic of how they work
  
• NM Shiprock redesigned + piece of US-491
  
• Various map fixes

VEHICLES

• Automatic transmission improved (shifting points, adaptive modes)
  
• Las Vegas: New ambulance and fire truck

FEATURES

• Visual improvement - procedural ambient occlusion generation (SSAO)
  
• Route Adviser redesigned
  
• Navigation ETA to the next waypoint in route adviser and in world map
  
• Tobii eye-tracking presets
  
• RGB color picker redesigned
  
• Added RGB, HSV and HEX inputs
  
• Predefined color presets

SOUND

• Update to FMOD 2.01.01
  
• Fixed the retarder sound when the engine is off
  
• AI - exclude the gear for trains and electric vehicles

So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version - so you may encounter bugs, instability, kinks, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to move there faster, we'll appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in this section.
Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.
If you wish to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the public_beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → public_beta → 1.38 public beta. No password required.

Some of our more eagle-eyed fans may have spotted, in a recent blog post showcasing our team's home work stations, a small teaser displayed on one of the desktops. Did you spot it?

Whenever we manage to find spare capacity, we like to revisit a part of the existing world to improve upon our old work. Often it's a part of the training of a new map design team member. Sometimes, it's a concerted effort by our seniors to raise the quality of a particular location that we get a lot of heat about from the community.

In an upcoming 1.38 update, Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world will be receiving a revamp to some of its road networks and surrounding scenery. So what changes can you expect to see? Let's take a closer look!




One of the first things drivers might come across upon arriving is a new Interstate connection, which connects the I-15 to the I-11, known as the 515. This important route allows drivers to ultimately avoid driving through the city itself, which we are sure that any trucker with a tight delivery schedule will appreciate.


A couple of important interstate junctions have also received an overhaul to their looks and road networks. The US-93 junction now features a more true to life layout; with the new option for drivers to exit and head into the city. The I-15 junction has also received a more up-to-date look to better represent what locals nickname 'The spaghetti bowl', and it's easy to see why!


If you do decide to drive down Las Vegas Boulevard, you will see that this road been given a fresh redesign and that (most importantly for tourists), the 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign' is in the correct spot! This also features a new pedestrian island, where visitors can park and take a closer look at the world-famous sign.


Truckers will also now find a truck stop located in Las Vegas, which has been redesigned to more accurately represent how tractors refuel from both sides of the vehicle. This new design will be eventually rolled out across more truckstops and gas stations in ATS, so keep an eye out for future blog posts talking about this topic!


These are just some of the changes that are coming in 1.38 for Las Vegas, however, there are many more changes that are featured in this revamp. From new vegetation to more detailed ground textures and smoother road layouts, we can't wait for you to see it for yourself.


With more changes to come in the pipeline, you can look forward to future blog posts with even more details of what is to come in 1.38 for American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. Don't miss out and stay up to date with the latest news from us on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you happen to be driving between Salt Lake City and Portland, you can be sure to see beautiful landscapes, magnificent forests, numerous small cities and even smaller towns along the way. However, there is one major bustling metropolis which is an essential stop for any traveler passing through, the city of Boise!




Located in the West of Idaho, relatively close to the state border of Oregon on the I-84, is the capital city of Idaho. Home to many small businesses and several high-rises, it is the most populous metropolitan area in Idaho; containing the state's largest cities which include Boise and Nampa.




But you won't have to admire this city from afar, as Boise will be one of the cities that truckers will be able to drive through in American Truck Simulator. You may even spot some ambulances, fire trucks and police cars with liveries unique to the city patrolling the downtown area as you pass through.



Did you know that Boise also is also known as the City of Trees? The main reason behind this nickname is because of the state's abundance of (you guessed it!) trees! Idaho has a staggering 4.7 million acres of wilderness, which to put that number into perspective, is roughly the same size as US's three smallest states combined!


Excited to visit Boise? Then be sure to add Idaho to your Steam Wishlist, and don't forget to check out our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too! You can find exclusive content from upcoming projects, the latest announcements, community screenshots, giveaways, and much more. So if you haven't already, make sure to give us a like or a follow and you won't miss out!

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

It's time we take a closer look at our next upcoming state for American Truck Simulator, Idaho. We are starting off slow here, as we do not want to spoil the enjoyment of discovering the beauty of the state by showing you too much, too early.

Take a seat in the position of the driver and join us as we haul lumber from a harvest site near Sandpoint to a paper-mill factory in Lewiston. Let us know what you spot along the way!


We are excited to give you a look at what Idaho will have to offer come this year with this footage. Please note that this map expansion is actively being worked on and the contents of this raw gameplay footage may not represent the final product.

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

From housing to flooring, furniture and the paper in your book, wood products are more prevalent in your daily life than you may realize. The logging industry plays a large role for the economy in the United States.



In the North of Idaho (also known as the panhandle), the forest and timber industry is one of its leading economy contributors thanks to the region's rich and thick forests. For many players of American Truck Simulator, logging industries have become a favorite destination as many of them are located off-road and present a unique challenge for drivers.

Drivers can look forward to more challenging climbs between rocks as well as some tight turns which may prove difficult for longer or heavier trailers.

We will also be revisiting your favorite timber harvest sites, introducing a few new assets and 3 new timber harvesting locations as part of our newest Idaho DLC! These industries have been given a lot of love by our ATS community, and in turn we hope this will bring a fresh look to these popular industries.

Idaho will also see the introduction of a new prefab that will bring a new overall feel to the timber harvesting industry. 

Like what you see? Before you log off steam, it wood be nice if you could add Idaho to your Steam Wishlist! Plus make sure to check out our Twitter & Instagram for more axe-clusive images not found on this blog post!

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

Back in 2019, four members of our American Truck Simulator map team (Nicolaj Toft Nielsen, Tomas Opekar, Tomas Dubsky and Patrik Sadlon) took to the skies and traveled across the pond to the USA on a very important research trip. While we couldn't tell you at the time (as it would ruin the surprise), our team made sure to keep a detailed account of their trip, and here are just some of the highlights of what they got up to.



Traveling over 2000 miles in just 7 days, they managed to visit everything they had planned on their list. From capital cities to small towns and everything else in between, our team had an important task to complete; to photograph and document various locations around Colorado to assist in the creation of our upcoming map expansion.

"Our trip across Colorado was a really unique experience for me, not just because I was in US for the first time, but mainly because of how diverse Colorado is." Tomas O., one of our ATS map designers explains "We were able to see a big metropolitan area of Denver on the edge of the Great Plains, travel across the beautiful Rocky Mountains and through deep canyons to see vast desert landscapes around Grand Junction... considering our game and work, the trip was beneficial in many ways. We took a huge amount of reference pictures, which was especially useful in areas with no or low-quality Streetview photos"

"One might think that looking at pictures of such places is enough & that you do not need to visit these locations, but then when you do, you immediately gain an understanding of the size of that place, its orientation, what kind of buildings are there, what type of road material they use, what vegetation grows there and so on" Tomas D says "And you can feel the atmosphere and the vibe of towns, landmarks, truck stops and it really helped me gather inspiration out of it."



"The most beneficial thing for me was gaining a sense of the vastness and size. Especially when compared to Europe, where you have a city or village around every corner and freeways are divided with one crash barrier and not a 60 meters wide grass strip... One can easily miss roughness of the road and other subtle details as well as a sense for tilt and steepness. What seems like a completely straight road across a wide plain landscape on Google Maps, may not actually be like that in real life."

The team found many examples of this on their journey, as they discovered many natural features that would have not been picked up in online photo references. Locations such as the Million Dollar Highway where the team took references of various rock formations that would not have been visible from the public road, which included a waterfall running right underneath it! Instead, they made sure to take plenty of unique photos and videos from their journey, to show and share with their colleagues back in Prague.


Along their travels, the ATS map team also came across many of the truckstops that dominate the U.S highways. With each stop, the team learned something new about these rest spots for drivers and what makes each one unique. They even had the opportunity to chat with a few friendly truckers and ask a few questions! "The best part of the trip for me was definitely to see the big truckstops, services, those huge junctions and impressive road infrastructure." says Nicolaj T. "We learned an important lesson about how truckstops work and how we can make them much more realistic! For example, trucks always back into their parking place"

The team didn't just learn about the infrastructure of truckstops but also the environment that surrounds them as Patrik S. explains. "Now we all know truckstops are much noisier then we thought... we also saw some very unique cargoes parked at these truckstops, we made sure to take some inspiration for future ideas!"



So how does all of this translate in-game? Well, you'll just have to wait and see, but thanks to this trip, the ATS map team has gained an invaluable amount of information and understanding of Colorful Colorado. "I think it’s very important for developers to see the thing they are about to recreate, with their own eyes" Nicolaj T. explains. "Especially in this case where we are developing content from the other side of the world. Personally, I’ve never been to the states before, and I actually didn’t think to have a trip like this would change my perspective as much as it really did"

We hope that trips like this will help us push the quality level of our map expansions to an even higher level. That we will be able to recreate some of the places we visit more precisely than ever before. See the examples we've prepared for your below. Did we nail it?


If this makes you excited as we are for Colorado in American Truck Simulator, make sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1209471/American_Truck_Simulator__Colorado/

Truck stops have served highway drivers for many years, providing fuel, food, and a place to rest for many weary travelers. Found along the highways of America, these stops have evolved into more than just a place to fill up the tank. From the small roadside fuel pump islands to large plazas with multiple amenities, major chains have developed, offering services across the country.



Each truck stop often has its own unique features to help drivers feel relaxed, such as a certain color or design that allows those who frequently experience a familiar feeling of being somewhere they know.



Just like their real-life counterparts, you will find many of these virtual truck stops on the highways and interstates of our upcoming DLC, Idaho. Each comes with their own unique look and feel and of course a place where truckers can fuel up and take a rest during their journeys. While you are fueling up, you may notice there is more space than before as each of the truck stops has been revisited to allow for a more realistic feel.

During your travels in Idaho, you will also come across new traffic light designs that are unique to the several cities they are found in. Although this may seem like a very minor change, drivers often spend a lot of time looking at the lights, so a change in design or looks can be very pleasing for most.

If you are ready to explore Idaho for American Truck Simulator, make sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist. You can also find exclusive pictures from Idaho posted across our Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram profiles.

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

And by the way and as was promised - we've just released a small update for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator that contains new cabin accessory items for all those who passed the personal goal in our recent #TruckAtHome event! Once again we'd love to thank you all who participated in this event! Stay awesome, stay healthy, and if you can - stay and #TruckAtHome so we all can help the world get back to normal.

It's time to discover an American legend. The all-new Mack Anthem® for American Truck Simulator is now available to purchase from your local in-game dealership with a variety of customization options.  


As one of the most significant new trucks in Mack’s 117-year history, the Anthem combines the latest innovations with more than a century's experience in truck-building. The Mack Anthem's bold and rugged exterior makes it stand out on the road like no other truck and has been designed with the driver in mind.



Its virtual implementation in our game includes a wide array of configurations including 12 chassis variants, 6 engine variations, 14 transmissions, 3 different cabin types and a large variety of tuning accessories; You can be sure that the Anthem will be ready for any job long or short, big or small.


Bringing this legendary truck to the virtual roads of American Truck Simulator are 3 senior designers; each one of them dedicated to a different part of creating the vehicle. A designer for the interior model, exterior model, and one for the variety of paint jobs that can be applied. Thanks to the team at Mack Trucks, we were provided with very detailed data which allowed us to create a 1:1 high-quality model of this iconic truck. Their generosity and collaboration have allowed this project to progress to where it is today.

The Mack Anthem® arrives as a free DLC add on 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.



Be sure to share your first journey with Mack Trucks (Twitter, Instagram) and us (Twitter, Instagram) using the hashtag #MackAnthemInATS. Our friends at Mack Trucks have sent us some very cool items from their merchandise shop and we'll be randomly picking some very lucky winners who'll receive them!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1236650/American_Truck_Simulator__Mack_Anthem/

The MACK trademarks and designs are registered rights of the AB Volvo Group and are used pursuant to a license.

Over the past weeks, our fan community has been abuzz with speculations about the arrival of a new truck brand in American Truck Simulator. You may have seen a few glimpses of this truck hidden across our social media channels; but today, we are happy to put these rumors to rest and present to you this American legend in its full glory.



The newest highway truck from Mack is built for your business and designed for the driver. With a bold design, tough engineering and a high-quality interior, the new Mack Anthem has been created with detail in mind.



So when will you be able to drive the Mack Anthem® for yourself? You can purchase one from your local in-game dealerships from the 28th of April.

By the way, here is a behind-the-scene photo of the main actor and his honorarium from the shooting of the teaser which sparked the speculations and hype for the Mack Anthem truck! This good boy did a wonderful job and sends his best regards to the #BestCommunityEver!



Be sure to follow Mack Trucks Twitter and Facebook as well as our social media channels for more screenshots and content before the release.

The MACK trademarks and designs are registered rights of the AB Volvo Group and are used pursuant to a license.

After much testing, feedback, fixing and fine tuning, we are excited to announce the arrival of update 1.37 for American Truck Simulator! 



We'd like to thank every single one of you for all your help with your bug reports, opinions and general feedback during the Open Beta. We hope you can now begin to fully enjoy the new features included within this update.


The main feature included with this update is the implementation of our new sound engine based on the powerful and flexible FMOD library; which radically redefines the way we mix vehicle and environment sounds. This update includes new sounds for most of the AIs (including trains) and the inclusion of a true Doppler effect for passing vehicles. This also brings an array of new sound options for users accessed from the main menu, that allows you to tweak many more individual sounds to your liking.



While there is still a lot of tweaking to do and more sounds to arrive, this is only the first phase. We will continue to improve on feedback and implement changes throughout the year to come.

As a benefit from the new sound mixing approach, we are happy to bring you truck windows that you can open! You can now enjoy the continuum of sound levels between a well-insulated cabin with windows closed and the roaring traffic coming from the outside when you roll the windows all the way down. Give it a try especially when you hit the rush hour on the road or at a big junction.



Another addition that arrives with this update is our "walk-around feature." Our game world is generally not designed for exploration on foot, but we figure that fans of trucks may welcome a new closer perspective to view their favorite machines and appreciate how impressive they look. Getting up close may also be of use when you need to tune up your rig and match the color of your rims with the cabin's paint just right. So here we are with a little bonus feature of 1.37, an alternate way to control the camera in the game's service and vehicle browser. We had to redesign the "garage" scene a little to make more space and way for the cameras, hopefully, you will appreciate it.



Hungry for more? Then get ready for some food tanks! And we mean literally food tanks because, with this update, a new type of trailer comes available to buy. Also, when we speak about trailers - bulk feed and hopper trailers can now be customized with multiple paint jobs (including the Classic Stripes and Halloween Paint Job packs).


Owners of the Steering Creations Pack DLC, will also find new content in the form of new steering wheels for their rig. Be sure to check them all out, as they offer a wide variety of colors and types to match any rig alike!


And last but not least, we're excited to announce the upcoming arrival of the official support for ASUS Aura for  American Truck Simulator. Products supported include ASUS keyboards, mice, RGB mousemats and more.This brings a new level of immersion to your trucking experience with the inclusion of RGB support. You can expect to see a blog post with more details on the integration and the features that come with it in the near future.



VEHICLES

• Food tank trailer (ownable)
• Paintjobs for bulk feed and hopper trailers (including the content of Classic Stripes Paint Jobs Pack and Halloween Paint Jobs Pack DLCs)

FEATURES

• FMOD implementation with all existing sounds and few improvements
• Openable windows on all trucks
• AI movement and sound behavior improved (featuring FMOD)
• Walking camera in truck or trailer configuration screen (plus new garage scene)
• Added technical inspection of vehicles on mandatory weigh stations (illegal trailer, damaged vehicle).
• Added progressive fines.
• Colour Feedback support for ASUS ROG Strix

TOBII EYE TRACKING

• Eye-tracking pause key function fixed
• Automatic eye-tracking pause while the game is paused/in UI
• Settings hotkey visibility in UI

MOD

• Ingame sounds completely reimplemented for FMOD
• Engine power range data (instead of boost value)
• Exhaust gas temp gauge animation
• AI data tweak (engine power instead of torque and gearbox, vehicle_mass override for trailers)

To enjoy the 1.37 update, make sure to OPT OUT of beta branches and your game will be automatically updated on Steam.Some mods, however, may have not caught up yet - this update may effectively break them. So remember that you can always stay on 1.36 or an even older branch. The way to access and select them is: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → select the version you want.