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!

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/americantrucksimulator/announcements/detail/4891470233630740612

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.

Since September, drivers across the world have been celebrating the release of the Wyoming DLC for American Truck Simulator by taking part in the #CruisingWyoming World of Trucks event. It was a unique opportunity to earn special rewards by completing personal and community goals whilst discovering the cities and countryside of The Equality State.



In a very short time, you have successfully completed the community goal of 80,000,000 miles (128,747,520 km). We were in awe at how the #BestCommunityEver managed to come together and smash such a difficult objective. And even though this goal was completed, there were still many truckers left who did not have time to complete their personal goal. Therefore we decided to extend the event to make sure everyone got a chance to get their rewards.

However, time flies and the #CruisingWyoming event must, unfortunately, come to an end. The final statistics are very impressive, just take a look at some of the numbers that you achieved whilst exploring our newest addition to ATS!



Good job, truckers! We are grateful for all your hard work and effort. It really does bring a lot of joy to our team to see how much you enjoy participating in these events. We hope the hanging Jade Bison Ornament and Wyoming Bison-themed truck paint job will be valued additions to your collections.




Wyoming itself wasn’t the only place where the members of the #BestCommunityEver have made themselves known. You also made sure to tag our social media accounts using the hashtag #CruisingWyoming, when sharing your journey through screenshots or videos. We absolutely loved seeing your reactions to the beautiful nature and cities that this state has to offer.

In addition to that, we would once again like to thank you for visiting our live stream dedicated to this event with a special guest - game designer Gavin. It was a lot of fun and you taking part in the chat and hanging out with us made the experience much better!



With one chapter closing, another one is about to knock on the door. Apart from not being too far away from the start of another exciting event, we still hope to be able to come up with one more surprise for ETS2 players this year, so keep an eye out for our blog and social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

We will also go live on our Twitch and Youtube with our annual and special live stream, in which we will most likely host numerous cool giveaways, alongside some news regarding the upcoming content and planned projects. Follow us to be informed about more details related to this when we reveal them!

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 American Truck Simulator. 



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!

2022 Freightliner Cascadia


In this update, you will be able to find new parts and customization options in-game which will allow you to upgrade your current Freightliner® Cascadia to the current production version of the Cascadia at your nearest Freightliner dealership or repair shop.



The 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia will feature new interior options, as well as exterior changes that further improve fuel economy. Let's go into more details on what changes you can find in this update for the Cascadia!



The Cascadia will come with a new interior, the most noticeable change being a brand new digital dashboard. This modern and state-of-the-art dashboard allows the driver to view important information easily and clearly with just the click of a button on the new steering wheels.






The updated exterior includes a new lower and even more streamlined front bumper, updated drive wheel fairings, and new aero deflectors on the A-pillar for improved aerodynamics. We look forward to seeing you on the roads of American Truck Simulator with the 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia.

Ownable Dumpers

We are happy to announce that Dumper Trailers are now ownable and fully customizable! These trailers are used for transporting bulk materials such as coal, soil, gravel, stone, sand and much more.



In American Truck Simulator, Dumper Trailers will have 3 customizable body types. These are End Dumpers, Side Dumpers, and Livefloor Dumpers. Each of them is available in different lengths, and in two or three-axle configurations. Side dumpers are available as a b-double, turnpike, or single trailers; bottom dumpers can be used in double, rocky mountain double, turnpike double, and single configurations, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration. 






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)

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 American Truck Simulator 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 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 the 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 American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. 

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 the more prominent or larger text (such as the UI or Convoy name tags) the difference is crystal clear!

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 include a major update for the support of controllers in the American Truck Simulator. 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:

• General Bugfixes

Vehicles:

• Ownable Dump Trailers
  
• 2022 Freightliner Cascadia

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 with you some news about the Freightliner® Cascadia, which we are sure avid drivers of this truck will love! In the 1.43 update for American Truck Simulator, we will be introducing new parts and customization options that will allow you to upgrade your current Cascadia to the current production version of the 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia.


The 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia will feature new interior options, as well as exterior changes that further improve fuel economy. Let's go into more details on what changes you can find in this update for the Cascadia! 



Interior

The Cascadia will come with a new interior, the most noticeable change being a brand new digital dashboard. This modern and state-of-the-art dashboard allows the driver to view important information easily and clearly with just the click of a button on the new steering wheels.



Exterior

The updated exterior includes a new lower and even more streamlined front bumper, updated drive wheel fairings, and new aero deflectors on the A-pillar for improved aerodynamics. These new exterior parts have been specially designed to keep the Cascadia on the road for longer by improving its fuel economy. These updated parts also bring a fresh and futuristic look to an already modern truck.





The 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia will be made available at the in-game Freightliner® dealership or as an upgrade at your nearest repair shop. Be sure to share with us your pictures of when you take it for a drive for the first time. 

We look forward to sharing more news with you in the future about the 1.43 update and other future updates and content in the works too. 

The nominations for the annual Steam Awards are opening, along with the start of the Steam Autumn Sale. Our games are once again featured in these special events. You may remember (we definitely do, thank you!) that our Euro Truck Simulator 2 managed to win in two categories during the first year of Steam Awards in 2016.



Since then, we have continuously supported our games with multiple updates that brought tons of new content and our developers are always passionately doing their best to bring our #BestCommunityEver all that it likes to see. Apart from having multiple big and smaller features in development, we are working on multiple map DLCs and several vehicles, and we are curious to see how happy the community will be once all of these features are released for ETS2 or ATS. 

Like years previous, you will be able to nominate us for the Labor of Love category, which is dedicated to games that constantly receive updates and new content even years after their initial launch. This category will be crowded and there will be some tough competition, but if you feel like either Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator deserves this award, you can cast your vote over on the Steam Awards Nominations Page.




No matter the result, we want to once again let you know that we appreciate your support, and your happiness will always be our measuring scale when developing new updates. Until we have some more news to share about that, we’ll see you on the road!

We are working hard on the 1.43 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, as it is shaping up to be a fairly big update. There are many additions that require further information and while we have already announced it in our previously released ETS2 and ATS Open Beta blog posts, today we’ll take a more detailed look at one of the new features arriving with this update - purchasable dumper trailers!



This type of trailer in ETS2 will be used for materials such as barley, coal, excavated soil, granite cubes, gravel, ore, rye, sand, metal scrap, stone dust, wheat, wood bark, and wood shavings. In addition to having 2 different customizable body types (aluminum and steel) and 2 different lengths (9m and 10m), here is a detailed list of everything you will be able to customize:

• Chassis type
  
• Paint jobs
  
• Front ladder
  
• Markers
  
• Side protection plates/boxes
  
• Rear fender
  
• Rear bumper
  
• Rear mudflaps
  
• Rear banners

In American Truck Simulator, these trailers will be used for soil, gravel, limestone, sand, metal scrap, stones, and wood shavings. You will be able to choose from 3 customizable body types - end dumpers, side dumpers, and bottom dumpers. 



Each of them is available in different lengths, and in two or three-axle configurations. Side dumpers are available as b-double, turnpike, or single trailers; bottom dumpers can be used in double, rocky mountain double, turnpike double, and single configurations, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration.  

Apart from the mentioned above, here comes an exact list of the customizable parts:

• Body type
  
• Chassis type
  
• Front fenders
  
• Front mudflaps
  
• Markers
  
• Trailer rear types
  
• Rear bumpers
  
• Rear mudflaps

We are extremely eager 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) once you will get your hands on them.

After uploading a cryptic video trailer in which our 2D artist Annie painted a beautiful scene featuring mountains and flora, today we are excited to announce to you exactly what state this artwork was based on...




Montana is untamed, wild, and natural. No matter where you look, you’ll find unspoiled nature, charming small towns, and spectacular views. Explore National Parks, then hit the road to discover more natural wonders. You can drive through rugged mountain roads, pass by crystal clear lakes, or spend your day exploring the historic town and cities.






We are happy to share with you these very early work in progress screenshots from Montana! However, please keep in mind that everything shown is still being worked on and may not represent the final product.



We look forward to sharing more development news about upcoming state in the future; and the beautiful landscapes and new road networks that will arrive with it. If you are looking for more Montana content, then head over to our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page where you'll find a short video teaser from this upcoming DLC!


Be sure to check out the official Steam store page and if you wish to support us, be sure to add Montana to your Steam Wishlist.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1811080/American_Truck_Simulator__Montana/

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 a new testing cycle for the Open Beta branch for American Truck Simulator has started.

This first iteration of the Open Beta only has a few of the handful of updates we wanted to bring with 1.43. Because of busy production schedule before Christmas, quite a few of the other features and/or updates did not make it in time for this first release. However, we plan on bringing these later on during the Open Beta. We will be sure to let you know when they do arrive. 



Please keep in mind that this Open Beta is a work-in-progress build. If you plan on participating in this Open Beta, you can contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section(s) 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, without further ado, let's take a look at what the first iteration of the 1.43 Open Beta has in store!

Ownable Dumpers

We are happy to announce that Dumpers Trailers are now ownable and fully customizable! These trailers are used for transporting bulk materials such as coal, soil, gravel, stone, sand and much more.



In American Truck Simulator, Dumper Trailers will have 3 customizable body types. These are End Dumpers, Side Dumpers and Livefloor Dumpers. Each of them are available in different lengths (30ft or 36ft) and in two or three axel configurations. Side Dumpers are available as a B-double, Turnpike or Single trailers, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration.  


Want to customize your Dumper Trailer? 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)

Interior Cabin Sound Update

In this update, we have also implemented a new sound effect which simulates sound attenuation from surrounding environment noises, as well as the sound of the truck engine and wheels. Since each truck has a 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, wheel 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 American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. 

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 from any 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 the game's UI, Convoy name tags, GPS, License Plates and Truck Dashboards. We hope you can clearly see the difference when you see them. 

Changelog:

Map:

• General Bugfixes

Vehicles:

• Ownable Dump Trailers

Other:

• Implemented Sound Attenuation
  
• MSDF Font Implementation

[/b]
[/list]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, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get 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 → 1.43. No password is required. You may need to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.