Howdy, partners! Today, we're celebrating the release of Texas, our largest map DLC for American Truck Simulator, which launched two years ago today. To mark the occasion, we have something special to share with all of you.


The team behind this massive map project came up with the idea to create a special Making of Texas book. This book would contain memories, behind-the-scenes content, and artwork from the DLC, including pictures and notes from the research trip, work-in-progress images of 3D modelling and depot designs, and much more. Today, we're excited to announce that this idea has become a reality!


After putting in so many hours of hard work and passion, we couldn’t let this special book go unseen by our community. So, we’ve decided to release a digital version for everyone to read, browse, or download for your viewing pleasure! You can take a read of it here.


While the physical book was initially meant as a gift for employees and colleagues at SCS Software, we managed to get a few extra copies that we'd love to give away to some lucky members of our #BestCommunityEver.


If you'd like a chance to win one, simply post a screenshot of your truck at your favourite spot in the Texas DLC and share it with us on social media channels (X, Instagram, Facebook) using the hashtag #2YearsOfTexasTrucking. Our team will pick their favourites, and winners will receive a copy of the book! Feel free to include a short message about what you enjoy most about this DLC, we’d love to hear from you.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1465750/American_Truck_Simulator__Texas/

We are very excited to welcome you to another SCS On The Road episode. This one is going to be pretty special as we take you behind the scenes of the filming of the American Truck Simulator commercial!


You might have thought we were filming in the heart of an American desert, but in fact, we were located near Malaga in Spain. This episode is hosted by our community manager, Alex, who sat down with special guests involved in shooting the commercial, including SCS Software CEO Pavel Šebor, who makes a brief cameo appearance. Pedro, also known as PUMIZ0 on YouTube, played the main role in the commercial. We are proud to have partnered with him, as we have done so for a couple of years; he has been a dedicated fan of our games for a long time and a key link between SCS and the Portuguese community.

The commercial has already been used for some promotions over social media, and we have some plans with it for the future as well. Now, without further ado, let's take a look at this episode. Make sure to stay until the end as we show you the whole commercial there!


We hope you have enjoyed this SCS On The Road episode and liked the commercial too. Remember to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any upcoming episodes and other American Truck Simulator news.

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

Today we're excited to bring you a special SCS On The Road Episode. Earlier in the year we announced we'd be teaming up with our friends at Western Star Trucks for the Star Nation Experience 2024! Hosted at various locations across the US state of Oregon, our 2 lucky American Truck Simulator players, Brendon and Connor, were chosen to experience wild, adrenaline-fueled experiences filled with trucking, fly fishing, ATV fun and more!


Join Nemiro and Mark as they take you along for the journey from Europe to the USA to participate in Star Nation Experience 2024 and share with you what they got up to during this one-of-a-kind adventure! The highlight for us was undoubtedly the opportunity to drive some of Western Stars' iconic trucks at Daimler Truck's High Desert Proving Grounds in Madras and, of course, meet Starsquatch!


But that's not all! Connor, one of our lucky Star Nation winners from our ATS community, amazed everyone with his exceptional real-life trucking skills, which have been entirely honed through playing American Truck Simulator. Though he had never driven a real truck before, Connor quickly impressed us all with his precision and control and even went on to win a reversing competition against experienced truck drivers including our resident expert, Mark!

Inspired by Connor’s talent and passion, YouTuber Casey LaDelle, owner of a heavy-haul rescue company in Oregon, came up with the idea of supporting Connor’s journey to earn his CDL license. From this idea, we at SCS Software, along with Western Star Trucks and Casey LaDelle, have agreed to come together to help Connor achieve his dream by collectively covering the expenses associated with obtaining his license. This story is a powerful testament to the overlap between virtual trucking and real-world skills, highlighting the potential for gamers to pursue a career in the trucking industry.

We wish Connor all the very best on his journey and we can't wait to see how he progresses. You can watch our recent live stream with Connor on our YouTube channel, check it out here!

We'd like to thank Western Star for the opportunity to become an official partner of Star Nation 2024 and for organizing an incredible itinerary of activities and experiences. We hope you enjoy this after-movie that we put together for you, our #BestCommunityEver to enjoy and experience first from our POV what the Star Nation Experience is all about!

With October already behind us, we wanted to share with you an update on our Pinktober 2024 campaign. Since 2019, we are proud to have continued to raise awareness and support for this important topic. If you missed our previous blog post all about this special month, we recommend that you read about it here.


First off, we'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our community for actively supporting Pinktober. Whether that be through sharing #Pinktober screenshots, tuning into our live streams or hosting your own charity convoys, these seemingly small gestures play an important role in the fight against this widespread disease.

We'd also like to thank you, our #BestCommunityEver, who have helped us raise donations through the sales of our Pink Ribbon Charity Packs for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. We're happy to share that the amount raised from this year's sales of this special Paint Job Pack is a staggering 54,000 USD! This sum is truly remarkable, and we extend our gratitude to each and every one of you. We believe that contributing the entire amount to the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer will make a significant difference in supporting those who need it most.


Although Pinktober has ended for another year, we encourage you to continue to prioritise your health by practising self-checks, seeing your doctor regularly, and promoting healthy habits with those around you all year round! We once would like to extend our heartfelt thank you for your unwavering effort and support!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1162160/American_Truck_Simulator__Pink_Ribbon_Charity_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1068290/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Pink_Ribbon_Charity_Pack/

Looking to take a break on the road and enjoy some peaceful time by the water? Today, we're excited to guide you through some of Missouri's most iconic and scenic water bodies, beautifully recreated by our map designers for this upcoming American Truck Simulator map expansion!


The most prominent of these is the Lake of the Ozarks, a large reservoir formed by damming the Osage River. It was created by the Bagnell Dam which was completed in 1931. The lake has an iconic dragon shape when seen from above, and is located in the center of Missouri within the Ozark Mountains. It covers an astonishing area of 54 thousand acres (220 square kilometers).




Another major reservoir included in this map expansion is the Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir, situated along the Osage River, just west of the Lake of the Ozarks. This vast body of water spans over 55 thousand acres (225 square kilometers), closely matching the Lake of the Ozarks in surface area.




Other than these two reservoirs, the region features a variety of rivers and streams, offering drivers scenic crossings over bridges as they journey through the Show Me State.





You'll encounter iconic rivers like the Fox, Fabius, and Saint Francis - tributaries feeding into the mighty Mississippi - as well as the Chariton, Grand, and Platte rivers, which wind their way toward the Missouri. Beyond these larger rivers, we've also included local gems like the Weldon, and Whetstone rivers, and a part of the Headwater Diversion Channel, along with some other creeks that make Missouri's terrain so richly textured.




We can't wait to explore Missouri once it is released in ATS! Want to show us that you are also looking forward to trucking in this map expansion? Then add it to your Steam Wishlist! Remember to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. Safe travels!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2730870/American_Truck_Simulator__Missouri/

Today we're happy to share with you a very special SCS On The Road episode! Join us at the Daimler Truck North America High Desert Proving Grounds, in Madras, Oregon USA, as we check out the Fifth Generation Cascadia from Freightliner which was recently added as a driveable truck in American Truck Simulator, alongside the launch of the real truck.


During our visit, Oscar, our Director of Global Partnerships, had the pleasure of meeting with Tim Norton, Powertrain Product Marketing at Daimler Trucks North America. Tim provided us with an in-depth tour of the new Fifth Generation Cascadia, inside and out. This episode is packed with detailed information, including the history of the Cascadia, the key changes in each generation, and what makes the Fifth Generation Cascadia their most advanced and aerodynamic on-highway truck to date.


We'd like to thank our partners at Freightliner for allowing us to film and share this episode with you and for the team's kind hospitality during our visit. We really learnt a lot and we are sure you will too.

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear your comments! Be sure to let us know your favorite new feature of the Fifth Generation Cascadia, along with a like and a subscribe, it really helps support our channel and videos. We will see you soon for the next episode, until then, keep on truckin'!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3272290/American_Truck_Simulator__Freightliner_Cascadia_The_Fifth_Generation/

Today, we are happy to share with you that the 1.53 Open Beta branch for American Truck Simulator is now available to try and test out. If you plan on participating in this Open Beta, we ask that you please help us by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section(s) of our official forums.


Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable to 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 1.53 Open Beta has in store.


Phase 4 of the California Rework project focuses on the southern region of California and includes 10 cities, 3 of which are entirely new to the world of American Truck Simulator. Drivers working in this region can look forward to making deliveries to and from the cities of Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Oxnard, Mojave, Barstow, Indio, Blythe, Los Angeles, San Diego, and El Centro. Similar to previous phases, much of the original base map was removed and reworked entirely from the ground up including the cities' surrounding areas.





Our team also focused on reworking key routes, including major coastal highways such as the US-101, CA-1, and I-5. In addition, several other important routes have been revamped, such as the CA-58, CA-14, and CA-99, along with interstates I-10, I-15, I-40, and I-8, which serve as vital connections to neighboring U.S. states. You can read about this phase of the rework project in more detail in a dedicated blog post.






Since the 1.50 update, we have implemented and then further expanded the dynamic cargo loading and unloading feature. So far, truckers have been able to experience this feature when hauling a grain hopper, a chip van, or a bolster logger. When using the logger, truckers were able to transport logs and enjoy the animated loading and unloading only in Arkansas. With the 1.53 update, we are happy to share with you that this feature will be available throughout the whole USA!







In the 1.53 update, The Fifth Generation Cascadia from Freightliner will be implemented into Driving Academy, our brand new game module introduced in 1.52. This state-of-the-art truck is the newest addition to the ATS truck roster, and now you will have the option to try it out in various challenging scenarios in Driving Academy!



We're happy to introduce a feature that we believe many players will find helpful, especially those who often adjust their settings to fine-tune what is best to their liking and setup. When changing an option with a default value, players will now have a visual indication of when a setting has been moved or changed from its default state.


Settings that have been adjusted from their default value will now appear with a small visual indicator alongside that setting. We hope this helps users find which settings have been altered from default.

Another new feature that we are happy to include with this update is Smooth and Auto Camera Centring! Players can now enable this new option to return their camera to the central position automatically after moving it. When activated by the player or by moving forward, the smooth centering feature becomes noticeable as it gently transitions the camera to the central position.


This addition comes with a range of personal preference options, including three options of speed, which controls how fast or slow the camera returns to the center; as well as the option to set how many seconds of delay there should be before re-centring occurs.

For players who use a third-party head-tracking solution or prefer to adjust the position of the camera manually, also have the option to disable this feature altogether.


We are also updating the Special Transport DLC. As part of the California Rework project, we have added a new route for truckers to haul oversized cargo - between the rebuilt cities of Los Angeles and San Diego via I-5 route.


But that's not all. In response to community feedback, we've decided to raise the maximum speed limit for special transport deliveries. Escort vehicles and the transport trucks themselves can now travel at speeds of up to 55 mph, an increase from the previous limit of 40 mph. We would like to ask our players to try out this update and share feedback on whether it enhances immersion and improves the overall smoothness of these jobs.


In the 1.53 update, we're also introducing a new sliding tandems feature. Previously, players could only set trailer axles in a fixed forward or rear position. Now, select trailers come with updated chassis, allowing players to slide the axles freely to optimize the weight distribution for their load.



But be cautious! To make this feature as realistic as possible, if the trailer's rear axle's distance exceeds 40 feet from the kingpin, you risk receiving a fine at California weigh stations and, in some cases, directly from the police.




Map

• California Rework - Phase 4 release

Gameplay

• Dynamic cargo loading & unloading of logs available throughout the USA
  
• New Special Transport route from Los Angeles to San Diego
  
• Raised speed limit for Special Transport jobs from 40 mph to 55 mph

Vehicles

• The new Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadia® added to Driving Academy
  
• Fully functional sliding tandems and fines system

UI

• Visualization of changed options in the settings
  
• Smooth and Auto camera centering

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 → 1.53. No password is required. Sometimes you may have to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.

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

Another two cities will be getting a brand-new look in our upcoming 1.53 update for American Truck Simulator. The California Rework project just doesn't stop, so let's take a look at how our map designers and assets teams remade Los Angeles and San Diego!


"America's Finest City" was rebuilt from the ground up. We managed to use the best areas from the original version while also adding new locations which have been highly requested by our community.




Truckers can look forward to cruising through San Diego on I-5, almost reaching the Mexican border, or taking in the views of the Snapdragon Stadium as they drive along I-8. CA-905 will take you right to the border, passing through a sprawling warehouse district. And for a fresh perspective, you'll now be able to cross the iconic Coronado Bridge, offering stunning views of San Diego from a whole new angle.




Like San Diego, the City of Angels was completely revamped. Some places from the original L.A. remain (although rebuilt as well) like Santa Monica, the beginning of I-10, and the major intersection of routes I-10, I-5, and US-101.







On top of that, we added some iconic Los Angeles areas such as the L.A. airport, the L.A. River, Port of Long Beach, and one of the busiest roads in the U.S., the I-405, plus many other places. Thanks to the great work of our asset makers and map designers, truckers will discover plenty of landmarks and depots in the reworked city of Los Angeles.








We hope you are excited about the release of the next phase of the California Rework project and to visit the reimagined cities of San Diego and Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more updates on the world in American Truck Simulator on our social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok). We'll see you on the road!

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

Over the last few years, our dedicated rework team has been hard at work revitalizing one of the base game areas in American Truck Simulator. We're of course referring to the California Rework project, and today, we're excited to give you a more detailed preview of what they've accomplished in the final phase of this project.


Phase 4 of the California Rework project focuses on the southern region of California and includes 10 cities, 3 of which are entirely new to the ATS economy. As you can imagine, this has been a monumental task for the team. Similar to previous phases, much of the original base map was removed and reworked entirely from the ground up.







Drivers working in this region can look forward to making deliveries to and from the cities of Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Oxnard, Mojave, Barstow, Indio, Blythe, Los Angeles, San Diego, and El Centro. This has been by no means a small feat; our team has meticulously utilized a huge area during this rework phase to incorporate as many details as possible, including accurate city layouts, industries, and road networks, all while working within the limitations of our game engine, map scale and of course, realistic trucking routes.







Road networks are just as important as the cities themselves, ensuring drivers can reach their destinations quickly and safely. Our team focused on reworking key routes, including major coastal highways such as the US-101, CA-1, and I-5. In addition, several other important routes have been revamped, such as the CA-58, CA-14, and CA-99, along with interstates I-10, I-15, I-40, and I-8, which serve as vital connections to neighboring U.S. states.







You'll also encounter numerous rest areas and truck stops, which have been thoroughly reworked as part of this update. Additionally, California's agriculture inspection stations, crucial for protecting the state's crops, wildlife, and produce, have received the same detailed attention. These stations play a vital role in safeguarding California’s agricultural industry.









The final phase of the California Rework is scheduled to arrive with the 1.53 Update, which will be free for all owners of American Truck Simulator. In the meantime, we still have another blog post planned that will highlight a couple of the larger cities that have been reworked, trust us, you won't want to miss it!








Until then, we hope you enjoy the screenshots and work the team have put into California Rework. Be sure to share your comments and initial reactions with us on our official social media channels and our official forums, as we'd love to hear them! Until then, keep on truckin'.

Greetings truckers, and welcome to our Happy Hauloween - World of Trucks event! The fun all starts today, Thursday 24th October...

As twilight fades and shadows grow
You realise that it’s time to go
And join the crowd of jolly ghosts
That beckon you, as kindly hosts,
With spooky pumpkins all in hand,
What fun awaits this merry band!
They float and glide with eerie grace,
In search of treats from place to place.
So, start your rig and take the lead,
With all the hungry mouths to feed.
Tonight’s the night, and you’re the one
To bring to all some spectral fun!

For Hauloween is in the air,
And there’s no time to flee nor dare
To hide away from all the treats
That wait for you, but not to eat,
NO, they must be hauled, delivered quick,
Then parked away, now that’s the trick!


To our #BestCommunityEver, we’d love for you all to join us in celebrating Halloween this year by delivering our famously delicious Halloween Treats throughout all trucking territories. This time we have a combined community goal of 1,300,000 deliveries to make. That’s 300,000 more than last year, but we’re sure you can smash it! Our artists have created an extremely cool, ghostly Halloween-themed trailer that will carry your special treats cargo.


This year’s #HappyHauloween also offers a cool new, ghoulishly good, desktop theme that matches our celebrations for the event duration – we sure love it and hope you do too!


Your personal goal is to complete 13 deliveries of our yummy Halloween Treats cargo, and we’re offering some spooktacular event specific rewards, including a World of Trucks Achievement for this. All jobs for the event will be 100Km each (62.1 mile) or more, and be sure to check out the rules below.


Using External Contracts, with a World of Trucks-connected profile in Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator or both, the community goal is to achieve 1,300,000 deliveries of Halloween Treats cargo, from any city in any trucking territory.

When a player completes 13 deliveries of Halloween Treats cargo across any trucking territories in either game, it will complete their personal goal.


Personal: Players that complete 13 or more deliveries of Halloween Treats cargo will gain a unique World of Trucks Achievement as well as a spooky Booing Ghost cabin item as a Steam inventory item for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.


Community: When the community goal of achieving 1,300,000 deliveries of Halloween Treats cargo from any city is met, and if the player has also achieved their personal goal, then they will receive a Grumpy Ghost hanging toy as a Steam inventory item for their cabin.


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, 17th of November at 23:59 UTC.


But that's not all! This year, we're excited to host a special SCS Hauloween Sale on Steam with big discounts on our base games, map expansions, and other DLCs in celebration of Halloween and our Happy Hauloween WoTr event. Complete your collection of ETS2 and ATS DLCs here!

We've also prepared two special Halloween-themed bundles for you to mark this special occasion! So without further ado, we encourage you to take a look at what's in store in the Euro Truck Simulator 2 Hauloween Special and the American Truck Simulator Hauloween Special.

The bundles and Hauloween Sale will be available on Steam on the 24th of October from 19:00 CEST.


This year’s event is packed with ghostly spectral fun, for both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2, with deliveries counted in both games. You can even join in with the celebrations across both sides of the Atlantic, so we look forward to seeing all your pics on our Facebook ATS / ETS2, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram profiles and we will share our favourite ones.