We're happy to share that the Open Beta for the 1.59 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2 is now available for players to try out and test. If you decide to take part in this Open Beta, it would be a huge help if you could report any issues or bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section of our official forums.

Your feedback and reports mean a lot to our team, and we genuinely appreciate the time you are taking to help us improve the game. With that said, let's jump in and explore what the 1.59 Open Beta brings.

Benelux Rework Release

We are happy to reveal that the long-awaited Benelux Rework project will be released in this update! Our assets and map designers have completely rebuilt the whole original map of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg from scratch, delivering a richer, more detailed experience.

Truckers will be able to explore a wide range of revamped major cities and their surroundings, including Amsterdam, Groningen, Rotterdam, Brussels, Liège, and Luxembourg City. Each location has been carefully redesigned to highlight its unique character with plenty of landmarks and details!

You'll be able to drive from the beautiful hilly landscapes of the Belgian Ardennes to the flat polders and picturesque coastal roads in the northern Netherlands - the reworked Benelux offers a diverse and varied environment that truly reflects the region's look and feel.

Whether you're cruising through dense city centers, navigating busy highways, or discovering scenic country routes, the Benelux region now offers a far more immersive and authentic journey. You can see more from what is coming in our already released blogs on this topic.

Volvo Trucks Experience Center

In partnership with our friends at Volvo Trucks, we are adding the renowned Volvo Trucks Experience Center, situated in Gothenburg, Sweden, to the map, where you will be able to test your trucking skills.

The center's standout feature is its dedicated driving circuit, which incorporates sweeping bends, tighter technical corners, elevation changes, downhill stretches, and varied road layouts. This allows drivers to assess vehicle behaviour in a controlled environment, highlighting stability, braking precision, handling characteristics, and overall driving comfort in ways that go beyond everyday road conditions.

The Volvo Trucks Experience Center has been recreated almost entirely on a 1:1 scale in our map with a strong attention to detail. You will be able to drive the full circuit and explore the surrounding areas of the facility.

To find this amazing facility, you will need to venture around the roads near Gothenburg to discover an entrance that will initially not be shown on your GPS. And remember, since it is located in Sweden, you will need the Scandinavia DLC to be able to visit it. You can read more about this addition here.

Thermo King Update

Thermo King, a global leader in transport temperature control, is coming to Euro Truck Simulator 2 with their trailer refrigeration units! These will replace all the unbranded units we had on our base game and DLC reefer trailers so far. This will add an extra touch of realism when you are hauling temperature-sensitive cargo and spot a famous real-world brand on your trailer.

From the 1.59 update, you will be able to see the Thermo King A-360, A-400, A-500, SLXi 300, and SLXi 400 refrigeration units on the front of your single trailers, which deliver a range of trailer refrigeration performance to suit different transport needs. On top of that, we will also be adding the UT-1400R unit, designed for double-trailer configurations and mounted beneath the trailer. Find out more about this update here.

Advisor Update - Finances & Damage Widgets

We've been closely listening to feedback from our community, and one of the most common points raised in the new route advisor was that many players missed having quick access to information on vehicle damage and finances. While our teams are actively working on the next steps in our broader vision for a redesigned UI in this area, we didn't want to make you wait until that work is complete. Instead, we've prioritized implementing some of the most frequently requested improvements as soon as possible.

Based on that, we've implemented the Damage and Finances widgets. These widgets are designed to restore easy access to information about truck damage, plus trailer and cargo damage, if you are currently driving with a trailer and cargo, as well as your current bank balance, with an average profit over the last seven days displayed too.

These widgets can be turned on and off in the Widget Settings Menu, and if enabled, they will be displayed in the bottom right corner above your GPS.

Tow to Road

The Tow to Road feature was designed to improve the overall quality of life for players by reducing frustrating situations during gameplay. It will allow drivers to quickly recover if their truck overturns or gets stuck in a ditch or uneven terrain. It will also help prevent disruptions in multiplayer sessions, enabling players to continue with their convoy when they find themselves stuck, without the need to be towed to a service location, which could cause unnecessary delays.

So when you are in a difficult situation, you can simply find the new "Tow to Road" button under the Service menu (set to F7 by default). After paying a small fee for the towing service, you will be transported to your last safe location on the road. You can read more about this feature here.

Skills UX Redesign

The Skill Screen has received a visual rework while remaining in its original place within the interface. This update focuses on improving clarity and overall user experience without changing its core functionality.

You can now view both your current skill level and the next step in its progression. Tooltips also allow you to explore other ranks within each skill. Selecting a skill provides improved readability and clearer visual feedback, including a better indication of how many steps remain in that skill's progression path.

Each skill is represented as a clickable button, making it easy to access more detailed information. The redesign also improves navigation when using a controller.

QoL UI/UX Changes

We're continuing to refine the overall user experience with updates focused on readability, clarity, and smoother controller navigation.

The in-game news banner has received a visual refresh to better align with our newer UI style while improving readability. When hovering over a news item, a tooltip will now display a longer excerpt along with a clear call to action. Deactivated news items now feature a clearer status indicator, which also doubles as an activation button.

We're making navigation on the world map more intuitive for controller users. A new "undo last pin" feature has been added, along with remapped controls for adding, removing, setting avoid areas, and resetting pins.

Save handling has also been improved, with new saves now using the standard save icon instead of a black screenshot and overwriting clearly labeled as "Overwrite". Garage upgrade cutscenes can now be skipped more consistently using the (B) button, and the controller navigation has been further refined with improved D-pad accessibility across UI.

Traffic Sound Rework

We've also made some adjustments to traffic audio as part of this update. Sounds have been softened and rebalanced to better match real-world perception, with less emphasis on distant engine noise and more on the subtle "road hiss" of tires. Honking behavior has also been slightly randomized to reduce repetition. Overall, traffic should now feel less intrusive and better integrated into the ambient soundscape.

Height Blend Improvements

We've also made a few improvements to the Height Blend feature. Derived normal maps can now be enabled to help conserve GPU memory, and we've also addressed several graphical issues to ensure more consistent, visually accurate results.

Detour Feature Maintenance

We've decided to temporarily disable the detour feature to focus on maintenance and further development. We've received numerous reports of Detours not functioning as intended, and the current system no longer meets our needs.

As a result, we'll be shutting down detours while we work on improving and upgrading the feature in the background to make it more stable and reliable. Please note that this change only affects detours - random road events will continue to be available in the game.

Changelog

Map

• Benelux Rework Release
• Volvo Trucks Experience Center

Vehicles

• Thermo King Update

UI/UX

• Advisor Update - Finances & Damage Widgets
• Skills UX Redesign
• QoL UI/UX Changes
• Improved News Banner Readability
• World Map Pin Enhancements
• Save Icon Update
• Garage Cutscene Skipping
• D-pad Accessibility Improvements

Visuals

• Height Blend Improvements

Sounds

• Traffic Sound Rework

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'd appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in the dedicated section.

Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.

If you wish to participate in this Open Beta, you can find this version in the Experimental Beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on Euro Truck Simulator 2 → Properties → Betas tab → Beta Participation drop-down menu → public_beta. No password is required. Sometimes you will have to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.

Have you been wondering what our Bridge Between Communities blog was teasing last week? Some of you have correctly recognized the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, which will bring our community closer together than ever before. And now we are really excited to reveal that our next map expansion for Euro Truck Simulator 2 will take players into the heart of Türkiye, with the...

Soul of Anatolia DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2

This vast, culturally rich region is a land of stunning contrasts, where sunlit coasts meet towering mountains and open plains. From the west's olive groves to the glittering waters of the Mediterranean, a new vista awaits your discovery after every turn.

Transport cargo from the bustling streets of Istanbul all the way to Aksaray, the easternmost point of this expansion. The route begins with engineering marvels as you cross the record-breaking 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, or the impressive Yavuz Sultan Selim and Osmangazi Bridge, each a gateway into Anatolia. At the heart of your journey lies Ankara, the capital city and a vital crossroads of the region. Soon, the road may lead you past the shimmering expanse of Tuz Gölü, or through the vibrant tourist cities of Antalya and Alanya, where grand hotels rely on your cargo deliveries.

Experience the thrill of cruising the beautiful coastal roads in both the north and south, where the sea sparkles just beyond the guardrails, and take on challenging mountain routes with steep climbs, tight turns, and breathtaking views.

We can't wait to start bringing you future updates from this upcoming map expansion as the work on Soul of Anatolia goes on. Just keep in mind that there is a long way ahead to bring this big map to you, and everything you see here is still really much in a work-in-progress state and may change until the DLC is released.

If you are eager to be trucking in this upcoming map expansion and want to show us your excitement, don't forget to support us by adding the Soul of Anatolia DLC to your Steam wishlist.

Also, remember to give our X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and TikTok a follow as you'll receive updates not only about Soul of Anatolia, but also other news from our games straight to your feed. Or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed! Until next time, we will see you on the road.

Some time has passed since our first Road to Consoles Dev Talk, where we took you behind the scenes of our work on bringing Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator to the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. And today, we would like to share our progress since then with the second dev talk!

We know our #BestCommunityEver is eager to hear more news about the development of this project. We are working hard on bringing our games to consoles as soon as possible, but it is a huge task that requires the involvement of multiple departments in SCS Software. Even though there is still a lot of work to be done, we are making progress every day, and we are happy to give you an update on it.

In our second Road to Consoles Dev Talk, we interviewed some of the key members of the involved departments to tell you more about what they are currently working on, what is ahead of us, and also some of the challenges they are dealing with. And our goal is to do everything properly without taking any shortcuts. So without further ado, let's see what the team has been busy with!

We hope you have enjoyed taking a dive behind the scenes of the development process. And don't worry, we're just as excited to share more as you are to hear it, so stay tuned for our next update when we have something new to reveal.

If you're excited to hit the road on consoles, be sure to add ETS2 and ATS to your wishlist on your preferred platform.

We will share more important information about this project once we are ready to reveal it, so don't forget to follow us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any news. Or you can sign up for our newsletter to stay informed. Until next time, happy trucking!

Today, we're excited to unveil another piece of the puzzle for the upcoming 1.59 update of Euro Truck Simulator 2. We're proud to announce that Thermo King, a company specializing in temperature control solutions for trucks, trailers, and more, will be joining ETS2 with their trailer refrigeration units as a free update!

Thermo King, a brand of Trane Technologies, has been a global leader in transport temperature control since pioneering the field in 1938. Their solutions cover temperature-controlled systems for vans, trucks, trailers, railcars, and intermodal containers, as well as HVAC products. By maintaining optimal conditions regardless of the environment, their technology protects a wide range of sensitive goods, from fresh and frozen food to pharmaceuticals, electronics, and more.

In Euro Truck Simulator 2, the Thermo King refrigeration units will replace all the unbranded units we had on our base game and DLC reefer trailers so far, adding an extra touch of realism when hauling temperature-sensitive cargo and spotting a famous real-world brand on your trailer.

So, in the 1.59 update, you will be able to see the Thermo King A-360, A-400, A-500, SLXi 300, and SLXi 400 refrigeration units on the front of your single trailers, delivering a range of trailer refrigeration performance to suit different transport needs. On top of that, we will also be adding the UT-1400R unit, designed for double-trailer configurations and mounted beneath the trailer.

We would like to thank Thermo King very much for enabling us to add their refrigeration units to Euro Truck Simulator 2, helping make our game look more realistic! Make sure to follow Thermo King on their Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with all the great work they do.

We hope you will appreciate this new addition when it arrives with the 1.59 update. Don't forget to stay tuned for more news from our games by following us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We would also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter. Until next time, safe travels!

We are happy to reveal a new feature that will be available in both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator with the upcoming release of the 1.59 update - the Tow to Road service. Let's take a look at how it will work!

The Tow to Road feature was designed to improve the overall quality of life for players by reducing frustrating situations during gameplay. It will allow drivers to quickly recover if their truck overturns or gets stuck in a ditch or uneven terrain. It will also help prevent disruptions in multiplayer sessions, enabling players to continue with their convoy when they find themselves stuck, without the need to be towed to a service location, which could cause unnecessary delays.

So when you are in a difficult situation, you can simply find the new "Tow to Road" button under the Service menu (set to F7 by default). After paying a small fee for the towing service, you will be transported to your last safe location on the road.

Just be careful that if you disconnect your trailer beforehand, it will remain in its original position, and only the truck will be towed. Also, if you move too far away from your last safe position on the road, the Tow to Road function may become unavailable to prevent misuse of the feature.

And don't worry, we are keeping the Tow to Service feature as well, as it serves a different purpose. Tow to Service is intended for situations involving heavy vehicle damage, where driving is no longer possible, and repairs are required. Tow to Road, on the other hand, is primarily used to quickly return the vehicle to a drivable position on the road.

We hope you will appreciate this new feature coming with the 1.59 update, which might help you quickly get back on the road when you are stuck, but without the need to be towed to service.

Don't forget to stay tuned for more news from the upcoming 1.59 update by following us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. We would also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter. Until next time, happy travels!

A few weeks ago, we showed you a first preview of the smaller towns waiting to be discovered in our upcoming Illinois DLC for American Truck Simulator. And today, we're happy to take you back behind the scenes for a second look at the work our map designers have been putting into bringing these settlements to life - and to reveal even more of them!

Galena

Starting in the far northwest corner of the state, we arrive in the charming town of Galena, set among rolling hills along the Galena River, a tributary of the nearby Mississippi River. Today, Galena is celebrated for its remarkably preserved character, with more than 85 percent of its buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Driving down Main Street feels like stepping back in time - many of the structures standing there today date back to when Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, once called Galena home. As you explore the town, you'll spot several notable landmarks, including the local high school's distinctive tower, a historic museum, and the local 19th-century cultural and event hall.

Rushville

Roughly halfway between Quincy and Peoria along Route 24 lies the cozy town of Rushville, home to around 3,000 residents. It also has a number of historic architectural gems, particularly in the downtown area, many dating back to the 19th century when Rushville was established. Several of these have been carefully recreated by our asset designers to reflect their real-world counterparts, including the courthouse, the town square with its charming central gazebo, a classic local storefront, and even a few recognizable statues.

Farmer City

If you venture northwest of Champaign, you'll come across Farmer City just off Interstate 74. This rural community, deeply rooted in agricultural tradition, is surrounded by rolling farmland, and its economy has long been shaped by crop production and livestock.

Grayville

Nestled on the Illinois–Indiana state line along the banks of the Wabash River, Grayville is a charming town with easy access via Interstate 64, just south of the town, making it convenient for travelers heading east or west. Its surroundings of rolling hills and scenic river bottoms provide a picturesque setting. In addition to its natural beauty, Grayville is known for hosting some of White County's most popular festivals throughout the year.

Norris City

Traveling south from Grayville along Illinois Route 1, you'll arrive in Norris City, a quaint town of just over 1,000 residents. Nestled amid expansive farmland, Norris City radiates peaceful, rural charm, with a strong sense of community.

And that's all for today. We hope you have enjoyed this early preview of the Illinois DLC for ATS. If you did make sure to add this map expansion to your Steam wishlist!

Don't forget to stay tuned for more American Truck Simulator updates by following us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and YouTube, or by signing up for our newsletter. We will see you on the road!

In today's episode, we're heading to Dobříš, a small town in the Czech Republic, and home to the Bobcat EMEA headquarters. Alongside a behind-the-scenes look at how the models for our games were created, we also got a walkaround of some of the machines to learn more about them.

When we visited Bobcat last year to gather reference materials for our Bobcat Cargo Pack DLCs for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, we also had the chance to record this episode while capturing the scanning process with our vehicle department and exploring more of Bobcat's product range. 

We would like to thank Bobcat for the invitation and smooth collaboration, as well as Matúš Gejdoš, their Product Manager for Portable Air Compressors, and Zdeněk Brůžek, the Field Product Trainer, for sharing their time and knowledge with us about these impressive machines. Without further ado, let's watch!

If you would like to transport these machines in our games, make sure to get the Bobcat Cargo Pack DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and the Bobcat Cargo Pack DLC for American Truck Simulator on Steam. You can also buy the bundle to get these DLCs for both games for half the price!

Don't forget to give Bobcat a follow on their Facebook and Instagram. Also, make sure to stay connected with all the latest news and upcoming episodes by following us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, and YouTube, or by subscribing to our newsletter. Until next time, happy haulin'!