American Truck Simulator returns to its roots in the upcoming Montana expansion
The upcoming expansion will rework locations from SCS Software's 2011 release 18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker 2.
You won't find many more prosaically-named videogames than Euro Truck Simulator and its transatlantic cousin American Truck Simulator. They are exactly what it says on the box: Trucking sims set in the Europe and the US. (They are also exceptionally good.) But before SCS Software decided to take a more serious approach with its games, it released a bunch with somewhat more dramatic titles, like Big Rig Europe and Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel.
This is relevant now because those games, much like their newer cousins, benefitted from multiple expansions and sequels with equally exciting titles: Pedal to the Metal, Convoy, Haulin', and American Long Haul, to name a few. One of those sequels—Extreme Trucker 2—contained a map of the US state of Montana, which SCS is now reworking for American Truck Simulator.
"With this sort of history, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to revisit some of these iconic areas in our upcoming DLC," SCS said in an update. "One such location is Thompson Falls, a quiet city in Montana, best known for its charming downtown, natural beauty and its waterfalls! However, as many of our veteran truckers might remember, this location is also known for its logging and sawmill industries, both which were featured in 18 Wheels of Steel; and both which will still continue to operate virtually to this day in our upcoming Montana DLC."
Thompson Falls and the surrounding area will be "preserved as a little piece of simulator history" in American Truck Simulator using "similar and reworked assets" from 18 Wheels of Steel. There will also be 18 Wheels of Steel Easter eggs hidden throughout the new map.
The new take on Montana in American Truck Simulator will be "vast, unspoiled, and wild." according to the Steam listing: "The stunning mountain scenery of Montana only accentuates the rustic charm of the small towns beneath it. And backcountry trails lead to wild, secluded spaces where it is still possible to be utterly alone."
American Truck Simulator: Montana doesn't have a release date yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam. If you're really curious, you can get behind the wheel of the original 18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker 2, which remains available for purchase on Steam and GOG.