Missouri - Poplar Bluff

We have another glimpse for you of the upcoming Missouri map expansion for American Truck Simulator! This time, we will take you to the town of Poplar Bluff which will be included in this DLC. What is awaiting you there? Let's take a look!

Located in southern Missouri, Poplar Bluff is home to around 17,000 people. The town was established in the 19th century and named after an uninhabited bluff on the Black River where it was built and the beautiful poplar trees that grew there. Today, it serves as a regional hub for education, health care, and business.

How did our team recreate this charming town? You can look forward to some beautiful buildings inspired by real ones such as the Poplar Bluff bank, courthouse, sheriff department, theatre, and also a couple of stunning historic churches.

Looking at what the industry has to offer in and around the city, truckers hauling goods from Poplar Bluff will be able to find jobs in six companies. In the city, you will find a warehouse, sawmill, metalwork, and construction site that all need your help with delivering supplies. And if you don't feel like going to the city center, you will surely find a job at the timber harvest site or furniture factory in the suburbs.

We hope you are looking forward to trucking in the Missouri DLC and visiting this town. If you do, make sure to add this map expansion to your Steam Wishlist! And don't forget to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. Until next time, drive safe!

Missouri - Maryville

Whilst Maryville isn't the biggest city in our upcoming Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator, it still has plenty to offer to both truckers and visitors alike! Today we're happy to share with you more about this area, which our team has recreated in detail. Let's take a closer look, shall we? 

Located in the rolling hills of the northwest, Maryville is a small town with big hospitality. Whether you’re visiting or passing through on a long-haul drive, be sure to take a moment to admire everything this city has to offer. 

In Maryville you'll come across several recreated landmarks such as the local church, which was originally built in 1897 (but has since been upgraded and expanded over time). The historic Nodaway County Courthouse, with its iconic structure and clocktower, and other notetable landmarks such as the local firehouse and the Maryville Treatment Center can also be found there.

If you're looking to pick up some work while you are there, Maryville has no shortage of industries that are looking for drivers! Downtown you'll find a range of industries from warehouses to construction sites and even car parts factory. If you happen to be travelling on the outskirts, you can find other industries such as farms with livestock and a wind power plant.

If you're just in town for a break, be sure to take advantage of the local truck stop, where you can rest up for the journey ahead! 

We look forward to sharing more previews from the Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator in the near future. If you like what you see, you can support us by adding Missouri to your Steam Wishlist. A big thank you to everyone who has already, it really means a lot! Until next time, keep on truckin'.

Missouri - New Assets to Build the World With

We have another preview of the Missouri map expansion for our #BestCommunityEver! This time, we would like to show you some of the new models our asset makers are working on which you will find scattered across the map in this upcoming DLC. You will also read about how they prepare the models from scratch for their final design.

Keep in mind that these models showcased here are not the only new assets we have been working on, and that this DLC is still a work in progress. Among many other models, we are proud to show you these beauties inspired by the real-world locations in various parts of Missouri such as the Jefferson Performing Arts Center, the Joplin church, the statue in Kirksville, St. Joseph's water building or the pedestrian bridge in Rolla. But that's not all, in total, we have put together over 350 new models just for this map expansion!

Are you interested to know how these models are put together? Our talented asset makers work on them in Autodesk Maya from the first draft to the final design. As you can see in the first image below, first they put together a basic model with no details and textures, serving as a placeholder for more adjustments.

Once they have that done, they proceed to modify the geometry and add details. In this step, it is important to have an overview of the model structure, which allows them to modify the shape and detailed elements. In the image below, you can see the model in Shade mode without textures, with the wireframe view added. This shows how the model is structured and how the different parts of the model relate to each other.

The last step is to apply the textures and make final adjustments. Now, you can see the final look of the model, ready to be used in a variety of applications. On the very first picture of this blog, you can also see this model's final look in the game.

We hope you are looking forward to trucking in the Missouri DLC. If you do, make sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! And don't forget to follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on any American Truck Simulator news. Until next time, happy travels!

Missouri - Truck Stops #2

Driving into Missouri? Well, don't forget to fill up your tank and enjoy the hospitality of the Show-Me State at one of its many truck stops! We already showed you some of the truck stops in our first blog, but now it is time to uncover the curtain more.

In this blog, we're giving you a sneak peek at six more rest stops waiting for you in Missouri, all meticulously designed by our team to faithfully replicate their real-world counterparts. These stops can be found along major routes such as I-29, U.S. Route 36, or U.S. Route 65, plus a completely brand-new one located just outside Jefferson City.

We're curious if any truckers from our #BestCommunityEver living in or frequently passing through Missouri will recognize these truck stops. Have you spotted a familiar location? Share with us in the comments - we'd love to hear from you!

So don't forget to visit these places when you are hauling cargo in the Show-Me State, grab yourself a coffee and a snack, rest through the night or just take a look around you when not in a rush! As a professional truck driver, we hope these stops will make you feel right at home.

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!

Missouri: Joplin

Today we're truckin' into Joplin, and checking out what this area has on offer for drivers visiting this city in our upcoming Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator. Let's take a closer look, shall we? 

Established in 1873, this city certainly has a lot of history! The discovery of Zinc and Lead ores in the area brought prosperity to the town and since then it has continued to grow. When the mining industry collapsed in the 1900s, other unique industries were developed, which our team have represented in this DLC, which we will cover in a future blog! 

You will not only see history in Joplin, but you can drive on it too! Cruise along historic Route 66 as it winds its way through the heart of the city via Main Street downtown. Here you'll also find the iconic Route 66 mural park, which pays homage to that nostalgic era with two large tile murals: Cruisin’ into Joplin & The American Ribbon. Be sure to take a screenshot of the classic-era red sports car, located just below the murals! 

In 2011, Joplin unfortunatly experienced a large and devastating natural disaster, which destroyed much of the city. Since then, Joplin has rebuilt and restored many of the buildings, homes and roads which were lost. Today, this restoration project still continues, with part of the city still actively being under-construction and rebuilt. Parts of this project can be seen in this DLC. 

There's still plenty to explore, but we will leave that to you! We look forward to sharing more about the Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator in the near future. If you like what you see, you can support us by adding Missouri to your Steam Wishlist. A big thank you to everyone who has already, it really means a lot! Until next time, keep on truckin'.

ATS Missouri: Kirksville

Kirksville welcomes you! This charming small city located in the north of Missouri offers visitors a welcoming stop with its mix of historical architecture, charismatic main street and its surrounding natural beauty. Today we're happy to share with you more about this area, which our team has recreated in our upcoming Missouri DLC for American Truck Simulator.

On your travels through the city, take a moment to admire the well-preserved Victorian-era buildings that dot the downtown area, showcasing the city’s rich architectural heritage. The County Courthouse stands as a testament to 19th-century craftsmanship and is a must-screenshot landmark! 

Other notable landmarks which our team have recreated include the local church, the bank, a monument to Dr Andrew Taylor Still, the Veterans Memorial Plaza, and more. Be sure to take a moment to appreciate and enjoy them as you travel into, or through, Kirksville. 

Of course, there will also be plenty of job contracts available for drivers looking for work. Kirksville will feature several depots which players can deliver to and from, including a Supermarket, a Homestore, Warehouses, a Construction Garage and a Chemical Distribution Centre. 

Whilst it's not the biggest of cities in Missouri, it certainly has charm! We hope you'll enjoy visiting Kirksville, and much more in this upcoming DLC. If you like what you see, be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist by clicking on the widget below. Until then, keep on truckin'!