American Truck Simulator is off to Texas next, but size means it mightn't happen this year
Plus, overhauled lighting engine gets new trailer.
Developer SCS might still be hard at work on American Truck Simulator's previously announced Wyoming expansion, but its eyes are already on the horizon, with the studio having now confirmed that Texas is next in line for the DLC treatment.
Texas will be the ninth state added to American Truck Simulator since its release in 2016 - following on from Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and the upcoming Wyoming - but it sounds like the expansion is still some considerable way off.
As explained in SCS' announcement post on Steam, American Truck Simulator's Texas DLC is still very early in development, and its sheer scale - Texas is the second largest state in the US, both by area and population - means it's a significant undertaking for the team.
"Being one of the largest US states," it writes, "it will bring its own challenges during the various stages of production. Whilst we know many of you are very excited about this HUGE addition to American Truck Simulator, we cannot commit to a release date that is within the year."
As part of its post, SCS takes a moment to draw attention to Texas' "coastal beaches, mountains, and desert", as well as its livestock, energy, and aeronautics industries - all of which should help paint a picture of what's in store for the expansion. Additionally, you'll find a heap of actual pictures in the form of screenshots over on Steam.
In related news, SCS has also offered a substantial deep dive into its new lighting engine, which will be made available as part of its forthcoming 1.40 update for American Truck Simulator and European Truck Simulator. There are plenty of pictures to accompany the new lighting post, as well as a new trailer highlighting the striking changes.
There's no release date for 1.40 just yet, but those eager to take the new lighting engine for an early spin can do so via the update's open beta build, available now on Steam.