On The Road vs Euro Truck Simulator 2: Has the industry giant already taken over?

One truck simulator has millions of players. Another sometimes has only a handful online. The comparison between On The Road and Euro Truck Simulator 2 raises an obvious question: are these numbers telling the full story?

Looking at the current player statistics, the difference between the two games is striking. On The Road currently reaches around six concurrent players in the evening on PC. During the day the number can even drop to a single player. Estimated ownership numbers are around 34,000 copies.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 exists in a completely different scale. Around 50,000 players are online simultaneously in the evening, while even during the morning the game still maintains around 20,000 to 25,000 concurrent users. Estimated ownership numbers reach roughly 27,3 million.

The gap between the two games is therefore not just large – it is structural. ETS2 has been continuously expanded over many years with new maps, trucks and a massive modding community. Meanwhile On The Road has become much quieter in public discussions.

The situation can be compared to two truck stops. One is a huge highway hub filled with drivers and activity. The other is a small roadside parking area where only a few trucks occasionally stop.

This does not automatically mean On The Road has no value as a game. It follows its own design philosophy and still has dedicated fans. However, visibility and community activity are crucial in the modern game market.

The console market may become the next interesting chapter. Euro Truck Simulator 2 has not yet released there. If it eventually launches on PlayStation and Xbox as announced, the competitive landscape could shift dramatically.

Which brings us to the key question:
Are the numbers misleading – or do they simply show how dominant ETS2 has become? Do you still play On The Road today? When was the last time you started the game? Do you prefer ETS2 or On The Road?