The criticism of the Coaches DLC is not completely wrong: What ETS2 is still really missing!

With the Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, there are currently two sides, and both have good arguments. One side says: Finally something new is happening. Finally SCS is using the huge ETS2 map not only for freight, but also for passenger transport. Finally coaches, stops, bus stations, and a different gameplay rhythm are coming into the game.

The other side says: All well and good – but why buses now, when everyday trucking itself still has so many open construction sites?

And exactly this second side is not just complaining. It is also not automatically “against SCS”. It is a legitimate point from a community that has been driving, loving, modding, discussing ETS2 for many years and, of course, also knows its weaknesses. You can look forward to Coaches and still say: ETS2 needs more depth at its core.

Let’s start fairly: The Coaches DLC is not a small gimmick. SCS officially speaks of a new driving experience within Euro Truck Simulator 2. Players are supposed to be able to drive licensed coaches such as the Scania Touring, the Volvo 9700 DD, and the MAN Lion’s Coach. The journeys are supposed to lead from large bus stations in cities to smaller stops away from the main routes. So this is not just “different vehicle, same freight”. It is really supposed to become a different type of job.

The infrastructure behind it is not insignificant either. SCS has explained that bus stations and stops are an important part of the Coaches DLC. Existing old bus stations had to be checked and reworked; according to SCS, even before the Coaches project there were already seven bus station models at over 100 locations on the ETS2 map, a large portion of which has to be adapted for the new gameplay. Bus stations and stops in older map DLCs are also supposed to be adjusted so that Coaches do not simply feel placed somewhere.

You have to give SCS that: There is work in this. A coach DLC does not just mean putting a bus into the game and done. Stops have to fit, access roads have to work, cities have to be adjusted, bus stations have to be placed sensibly, and passengers have to be considered as a new topic. SCS has even already explained that Passenger Satisfaction is supposed to play a role. That means the bus does not simply become a truck without a trailer, but a different job with different requirements.

And still, the criticism remains justified.

Because many players are not asking: “Why buses at all?”
They are rather asking: “Why buses before the truck simulator itself becomes deeper in some areas?”

That is an important difference.

ETS2 has been an incredibly strong game for years. But the basic process is still very familiar: accept a job, pick up the trailer, drive off, deliver, get money, look for the next job. That works. Otherwise ETS2 would not be so long-lived. But after so many years, many players also notice where the game remains flat in everyday use.

A big point is the freight company system. You can buy garages, hire drivers, and expand your company. But at some point everything almost runs by itself. Money comes in, drivers drive around somewhere, garages fill up, and eventually you are rich enough that money hardly plays a role anymore. The company grows, but it does not always feel like a real operation. Exactly such wishes for more company and management depth appear again and again in the SCS forum, for example with suggestions for more company management, more realistic processes, and stronger freight company logic.

Simply put: Many players do not only want to drive trucks, but also feel more strongly that they are running a haulage company. More responsibility. More real decisions. More reasons why a job makes sense. More pressure when you make bad decisions. More feeling that your own company really is part of the game world.

This also fits the wish for a better economy. Currently, you eventually earn a lot of money in ETS2, and the challenge decreases strongly. In old and new community discussions, harder economy, more management, better penalties, more financial control, or more realistic business mechanics are therefore repeatedly requested. That would not be for every player, of course. Many want to play ETS2 in a relaxed way. But an optional harder mode or more depth for experienced players would be exciting for many.

Then there is the topic of multiple loading points. In real logistics, not every job simply goes from company A to company B. There is groupage freight, several pickup points, several unloading points, partial loads, and tours where you do not just drive to one point. Exactly such multi-drop or multi-pickup ideas have been discussed in the SCS forum for years. For ETS2, that would be a huge step because a journey would immediately get more structure. Not just “drive there and drop off”, but plan the tour, pay attention to the order, manage several stops.

That is exactly why the Coaches DLC feels almost ironic to some players. Because coaches will probably bring exactly what many would also like to see in trucking: multiple stops, different route logic, more process than just A to B. And then players naturally ask: Why does something like this work for the bus, but not already for the truck?

That is not a stupid question.

Tandems, BDF vehicles, and rigid trucks with trailers are another long-standing wish. So not only the classic semi-truck plus trailer, but distribution trucks, swap bodies, rigid trucks with trailers, and real European logistics combinations. In the modding scene, such content has existed for years, and suggestions for this appear again and again in the official SCS forum as well. Even in 2026, there was another concrete suggestion for BDF and tandem configurations in the base game.

Why is that important? Because ETS2 would not just have “more vehicles” through that, but more logistics variety. A distribution truck drives differently. A tandem reverses differently. A swap body changes the way you think about jobs. That would not just be cosmetic, but real gameplay.

Another point is traffic AI. Every ETS2 player knows those moments when traffic behaves a little strangely. Vehicles brake oddly, wait too cautiously, block intersections, or do not react the way you would expect from real traffic. On Reddit and in the SCS forum, AI traffic is repeatedly named as a wish and criticism point.

At first glance, that sounds like a side issue. But it is not. Because in a truck simulator, traffic is not just scenery. It is everyday life. You drive for hours among cars, trucks, intersections, roundabouts, traffic lights, and roadworks. If the traffic feels believable, the whole world feels more alive. If it behaves strangely, it stands out immediately.

With the Coaches DLC, that becomes even more important. A coach has to approach stops cleanly, navigate in cities, serve bus stations, and probably deal more strongly with tight situations. If the AI then does not cooperate well, you notice it even more clearly. A truck can sometimes simply sit out a traffic situation. A bus with passengers and a timetable feels more sensitive there.

Then there are the sounds. This, too, is a topic that has been coming up again and again for years. There are players who are satisfied with the standard truck sounds. But there are also many who have repeatedly voiced criticism of engines, transitions, load changes, or ambient sounds since FMOD and later updates. There are long discussions and sometimes very clear criticism about this in the SCS forum.

And honestly: In a truck simulator, sound is not a small detail. Sound is almost half the drive. Engine, tires, wind, indicators, brake, retarder, shifting, environment – all of that decides whether a long tour carries itself or feels flat after a few minutes. Especially because many players drive for hundreds or thousands of hours, such details become important.

Another wish that appears again and again: seeing your own company trucks in traffic. Many players build up a haulage company, buy trucks, hire drivers – but you hardly notice any of that in the road scene. It would feel much more alive if you could eventually really see your own drivers or at least your own company vehicles on the road. There have also been suggestions for this in the SCS forum for years.

That might not be a gigantic feature, but it would be emotionally strong. Imagine driving through Germany and suddenly a truck from your own company comes toward you. Not some generic AI truck, but a vehicle from your own fleet. That would be exactly the small thing that suddenly makes a game world feel more personal.

And exactly there lies the core of the criticism: Many players are not simply wishing for “more stuff”. They want ETS2 to become more alive, deeper, and more believable.

The Coaches DLC is therefore a fine line. On the one hand, it is bold and exciting. It can give ETS2 a new direction. It uses the map differently. It may even appeal to new players who are less interested in freight but find coaches exciting. Especially the work on bus stations, stops, and passenger satisfaction shows that SCS is not just working superficially here.

On the other hand, one must not downplay the opposing position. When players say: “We would have preferred better economy, better AI, better sounds, tandems, multiple loading points, or a more visible company world first,” then that is not unfair. These are wishes that fit the core of ETS2. It is about everyday trucking. About freight companies. About logistics. About what is in the title of the game.

Maybe you can put it like this: The bus is welcome to get on board. But the truck must not be forgotten in the depot.

That is the fair middle ground. Coaches are not wrong. Coaches can become really good. But Coaches should not be the replacement for the further development of the trucking core. ETS2 became big because it captures the calm, long, almost meditative truck driving so well. This basis has to continue to be maintained and expanded.

The community criticism is therefore not just “SCS is doing everything wrong”. Many players love ETS2 exactly because they see more in it. They see a game that still has enormous potential. They see a map that keeps getting more beautiful. They see a technical basis that has grown over years. And they ask themselves: Why not make the systems deeper now?

Of course, SCS has to set priorities. Not everything can happen at the same time. A studio cannot perfectly deliver buses, new countries, reworks, AI, economy, sounds, BDF systems, multi-drop jobs, and company traffic all at once. That would be nice, but pretty unrealistic. Still, it is important that this criticism is heard. Because it does not only come from people who want to complain. It also comes from players who have followed ETS2 for years and want to see the game continue to grow.

In summary, the Coaches DLC remains a strong idea. Coaches can make ETS2 feel fresher, bring new processes, and make the map usable in a different way. But the criticism of it is not completely wrong. ETS2 also needs more depth in actual trucking: better economy, more freight company logic, more believable AI, stronger sounds, more European vehicle variety, multiple loading points, and a world in which your own company becomes more visible.

Maybe that is exactly the best way to look at the matter: Look forward to Coaches – but do not forget the open ETS2 construction sites.

Because in the end, many players do not want less from SCS. They want more. More depth. More everyday life. More logistics. More reasons to still say after a thousand hours: “Okay, today I am not just driving another load. Today something is really happening.”

Are you looking forward to the Coaches DLC – or do you think SCS should first improve economy, AI, sounds, tandems, and more trucking depth?