More than 9.3 million downloads: These four ETS2 mods dominate the Steam Workshop!

For many ETS2 players, the Steam Workshop is the easiest way to enter the world of modding. A single click on “Subscribe” is enough for Steam to download the files automatically and distribute later updates. Among almost 30,000 Workshop items, four mods have separated themselves particularly clearly from the rest. What makes this remarkable is that they do not provide one-off additional content, but instead affect the driving experience during almost every journey.

With 3,129,514 downloads, SiSL’s Mega Pack leads the ranking used for this article. The mod focuses entirely on the driver’s cabin and contains more than 400 additional objects. These include male and female co-drivers, bobbleheads, food, drinks, electronic devices, computers, tablets, scarves, air fresheners and numerous other decorations. Some objects, including picture frames, mugs and flags, can even be personalised with custom designs.

Its enormous success is easy to understand. The cabin is our most important location during an ETS2 journey. A new truck eventually becomes familiar, but small personal objects can make the cab feel like an individual workplace. Some players create a realistic interior with drinks, a smartphone and navigation equipment, while others fill their dashboard with figures, flags and souvenirs. SiSL’s Mega Pack gives both groups an enormous selection.

Second in the supplied figures is the Realistic Truck Physics Mod by Frkn64, with 2,160,580 downloads. It does not change the appearance of the game, but the behaviour of its vehicles. The mod adjusts chassis movement, cabin motion, trailer reactions to road conditions, the interior camera and drivetrain behaviour. Its goal is to create a more natural and less rigid driving experience.

The changes are especially noticeable during braking, acceleration and cornering. The cab and trailer react more strongly to weight transfer and uneven surfaces, making the truck feel heavier and more alive. However, the mod is designed around specific settings for truck stability, cabin suspension, suspension stiffness and trailer stability. Players should also check that the available version supports their current ETS2 build before installing it.

Only 26,348 downloads separate second and third place in the supplied figures. Real European Gas Stations Reloaded has 2,134,232 downloads and replaces many fictional ETS2 fuel stations with well-known European brands. Instead of repeatedly passing the same invented stations, players encounter companies including BP, Shell, Esso, Orlen, Total, Q8, AVIA, OMV, MOL, Aral, Eni, Circle K and Repsol.

The mod does not change the driving physics or provide new roads. However, it affects a part of the world that we see on every longer journey. Real logos, price displays, colours and advertising elements make the surroundings more familiar and strengthen the impression of travelling through different European countries. According to the developers, the stations were not simply covered with new logos, but were reworked with numerous custom textures and small details.

Its coverage is not completely universal. The base game and older regions receive broader support, while newer map DLCs and reworked areas are sometimes only partially supported or not covered. The Workshop description lists limited support for several expansions and explains that some newer fuel stations were built as more complex 3D models. Players using current map reworks or major map mods should therefore check the description and loading priority inside the Mod Manager.

The Sound Fixes Pack by Drive Safely takes fourth place with 1,908,321 downloads. The mod has been developed for more than ten years and combines an unusually large collection of audio improvements inside one package. It covers suspension and tyre sounds, fuel stations, rain and thunder, wet tyres, railway crossings, environmental ambience, police sirens, air brakes, coupling procedures, landing gear, open windows and numerous AI traffic sounds.

The difference may not appear in one spectacular scene. Instead, the package changes many small sounds that accompany us throughout an entire journey. Tyres sound different on asphalt, gravel, grass and snow, reverb becomes stronger beneath bridges, and an open window allows high-speed wind noise into the cab. Coupling and uncoupling trailers also receives a longer sequence of sounds, making the world feel less silent and repetitive.

According to the developer, the Sound Fixes Pack does not replace the individual engine sounds of the player’s truck. It can therefore generally be combined with separate truck sound mods. It supports single-player and official Convoy multiplayer, but should have a higher Mod Manager priority than rain, AI traffic and map mods so that its intended sounds take precedence.

Together, the four mods have 9,332,647 downloads or Workshop subscriptions in the supplied figures. This does not mean that more than nine million separate people are involved, because one player can subscribe to all four extensions. Nevertheless, the number illustrates their enormous combined reach.

More interestingly, the ranking reveals what the ETS2 community wants from the game. The most successful mods do not necessarily provide the largest map or most powerful engine. They make the existing world more personal, believable and atmospheric. SiSL fills the cabin, Frkn64 changes the driving feel, ExiaRS adds recognisable fuel stations and Drive Safely reworks the background sounds.

All four can also be combined, provided players consider game versions, dependencies and loading order. Together, they change the cabin’s appearance, the truck’s reactions, the surrounding environment and the sound of the complete journey. That is probably the reason for their lasting success: they do not only expand one small part of ETS2 – we notice them during almost every kilometre.

Which of these four major Workshop mods is essential to your ETS2 installation?