ETS

Buses in Euro Truck Simulator 2? When SCS Software announced Coaches, precisely this idea sparked heated discussions. Some players saw it as an exciting expansion, while others wondered what long-distance coaches had to do with a Truck Simulator at all. At gamescom, we were now able to play Coaches ourselves – and after the first drive, the old point of contention can be answered much more clearly!

Update 1.61 is already being publicly tested in American Truck Simulator – bringing the next major ETS2 round back into focus as well. SCS has already confirmed four specific new features for Euro Truck Simulator 2, while two functions originally tested for 1.61 will surprisingly take longer!

Lighting Improvements is one of the larger graphics plugins for Euro Truck Simulator 2 – and version 3 is supposed to go significantly further than its predecessor. Snowy Moon is currently showing the new dynamic snow for the first time. A completely new lighting and weather system, real HDRI skies and new road textures are also being created.

SCS is completely rebuilding a familiar trailer for ETS2 Update 1.61. The previous livestock trailer is being replaced by a more modern model – and an old axle variant is disappearing from the game entirely.

SCS is continuing the graphical overhaul of truck interiors with Update 1.61. In Euro Truck Simulator 2, the Volvo FH Series 6 is receiving the improved material system this time, while two International models are next in American Truck Simulator. Leather, fabric, plastic and metal should consequently be more clearly distinguishable even in low light. Is a single new ETS2 truck enough in this update, or should SCS be converting the older fleet much faster?

Coaches are coming to Euro Truck Simulator 2 – but what happens to our existing company? SCS has now provided concrete answers: Coaches will get their own parking slots, but they will share money and the economy system with our existing truck business.

We played the upcoming Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 ourselves for the first time at gamescom 2026. After only a few minutes, one thing became clear: SCS is not simply putting us into an elongated truck with rows of seats. The bus has a distinct driving feel, mistakes immediately affect passenger satisfaction, and suddenly we brake earlier, steer more smoothly and look further ahead. At the same time, the session answered one of the community’s most frequent questions with a clear no: the current work-in-progress version did not feature animated boarding or alighting. Is that noticeably different driving experience enough to make Coaches feel like a genuinely new part of ETS2?

You can already see the other side. It might even look close enough to reach within minutes. But with a truck, there is no simple way straight across – instead, the road can take you miles along the water, around mountains and deep into the landscape before you finally arrive. This unusual type of driving could become one of the defining features of Iceland in Euro Truck Simulator 2. But what exactly is a fjord, why does it shape roads so dramatically – and why is this still such a special type of landscape even after more than 13 years of ETS2?

For months, we have been analysing screenshots, gameplay videos, passengers, coach stations and Contract Jobs. This week, we may finally get to stop watching and start driving: YOU could be able to try Coaches yourself at gamescom in Cologne. And for us personally, this is one of the things we are looking forward to most at the entire show.

We can buy our own coach, finance it through a loan, configure its engine, transmission and interior and then take on passenger services. After SCS's latest Coaches update, Euro Truck Simulator 2 suddenly sounds surprisingly close to running a coach company. But this is exactly where an earlier statement becomes important: SCS already explained in January where it intends to draw the line. Coaches is designed to expand ETS2 with passenger transport – not turn the game into a full coach-company management simulator built around hiring drivers.

Hard braking, aggressive cornering and throwing passengers around will reduce satisfaction in the upcoming Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 – we already knew that. But SCS's newest screenshots reveal that the system appears to go considerably further. Punctuality, the condition of our coach, collecting passengers and even vehicle damage now appear directly in the evaluation. What initially looked like a simple comfort mechanic could therefore become a much broader assessment of the entire journey.

We drive our own coach to the station, but the service is not supposed to leave for another few hours – are we really expected to sit there and wait? No. SCS has now confirmed a small feature that could become surprisingly important to the entire Coaches experience: once players confirm their selected Contract Job at the station, Euro Truck Simulator 2 automatically advances to the scheduled departure time. Passengers board and the journey begins. It sounds like a simple convenience feature until you remember just how unusual time already is in ETS2.

It started in 2013 with an expansion towards Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Today, we can drive deep into the Balkans, visit Greek islands and even take a truck all the way to North Cape. Euro Truck Simulator 2 has now received ten major paid map expansions – each one making its virtual Europe larger and, ideally, better. But which DLC actually changed ETS2 the most? The biggest is not automatically the most important, the prettiest is not necessarily the most influential – and remarkably, an expansion released back in 2015 may still represent the most important turning point.

Many players are familiar with moments where driving in Euro Truck Simulator 2 feels slightly nervous, especially over uneven roads or at higher speeds. This driving physics mod does not add new content but instead focuses on adjusting how existing systems behave.

We know what Quick Jobs are, and SCS has now explained Contract Jobs in detail – but the new Coaches menu suddenly contains a third job category: “Tourist Jobs”. SCS does not explain it anywhere in Friday's developer post. Yet this small menu entry could reveal a completely different side of the upcoming Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2, because the project's producer already said earlier this year that SCS wants to strengthen the tourist side of the game.