With all of the excitement surrounding the recent releases and updates coming to American Truck Simulator, we are happy that the work on the planned 1.39 update has reached an important milestone! We are ready to preview it with the player community in the form of an Experimental Beta.

It will still take at least several weeks before the full 1.39 release, so please keep in mind that this is the first open beta iteration and it is very much still a work in progress build which will receive updates throughout the open beta period. That's also the reason, why we have decided to call this an experimental beta, to emphasize that the initial release is rather raw and only recommended for consideration for seasoned testers.

At this time, the 1.39 Open Beta will only be available for Window users. Linux and Mac OS users will receive the option to opt-in to the beta at a later date.

If you want to take it for a spin, you can help contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter at the appropriate section of our official forums. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out.

So, what can you expect to find in the 1.39 Open Beta for ATS? Let's take a closer look!

LAUNCHPAD UPDATE

One of the first things you may notice when you launch American Truck Simulator with the 1.39 Open Beta is a redesign of the current launchpad. The main reason why we are introducing this change is to pave the way for future additions; which will introduce new features to our games, that will be accessed through the launchpad.

Until then however, you can see that the design has changed quite significantly, especially as user profiles are now accessed via drop down option from the top of the launchpad. You will also find that the DLC manager, Mod Manager, and Profile Manager have been placed together for easier access, along with a new addition to the launchpad, Game Options.

This allows you to change your game settings without even having to load the game. So if you're just looking to tweak your game before streaming on Twitch or adjusting a few options before heading into your truck, it can all be done from the launchpad screen.

This is just the first iteration of the Launchpad design which is subject to changes and tuning throughout the Open Beta period. If you have any feedback to give about this design, please let us know at our official forum thread.

LOWBOY TRAILERS

As we previously announced in a recent blog, new Lowboy Trailers will be arriving to American Truck Simulator. These trailers have been reworked from the ground up, offering drivers the option to purchase them and use them in an array of different jobs including Special Transport, Forest Machinery, and the Heavy Cargo DLC's.

Owners of these trailers will benefit from a wide array of options to customize them in the upgrade shop, such as color, trailer accessories, beacons, chassis options, lengths, articulated axles, and more!

You will also be able to spot them being hauled around by other truckers on the road, so make sure to give them plenty of space if you pass by one.

VIEWPOINTS

The release of Idaho for American Truck Simulator saw the introduction of a brand new feature that has not been placed in any other previous map release. Viewpoints allow drivers to activate a special in-game "cutscene" with a short showcase of a near location or place of interest such as an industry.

After Idaho's release, it was evident from the community's response that this was a popular feature and one that many of you would like to see expanded upon. While we continue to improve this new addition, we are excited to announce that viewpoints will be arriving in Washington and Utah. Each state will receive 10 new cut-scenes to discover, which can be found nearby famous landmarks, national parks, and industries.

That is not all, however, as viewpoints will now feature a few new functionalities for drivers. You will now have the new options to either skip the viewpoint or replay it if you wish to watch it again. Viewpoints will now also show as undiscovered grey '?' icons on your map until you have visited them for the first time. Also, there are more improvements for this cool new feature still in development, as we've gathered them through the amazing and most valuable feedback from our #BestCommunityEver!

This is just the first iteration of the viewpoints, which are subject to changes and tuning throughout the Open Beta period. If you encounter any bugs or have any feedback about this feature, please let us know at our official forum thread.

GENERAL BUG FIXES/SOUND CHANGES

1.39 also features various bug fixes, improvements, and an update to sounds. This includes, but is not limited to, improved interior cab sound mixing, Western Star 49X bug fixes, and improvements, and other changes in preparation for new and upcoming content.

While a majority of the changes in 1.39 are not seen visually in this version, we look forward to bringing you more content and changes in the near future.

CHANGELOG

MAP

• New Viewpoints in Washington and Utah DLCs

UI

• Launchpad Re-design

VEHICLES

• Lowboy trailers (ownable, including articulated ones)

FEATURES

• Viewpoint improvements (replayability, skip, map status, fade-out)
• Sound updates and improvements (turbo slider, sound positioning, cabin spatial mixing, sound distribution to accessories)
• Trailer browser & lister shows all valid cargo variants
• Experimental transmission input shaft emulation and clutch brake support (g_clutch_brake)

So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version - so you may encounter bugs, instability, kinks, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to move there faster, we'll appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in this section.

Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.

If you wish to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the public_beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → experimental_public_beta → 1.39. No password required.