Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the development of British Columbia to explore the intricate process of bringing this new territory to American Truck Simulator. We sat down with Patrix, our Map Technical Lead for ATS, to discuss the ambitious vision behind this region and the complex engineering required to build its unique road networks.
“Hi, I’m Patrik—or Patrix to most. Over the last 15 years at SCS Software, I’ve had the incredible privilege of evolving alongside our projects. I began as a junior map designer for Euro Truck Simulator 2 shortly before its launch, and today, I serve as the Technical Lead for American Truck Simulator.”
“Steering the technical direction and ensuring pipeline integrity is both a privilege and a significant responsibility. Early in my career, I admit I often skirted technical limitations just to chase the perfect visual. My more experienced colleagues frequently had to guide me on the realities of our game engine, teaching me why overloading scenes with excessive detail can compromise performance and hardware stability.”
“Over the years, my approach has become much more disciplined. I’ve developed a precise understanding of our engine’s limits, focusing on creating a balanced map that performs fluidly while remaining maintainable—a critical necessity for a title like ATS, which has already proven its longevity over the past decade.”
“My current role involves maintaining technical consistency across all ATS projects, ensuring our various map teams are aligned in their approach to world-building.”
“When our CEO, Pavel Šebor, proposed expanding north into British Columbia, we immediately recognized the scale of the undertaking. Much like our work on Texas, this region demanded entirely new content. As this is the first time we are crossing into another country in ATS, we had to develop a fresh suite of road signage. While Canadian signs share a lineage with American standards, the subtle differences in typography, sizing, and placement rules are exactly the kind of details we’ve obsessed over. We want our veteran drivers to feel the distinct atmosphere of Canada the moment they cross the border, even in a single screenshot.”
“To get this right, we’ve poured over extensive Canadian infrastructure documentation. Even something as seemingly simple as the width of road lines required deep analysis. We had to determine the most accurate representation for our needs and then translate that into our Prism3D engine. Because our roads rely on a complex system of templates and pre-fabricated segments, implementing these regional line variations necessitated the creation of hundreds of new assets, which was a massive technical undertaking.”
“Beyond infrastructure, I oversee city layouts to ensure they harmonize with the broader map. British Columbia is expansive, but balancing the urban density—especially around the Vancouver agglomeration and cross-water hubs like Victoria—was a significant challenge of scale. We had to make difficult trade-offs regarding certain infrastructure pieces, but we are thrilled to include both key border crossings from the US, which will feel particularly relevant with our upcoming ‘Road Trip’ driving module.”
“I truly hope players enjoy the scale and the meticulous effort embedded in British Columbia. While this project has certainly pushed us, it has also been an immensely rewarding process for the team, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”
We hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the development of our next major expansion. Be sure to add the British Columbia DLC to your Steam wishlist! Stay connected for future updates by following us on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, or subscribe to our newsletter. Until next time, happy hauling!