Euro Truck Simulator 2’s Iceland DLC Research Went From Digital References to the Ring Road

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is getting an Iceland expansion, and SCS Software has taken part of its map research into the real world. In an August 19 Steam announcement, the studio detailed a one-week trip that sent three map team members across Iceland to gather references for roads, towns, terrain, and landmarks.

The group included map DLC lead Ivo and map designers Ashley and Johana. Marketing colleagues joined them as well, marking the first time that department had taken part in one of SCS Software’s research trips. They documented the journey for a future episode of SCS On The Road.

The Iceland map is already well into development, but the visit gave the team a chance to fill in missing references and compare their work with the places it is recreating. SCS has used a similar method for other expansions, including its Isle of Ireland research trip.

The Iceland route covered roads, towns, and wild terrain

During the week, the team drove the western half of the Ring Road, traveling roughly from Lake Mývatn in the north to Vík in the south. The route included high mountains, fjords, lava fields, small waterfalls, narrow gorges, and open areas where sheep and horses grazed freely.

Akureyri and Reykjavík provided urban references, while the countryside offered a much wider range of road conditions and scenery than the map team usually encounters. One of the clearest lessons from the trip was scale. Online images can show a mountain or waterfall, but standing beside one gives the team a better sense of how much space those features occupy around a road.

Ashley recognized several landmarks from the game soon after arriving, then found that the real mountains were far larger and more varied than expected. Ivo was especially impressed by Iceland’s geology and chose Thingvellir National Park as a favorite stop because of its connection to the Viking Althing. Johana also visited Ólafsvík, a town she is working on, and checked its harbor for references that were difficult to find online.

Long daylight and a truck passenger seat added more reference points

Iceland’s daylight hours created their own challenge. During the visit, the sun set for less than three hours each day. That made sleeping harder, but it also gave the team more time to reach locations and gather material.

Volvo Trucks also invited the group to take part in video filming. SCS Software has not revealed those videos yet, though another SCS On The Road episode is planned to show more of the behind-the-scenes work. For part of the journey, the designers rode in the passenger seat of a truck with a local professional driver, giving them a higher view of the road than they would have from a standard car.

After returning to Prague, Johana compared what she had seen in Ólafsvík with the version being built in the map editor. The trip left the team with new references for Iceland’s roads and settlements, along with a clearer understanding of how the country’s mountains, waterfalls, and open spaces should feel from behind the wheel.

The announcement did not include a release date for the Iceland expansion. For now, the research trip offers another look at how SCS Software is preparing the upcoming map. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

Euro Truck Simulator 2

Developed by SCS Software

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a vehicle simulation game and a direct sequel to the 2008 game Euro Truck Simulator. Travel across Europe as king of the road, a trucker who delivers important cargo across impressive distances! With dozens of cities to explore from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and many more, your endurance, skill and speed will all be pushed to their limits. If you’ve got what it takes to be part of an elite trucking force, get behind the wheel and prove it!

• Genre Racing, Simulator
• Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One
• Perspective First person, Third person, Bird view / Isometric, Side view, Virtual Reality
• Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
• Release October 19, 2012
• Publisher SCS Software
• Age Rating
• Time to Beat

  Main

  1h

  Main + Extras

  53h

  Completionist

  137h

PlayStation Store Xbox Store Steam Explore Euro Truck Simulator 2 Official Site