ETS 2 Coaches DLC Announced: SCS Confirms Project Coaches
It took a short teaser called “Next Stop: ETS2” for the community to work it out, and now SCS Software has said it plainly: coaches are coming to Euro Truck Simulator 2. The studio has confirmed that Project Coaches is in active development, and for the first time in the game’s long life you will be able to leave the cargo at the depot and drive people instead.
The idea is not new. Bus drivers have been asking for this almost since ETS 2 launched in 2012, and SCS itself made a game called Bus Driver back in 2007. Players have also been spotting empty bus terminals on the map for years, and SCS now admits they were never just scenery.
What SCS has shown so far
The project is at an early stage, and SCS is careful to say that a lot is still changing. Still, the first batch of screenshots and the developer vidcast give a decent picture:
- Several coach models are being built, each with its own handling. The first one in the screenshots is a white Scania Touring, shown both outside and from the driver’s seat.
- Bus terminals across the map are being prepared for real gameplay. Some of the older station prefabs are being rebuilt from scratch so they actually work for coaches.
- The vidcast features Pavel, Nemiro, Dominik and Jarda from SCS talking through where the idea came from and where it is going.
Trucks are not being pushed aside
The obvious worry is that coaches will slow down everything else. SCS addresses that head-on: a separate team works on Project Coaches, so map expansions, new trucks and base game updates keep their own schedule. Given how busy the ETS 2 roadmap already is, that is the part many players will be glad to hear.
Our take
This is the most requested ETS 2 feature that never happened, and it changes the basic loop of the game. Cargo does not complain when you brake late. Passengers will. How SCS handles timetables, stops and passenger comfort will decide whether this becomes a proper second career or a nice side activity, and we will be watching the dev blogs closely.
Here is the vidcast where the team explains the project:
Source: SCS Software blog. Images and video: SCS Software.
