American Truck Simulator will only have two trucks available at launch due to licensing issues according to a post on the game's Steam community page. The developer had been showing images of the game including many different truck models during the development period. American Truck Simulator originally planned to have four trucks at launch, and the contents of these screenshots were reflective of the SCS Software's optimism about getting the licensing issues resolved before the launch date. However, the negotiations for licensing two of the truck manufacturers are taking longer than the developer had anticipated.
The Kenworth T 680 and Peterbilt 579 have been properly licensed thanks to the PACCAR group. The Kenworth W900 and Peterbilt 389 are slated to be in the game once work on the models has been completed. The developer has stated that these trucks will be added in a free update just as new trucks have been added for free in Euro Truck Simulator 2.
A handful of other trucks are shown as examples of ready (or nearly ready) vehicles that are not yet able to be put in American Truck Simulator due to the aforementioned licensing issues. These trucks include models from Volvo, Freightliner, and other makes that are not immediately distinct.
SCS Software makes a point of noting that they faced similar licensing issues with Euro Truck Simulator 2. Some of the trucks in that game were listed under made-up brands until proper licensing could be secured. Euro Truck Simulator 2 has sold approximately 2,500,000 copies on Steam. SCS Software stated that the "vocal support of our fans" was a contributing factor to securing proper licensing for the trucks in Euro Truck Simulator 2.
American Truck Simulator launches on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux on February 3, 2016.
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