American Truck Simulator is going where the buffalo roam in its upcoming expansion

Friends, what if I told you that, just over the horizon, past yonder hill and dale, lies a land rich in sorghum and soybeans, where sunflowers grow like wheat, and wheat also grows like wheat? What if I told you that, pretty soon, you'd be able to roam that land from the comfort of a virtual truck? What if I told you that the folks at American Truck Simulator have just announced they're adding Kansas, is what I'm asking.

America's heartland is finally coming to SCS Software's Yankee haulage sim in the American Truck Simulator – Kansas expansion. Announced last Friday, the DLC will see you exploring the "state parks and vast prairies" of cowboy country while you lug around your Kansan deliveries. The trailer makes the state look flat, green, and vast. I can't say I've ever had the pleasure of going to Kansas, but that sounds pretty accurate based on what little I know.

While the American Truck Sim community is glad for an expansion, I can't say many of them seem thrilled about the idea of Kansas in particular. "I've driven through Kansas in real life," said Reddit user dirtyego, "Brace for this to be a boring expansion". "Yeah not really sure how you dress up Kansas," agreed Mikutron, describing the state as "95% flat farmland". 

There were some optimistic comments though: "Maybe the cornfields and barns will look nice?" asked Cuesport77, while a user named desterion declared that "Kansas still has more in it than Nebraska". Sorry, Nebraska.

But I reckon most of the people lamenting Kansan tedium just haven't ever been to Market Harborough, and besides, long stretches of unchanging highway are essential to an authentic trucking experience. Personally, I'm interested to see how Kansas changes things up, and if all it has to offer is the hypnotic effect of driving through cornfields, that sounds pretty relaxing.

You can head to Steam to find American Truck Simulator's Kansas expansion, or follow the devs on Twitter for updates.

Joshua Wolens
News Writer

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.