SCS Software just previewed the custom depots and industries coming to the South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator. The July 10, 2026 dev blog names three signature builds: trailer manufacturing plants in Watertown and Mitchell, residential construction sites in Watertown and Spearfish, and a modern food factory in Sioux Falls. It is the third South Dakota preview in six weeks, following the Badlands National Park landscape reveal in late June, and it sharpens the picture of what freight will actually move once the Mount Rushmore State goes live.
The July 10 Dev Blog in One Sentence
SCS is highlighting how South Dakota's real-world economy translates into hauls: manufacturing plus agriculture plus construction, delivered by the kind of custom depots that made the Texas and Oklahoma DLCs feel dense rather than empty.
Trailer Manufacturing in Watertown and Mitchell
The headline addition is a pair of trailer factories in Watertown and Mitchell. These are large industrial facilities that both produce trailers (completed units waiting to be delivered to dealerships across the map) and consume raw materials and components that keep the production lines running. That two-way flow is a big deal for freight variety: you can bring flatbed cargo in and haul finished trailers out, all from the same depot area.
South Dakota really does have a strong trailer-building sector in real life, so the choice tracks. Watertown is home to Wilson Trailer's northern plant, and Mitchell has a cluster of ag-trailer builders. If you have shipped trailer skeletons through Kansas or Oklahoma before, expect the same "gigantic yard of parked trailers with a delivery lane snaking through" layout.
Residential Construction in Watertown and Spearfish
The second addition is new residential housing developments in Watertown and Spearfish. These are active construction sites that need a constant flow of building materials, heavy machinery, and other essential cargo. Spearfish is the interesting pick here: it sits at the northern edge of the Black Hills and gives the DLC an obvious short haul between the tourist gateway towns near Rushmore and the industrial base further east.
Food Factory in Sioux Falls
The last named build is a custom food factory in Sioux Falls. It works the same way real food plants do: bring in a wide variety of raw ingredients, ship out processed and packaged product to buyers across the country. Sioux Falls is South Dakota's freight hub in reality (Interstate 90 and Interstate 29 both run through it), so putting a bidirectional cargo generator there is a smart move.
What About the South Dakota DLC Release Date?
SCS has not announced a release date yet, and the July 10 blog does not tease one either. What we can go on is their DLC cadence:
- Microsite goes live: months before release, SCS opens a Steam store page and starts the wishlist push. The South Dakota microsite (app 3749870) went live earlier this year.
- Region-by-region blog series: they publish 6 to 10 preview posts about landscapes, cities, and industries. South Dakota is currently in the middle of this series (Badlands on June 23, Industries on July 10, with more expected).
- Open Beta on a public branch: usually 2 to 4 weeks before release, an open beta appears on the public_beta branch.
- 1.x game update and DLC launch: the DLC ships alongside the next base-game version.
The 1.61 Experimental Beta just started on June 25, and 1.60 released only two weeks before that. If SCS holds their usual pattern (DLC releases lag base-game updates by a version or two), a late Q3 to Q4 2026 South Dakota launch is the most defensible guess. Wishlist and wait for the open beta announcement, that is when the timing becomes real.
What This Means for Your ATS Convoy Server
For anyone running a persistent ATS Convoy dedicated server, three practical notes:
- Fresh routes to plan: Sioux Falls to Watertown to Mitchell to Rapid City is a natural in-state loop that will let a convoy of 4 to 8 truckers do full runs without repeating cargo. Start sketching routes now, the community always ships route packs the week a DLC lands.
- DLC ownership on the server: SCS's Convoy dedicated server binary only requires the DLC to be owned by connecting players. The server host does not need to own South Dakota to run sessions on the map, but every trucker joining will.
- Update window: DLC drops always ride a base-game patch (1.61 or later). Plan a maintenance window for the day of release, players cannot join a session running on the previous game version.
Host Your American Truck Simulator Convoy Server with DoomHosting
If you are getting a group ready for South Dakota launch day, DoomHosting runs American Truck Simulator dedicated servers on Ryzen 9 hardware with instant setup, full FTP access, DDoS protection, and 24/7 support. You get a persistent Convoy session your friends can jump into any time, without leaving the tab open on your PC. Set it up now so it is ready the moment the DLC lands and your first Watertown to Sioux Falls haul is a real one.
