American Truck Simulator 1.61 Adds Proximity Exploration to Map Discovery

SCS Software has released the 1.61 update for American Truck Simulator, now live on Steam. The centerpiece of the update is Proximity Exploration, a quality-of-life addition to the game's map discovery system.

What changed

• Proximity Exploration automatically reveals a small area of the map around your vehicle as you travel, rather than requiring you to drive over every individual road segment to mark it explored.
• The feature is optional and can be enabled or disabled by the player.
• It assists with revealing road segments near dense locations such as rest stops, toll gates, border crossings, and gas stations, where multiple roads often cluster together.
• Secret roads are partially protected: Proximity Exploration will reveal only the first segment of a secret road when you draw near — enough for a hint, but the rest must be found manually.

The update follows an Open Beta and a separate 1.61 Experimental Beta. Two features tested during that experimental phase — the Multi-Function Display (MFD) and a revised In-Game Menu — were not included in this release; the developer states they will arrive in a future update after further refinement.

For players pursuing 100% map completion, Proximity Exploration removes one of the more tedious friction points of that goal while leaving intentional mysteries intact.