Euro Truck Simulator 2 DLC Heart of Russia canceled over Ukraine conflict

midian182

Posts: 9,632   +120
Staff member
What just happened? Euro Truck Simulator 2, the very popular driving sim from SCS Software, won't be receiving its previously announced Heart of Russia DLC in light of the country's invasion of Ukraine. The company said it would refrain from releasing the region expansion pack so that it is not perceived in any way as being in support of or tolerance of the aggression.

Parts of Russia are already available in Euro Truck Simulator 2, but the Heart of Russia DLC announced last March would have opened up more of the country, including the capital Moscow, to its many players. However, the situation changed drastically three months ago.

"On the 24th of February 2022, our Heart of Russia team was some 6-8 weeks away from completing work on the highly anticipated new DLC," SCS wrote in a post on its website. "We all felt really good about the result; a lot of effort had been invested in making this new region look truly fantastic in the game. We were absolutely sure that our community, especially those in Russia, would really appreciate that."

"Then, all of a sudden, the entire world was rocked by the news that Ukraine had been invaded by Russia. We were in shock."

The company says it tries to remain as apolitical as possible when developing its games, but the direct connection Heart of Russia has with Russia itself, and as so many are suffering in Ukraine, it was decided to put the DLC's release on hold.

SCS did suggest that Heart of Russia could be released at some point in the future, "when the time comes for Ukraine to rebuild and heal."

SCS Software has contributed to charities providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine through the sale of its Ukrainian Paint Jobs Pack DLC, which has been bought by over 85,000 people.

Back in early March, EA Sports announced it was removing all Russian teams from NHL 22 and FIFA 22. The gaming giant had announced a partnership with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in December to add international teams to NHL 22, including Russian and Belarusian teams that were removed. FIFA 22, meanwhile, had included CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, Spartak Moscow, and Zenit Saint Petersburg, all of which have been dropped. Elsewhere, it's also been reported that the Russian version of Gotham Knights has been cancelled.

Permalink to story.

 
Yeah, it really sucks when your country starts an invasion bombing civilians. Must be so rough seeing everyone be upset about that.
Brain-washed public, daily-fed by biased propaganda, can upset anyone with half the brain. When independent journalists are thrown away and their opinions are suppressed, you know you're being fed lies. That's also why they banned all Russian TV news, to make sure their BS is one-sided.
 
Brain-washed public, daily-fed by biased propaganda, can upset anyone with half the brain. When independent journalists are thrown away and their opinions are suppressed, you know you're being fed lies. That's also why they banned all Russian TV news, to make sure their BS is one-sided.
Such as articles like this one?


In reading articles such as these, one picks up on the 'he said she said' - but that's all this article offers. Any evidence other than one interview with one local debating who bombed her house?

I distrust the western media machine, however I'm not going to let my inherent distrust lead me down rabbit holes believing what I -hope- to be true, instead of what's shown by either party. That's where objectivity comes in.
 
Brain-washed public, daily-fed by biased propaganda, can upset anyone with half the brain. When independent journalists are thrown away and their opinions are suppressed, you know you're being fed lies. That's also why they banned all Russian TV news, to make sure their BS is one-sided.

What's next? Are you going to claim that it was the Ukraine that invaded Russia?
You are so deep into Putin's propaganda, you could work for the FSB.
 
Yeah, it really sucks when your country starts an invasion bombing civilians. Must be so rough seeing everyone be upset about that.
I am not Russian. I live in Russia only.
Such as articles like this one?


In reading articles such as these, one picks up on the 'he said she said' - but that's all this article offers. Any evidence other than one interview with one local debating who bombed her house?

I distrust the western media machine, however I'm not going to let my inherent distrust lead me down rabbit holes believing what I -hope- to be true, instead of what's shown by either party. That's where objectivity comes in.
WATCH Patrick Lancaster on YouTube to balance your view. Ukrainians are killing their own people too, which is worse.
 
Then I take it you didn't even read it.
If you are referring to the article I posted by Monthly Review, self-touted Independent Socialist Magazine, then we're speaking of the same article. With the same opinions of what happened, lacking the same (or any) evidence to back up said claims.

I heavily suggest you browse both the article I posted and the Monthly Review site it was posted on. It may help some understanding of how elementary/conspiracy theorist the source tends to be on published material.
 
Such as articles like this one?


In reading articles such as these, one picks up on the 'he said she said' - but that's all this article offers. Any evidence other than one interview with one local debating who bombed her house?

I distrust the western media machine, however I'm not going to let my inherent distrust lead me down rabbit holes believing what I -hope- to be true, instead of what's shown by either party. That's where objectivity comes in.

During the first month of the full-scale invasion most of my acquaintances and I were completely disappointed in any kind of dispute with russians regarding this dumb war. Even speaking to close relatives in russia and Belarus. The modern tech provides more than sufficient evidence of war crimes that russia brought to my country. And these dumbasses think we kill each other and destroy our own cities. It just have coincided with their “special operation”, “liberation” or whatever they call it. In essence, ‘russkiy mir’ is the following: mass raped, tortured and killed children, women and men; cities burned to the ground. In almost every place they temporarily stayed in they left filth behind. We don’t even care about toilets they have stolen. It’s not even a joke - not that they only steal toilets.

Most of us didn’t know about russian propaganda. We didn’t know that most of us are nazis and hate russians. We didn’t know about genocide of Russian speaking people. We didn’t know about biolaboratories and migratory birds stuffed with everything from plague to nuclear weapons. We didn’t know that we planned to attack russia and Belarus just before the full-scale invasion and destroy russian and some of our own cities with nuclear bombs. We didn’t even know that we had such weapons after 1994. We didn’t know any of these and other bs russian propagandons have made up.

All we know is that we will free all of our lands from russian plague. And our soldiers will demilitarize as much of russian armed forces as they can in the process.

Long story short, what russians need to know about putin is that he had organized terrorist attacks agains his own citizens even before he became the head of state. Few residential buildings were blown up by his order in 1999 to raise his political rating, blame Chechen people and start the Second Chechen War. Moscow theater hostage crisis in 2002 was organized by putin, as well. After that - invasion in Georgia in 2008, annexation of Crimea and East of Ukraine in 2014, military ‘operation’ in Syria in 2015. And now - full-scale terrorist attack on Ukraine.

P.S. For reference, I was born and till this day live in Mykolaiv - a city in the South of Ukraine with almost half a million residents (before full-scale stage of the war). Almost nobody speaks Ukrainian here in her/his everyday life (that is about to change in the future, though - national identity is the strongest it has been in the modern history). This is mostly a Russian speaking city. And russian ‘soldiers’ use every weapon they have (and can use) to destroy the city and ‘liberate’ us from our lives.
 
Last edited:
I am not Russian. I live in Russia only.

WATCH Patrick Lancaster on YouTube to balance your view. Ukrainians are killing their own people too, which is worse.
Firstly I think I can speak to many people when I say - it isn't Russia or Russian's most people have an issue with its the leadership. - without more bloodshed boycotting is all that can be done.

Secondly. I do agree that there is under reporting of Ukraine's doings although I wouldn't say its worse. They are both very Shitty and should not be happening, 2 wrongs don't make a right.

Finally, what I love about conspiracies is it implies the governments are competent which from my experience is not the case.
 
Yeah, it really sucks when your country starts an invasion bombing civilians. Must be so rough seeing everyone be upset about that.
You mean like every major power has been doing for the past 3000 years? I'm not defending the ugliness of war here. But canceling fictional Russian scenery in a fictional video game is just silly. Extend that logic far enough, we might as well cancel everything on everything and just drop dead.
 
You mean like every major power has been doing for the past 3000 years? I'm not defending the ugliness of war here. But canceling fictional Russian scenery in a fictional video game is just silly. Extend that logic far enough, we might as well cancel everything on everything and just drop dead.
I agree with the concept that every power has been doing this for many thousands of years, but with those decisions always came consequences. Independent companies have their right to delay any release for any country they don't happen to agree with. It's just the way things are, have been, and will continue to be.

Actions have consequences - and America has learned that over and over in past years.. so has Russia and every other country. Russia is making their decision, and they'll deal with whatever happens, no matter how good/bad it may be.

If you're such the aggressor that a friggin' driving simulator doesn't want your country on their title... One would hope that would make a statement in and of itself.
 
Very strange. On the two occasions I visited Russia I found the Western Press to be extremely accurate on their descriptions and their opinions. I found the opposite case with the Russian press. Their free press was much better, but not 100% accurate .... but now that Putin has banned the free press and run them all out of the country they are left to read only the propaganda put out by Russian media. I only visited Ukraine once under their old government and found it was simply acting as a puppet to Russia .....
 
I'd been wondering if they were going to be moving forward with Heart of Russia. It definitely wouldn't have been a good look to go ahead with its release given Russia's current aggression. I guess it would be like releasing a Japan DLC in 1938, had truck simulators been a thing back then. It doesn't necessarily mean you're pro-Japan-invading-China or Russia-invading-Ukraine, and in this case it is obvious it was in the works well before anyone knew Russia would actually invade, but it makes people wonder if you are.

It's kind of unfortunate though, I know how much work they put into these and the consistent quality. They aren't going to be able to put together an Ireland or Balkans or somewhere-else DLC for release quickly. Maybe they will choose one of those smaller areas like Ireland to add with a shorter turnaround time than Russia, Texas, or Montana.

Comments like Geralt's just make people outside of Russia think worse of Russians (even if he's technically only a resident). Same analogy, if a Japanese person were complaining about anti-Japanese sentiment in the late 1930s, I'd say well no wonder there's anti-Japanese sentiment, look at what your government's doing in China. Doesn't mean you're personally a bad person, but that sort of thing rubs off reputationally.

I'm just glad I live where I do, where I can meet up for lunch with my Russian and Ukrainian friends at the same table, and everyone gets along. It probably helps that the Russian friend lived in Ukraine at one point, and thus isn't a Putin apologist.
 
Comments like Geralt's just make people outside of Russia think worse of Russians (even if he's technically only a resident). Same analogy, if a Japanese person were complaining about anti-Japanese sentiment in the late 1930s, I'd say well no wonder there's anti-Japanese sentiment, look at what your government's doing in China. Doesn't mean you're personally a bad person, but that sort of thing rubs off reputationally.
I have no qualms with Russian citizens or residents - just with Putin. He's made that abundantly clear that he's been wanting to flex and pacify his terminal little-man syndrome for decades now since the fall of the USSR.

If it weren't for fear of imprisonment or worse, we'd be hearing and seeing alot more disagreement from Russian citizens.
 
Astonishing to see how russia actively pushes it’s “cyberwar” for the last weeks. I mean, it always was the case, but the last days they gone NUTS. I mean, every ordinary ruski retard with a smartphone, every bot, every bribed journalist, top-tier politic or money-bought ally (since russia doesn’t have true allies anymore) - I don’t even know where do they perform more actively - annihilating the Donbass, or screaming and citing their BS state media from every corner of the internet…
 
Yeah, it really sucks when your country starts an invasion bombing civilians. Must be so rough seeing everyone be upset about that.
People were also upset when the US started invasions and bombed civilians, it didn't result in everyone cancelling the US and Americans from sport events and videogames.
 
I'd been wondering if they were going to be moving forward with Heart of Russia. It definitely wouldn't have been a good look to go ahead with its release given Russia's current aggression. I guess it would be like releasing a Japan DLC in 1938, had truck simulators been a thing back then. It doesn't necessarily mean you're pro-Japan-invading-China or Russia-invading-Ukraine, and in this case it is obvious it was in the works well before anyone knew Russia would actually invade, but it makes people wonder if you are.

It's kind of unfortunate though, I know how much work they put into these and the consistent quality. They aren't going to be able to put together an Ireland or Balkans or somewhere-else DLC for release quickly. Maybe they will choose one of those smaller areas like Ireland to add with a shorter turnaround time than Russia, Texas, or Montana.

Comments like Geralt's just make people outside of Russia think worse of Russians (even if he's technically only a resident). Same analogy, if a Japanese person were complaining about anti-Japanese sentiment in the late 1930s, I'd say well no wonder there's anti-Japanese sentiment, look at what your government's doing in China. Doesn't mean you're personally a bad person, but that sort of thing rubs off reputationally.

I'm just glad I live where I do, where I can meet up for lunch with my Russian and Ukrainian friends at the same table, and everyone gets along. It probably helps that the Russian friend lived in Ukraine at one point, and thus isn't a Putin apologist.
Fed up with the West accusing Russia about things they did before: US invaded Irak, Germany invaded Europe and killed millions of people (27 million people only in Russia), England invaded so many countries that is the biggest invader of all time, France had its Napoleon, etc. No country in Europe, for example, is clean enough to judge another country. And now this bunch of criminal countries are all the time criticizing and sanctioning Russia. Fed up with so much hypocrisy and contradiction.
 
Last edited:
Fed up with the West accusing Russia about things they did before: US invaded Irak, Germany invaded Europe and killed millions of people (27 million people only in Russia), England invaded so many countries that is the biggest invader of all time, France had its Napoleon, etc. No country in Europe, for example, is clean enough to judge another country. And now this bunch of criminal countries are all the time criticizing and sanctioning Russia. Fed up with so much hypocrisy and contradiction.
But most of those were decades ago. No one is upset about France due to Napoleon because everyone involved has been dead for over a century. The Germans were awful in WWII, but similarly almost everyone responsible has died, and Germany has a pretty good track record in the decades since. The U.S. is still suffering reputational damage from the Iraq war, as well as other questionable decisions such as withdrawing from the Iran nuclear pact so soon after signing it. But that is slowly receding into the past; the invasion of Ukraine is actively ongoing.

It's not saying, "it was okay when Napoleon did it", so much as saying, "it's not cool that Putin is doing this now." Napoleon having invaded Europe didn't mean France couldn't criticize Germany in the 1930s just because they'd done something similar at one point.

(I also understand that there's probably more remnant anti-German sentiment in Russia than in the U.S., for the reason you've mentioned. That makes sense; I know there's also a lot of remnant anti-Japanese sentiment in China for the same basic reason. But very few of the Germans of today were advocates of Germany's WWII policies)

I happened to be on the anti-invading-Iraq side back when that was current. There were some similarities to the current situation. Flimsy reason for invading in the first place. Only having a plan to win quickly, but not really having a plan for how to make things stable in the long term. At least early on, a lot of patriotic enthusiasm for the war - and the U.S. with Iraq probably had more of that than Russia with Ukraine. Most people here thought we'd go in and knock out Hussein quickly, and the Iraqis would be overjoyed to be liberated and become a democracy quickly. The first part happened, the second, not so much.

In some ways Russia is looking worse because the plan to win quickly didn't work, so a lot more people are dying in the first few months because it's an active war (versus an insurgency) for much longer than Iraq was. But in neither case has it benefitted the aggressor, and in neither case was there good justification for the action.
 
Last edited:
I have no qualms with Russian citizens or residents - just with Putin. He's made that abundantly clear that he's been wanting to flex and pacify his terminal little-man syndrome for decades now since the fall of the USSR.

If it weren't for fear of imprisonment or worse, we'd be hearing and seeing alot more disagreement from Russian citizens.
This is actually a fascinating topic. I'd slightly change it for me, to Putin and his cronies (and to some degree his supporters, although there's always a whole spectrum from enthusiastic true believers to people who just passively support the leader out of inertia).

What it reminds me of is British attitudes towards Germans in WWII. At the beginning, there was a very clear distinction between the German people and the German leadership. When Britain bombed German ports in 1939, they went to great pains to ensure they only hit military targets and to minimize the risk of civilian casualties. The intention was very clear, Britain didn't hate the German people, just Hitlerism.

By 1944 and 1945, the two were virtually indistinguishable, and there were few qualms about firebombing German cities, causing massive civilian casualties in the process. Of course by this point, so many atrocities had been committed by Germany, and they were well-known enough, that even though intellectually you knew there would be anti-Hitler Germans living in those towns, emotionally that concern would not have much weight.

How many Germans opposed the regime we'll never know for sure, and the same is likely to be true with Putin in Russia. In both cases I suspect a large part of the population is simply being taken along for the ride given where they live in history, but there are true believers and those who are brainwashed into becoming just as fervent, as well.

One of the risks for ordinary Russians is that the longer this goes on, the more the distinction between Putin and Russians in general will becoming blurred in the eyes of the rest of the world. And Putin likely wants that distinction to disappear, since it makes his regime seem more legitimate if it appears to be supported by a large percentage of Russians.

After it's all over, it will take years and perhaps generational change to reverse that distinction. Even when I was growing up 20 years ago, a lot of what we learned about Germany in the U.S. was about WWII, so a lot of people equated Germany with Nazis, if only because they didn't know much else about Germany. If Russia's fortunate, Putin's adventures won't overshadow the USSR's role in history, and the Western view of Russia in the 2040s will be more nuanced. But that's all to be determined.
 
People were also upset when the US started invasions and bombed civilians, it didn't result in everyone cancelling the US and Americans from sport events and videogames.
Too bad the situations aren't comparable within the context of what Russia is doing right now. But nice cheap shot attempt.
 
Back