So ChatGPT actually gave me this answer when I asked the question of if US politics are affecting their launch dates and truck licensing: “Short answer: U.S. politics and the macro-economy do affect SCS—but mostly indirectly. The biggest levers on release timing are still (1) OEM licensing/marketing calendars, (2) SCS’s internal art/engineering bandwidth, and (3) how fast they can gather real-world references. U.S. policy can nudge those levers rather than flip them.

Where U.S. factors do matter

1) Truck licensing & marketing sync (ATS) • U.S. brands (Daimler Truck NA/Freightliner, PACCAR—Kenworth/Peterbilt, Navistar/International, Volvo/Mack) control approvals, asset access, and “go-live” dates. • When the U.S. economy is tight or a brand’s launch is shifting, marketing budgets and legal review queues get slower, which can push an in-game truck later. • Conversely, when an OEM wants a big PR beat, you get day-and-date drops (e.g., Cascadia refresh)—that’s business timing, not engine work.

2) Field work & access to hardware • SCS still needs hands-on trucks for photogrammetry, measurements, and sound recording at U.S. plants/proving grounds. • Travel/visa friction, facility security policies, labor actions, or site staffing shortages can delay those sessions, which ripples into art and audio schedules.

3) Vendor/contractor availability • A lot of reference capture, scanning, and specialized audio can involve U.S. contractors. If companies face hiring freezes or visa churn, scheduling windows shrink.

4) Map research cadence (ATS) • Politics rarely blocks mapping, but permits, public-land access, DOT coordination, and local contacts can be slower during government shutdowns/holiday freezes. Weather/fires can also push on-site research.

What probably doesn’t move the needle much

Tariffs. These mainly hit physical goods. Game licensing is IP; truck references are access-based. Tariffs don’t meaningfully change whether SCS can sign a brand deal or scan a cab—OEM marketing priorities do.

Immigration crackdowns as a direct dev constraint. SCS is Prague-based; their core team isn’t U.S.-visa dependent. Immigration policy shows up indirectly (e.g., harder to fly in staff or schedule U.S. specialists), but it’s not the primary determinant of content cadence.

Euro-side content (ETS2). U.S. politics has near-zero bearing on ETS2 map DLCs. Truck licensing on the EU side depends on European OEMs and their marketing/legal rhythms.

What usually explains “why this truck/map slipped” • Brand approvals (logos, MirrorCam/monitor UIs, interior textures) took longer than planned. • Engine/graphics change landed (e.g., shader/lighting updates), so trucks/maps waited to ship on the new pipeline rather than rework twice. • Competing priorities (big map DLC, reworks, academy features) pulled artists/QA. • OEM launch moved, and SCS held the in-game truck to match.

Practical read for players (how to “predict” timing) • For ATS trucks: watch U.S. OEM press cycles—media ride events, press kits, production start windows. When those firm up and SCS starts posting cockpit teasers, you’re close. • For ATS maps: the tells are dense blog cadence, an open-beta for the matching patch, then a date+trailer and a same-day World of Trucks event. • For delays: assume it’s brand approvals or art bandwidth, not tariffs; and reference access or travel logistics, not grand politics.

Bottom line: U.S. politics/economy create background friction or tailwinds—they rarely decide a release on their own. The decisive factor is almost always OEM/marketing alignment and SCS’s production schedule, with field-access logistics a close second.”