American Truck Simulator closes in-game California highway after real life landslide

The developers behind American Truck Simulator have updated the game to reflect real world events - and for players it means the closure of a section of one of the world's most iconic highways.

SCS Software closed down the offshore section of California's Pacific Coast Highway, aka Highway 1 after it suffered a devastating landslide in real life.

In May the Big Sur landslide saw the movement of 1m tonnes of rock. According to the United States Geological Survey (via CNN), 65 feet of dirt covered Highway 1. The closed section is about 60 miles south of Monterey. Here's how it looks:

Now, SCS has updated American Truck Simulator to reflect the highway closure. Here's how it looks in the game:

"We always strive to bring something new in our game updates," the developers said in a post on the SCS website.

"This time, at this particular spot, we will not give, but take. The next update will close the Highway 1 section."

SCS said the fate of American Truck Simulator's Highway 1 depends entirely on real world events. The real life authorities are yet to release a timetable for when the road will be cleared, so players of the video game may have to seek an alternate route for some time.

Reaction to the move from players has been mixed. While some have praised the developers for their attention to detail and willingness to make the map feel more dynamic, others have said it's annoying. "Running cargo up and down California can get incredibly repetitive since it almost always just means driving the I-5 over and over," Redditor APeacefulWarrior said. "Having a big chunk of the PCH as an alternative really helped cut down on the tedium."