American Truck Simulator is biggest-selling game despite major releases at E3

'I CAN'T BREATHE'

One of the pieces of machinery from the new forest add-on

After the biggest gaming event in the world, the best-selling game on the largest store might be expected to be one of the many blockbusters shown off during the conference.

But, in fact, it is almost the entire opposite.

This year's E3 saw the reveal of a host of huge games: from Keanu Reeves starring in the violent and sci-fi Cyberpunk 2077, to a scary Zelda sequel. The world watched as the biggest gaming companies in the world have shown off a run of bright and busy shooters and intense experiences.

But right in the middle of the conference itself, the top chart on video game Steam is dominated by a game that is a world away from those high-octane, excitable games.

The top selling title on the website, when viewed by The Independent on Wednesday afternoon, was downloadable content for American Truck Simulator.

That game – made by SCS Software, which also created Euro Truck Simulator 2 – allows people to drive lorries across the US. The DLC was released on Tuesday, and takes in Washington State and forestry machinery, allowing players to add more activities and landscapes to the game.

To celebrate the release, developers created a collection called the "West Coast Bundle". That throws together Washington and the forest machinery add-ons, alongside the base version of the game and the already-released Oregon content.

It's that bundle that has rocketed to the top of the Steam store, making it the biggest game on the biggest PC gaming platform.

"I CAN'T BREATHE WE ARE FIRST, WE ARE SELLING BETTER THAN CYBERPUNK AAAAAAAAAAAAAA," wrote developer Tomáš Duda in a tweet highlighted by gaming website Kotaku.

In a follow-up tweet, Duda noted that E3 weekend tends to be a time when developers avoid announcing any new games or DLC that hasn't been shown off at the event. "LOOK. AT. THIS," he wrote, pointing to the performance.

Many of the big announcements for E3 are up towards the top of Steam's charts. Cyberpunk 2077, for instance, opened pre-orders during the Xbox event and is fourth placed; The Witcher 3 and Borderlands are second and third, and received updates during the expo.