City Transport Simulator 2026 Expert Edition Guide

City Transport Simulator 2026 Expert Edition is an expanded tier of ViewApp's public transport simulation, bundling the core game alongside multiple vehicle expansions, map additions, and cosmetic packs. Released on April 14, 2026, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, it targets players looking for an expanded fleet beyond the standard Starter Edition.

Edition Comparison: Starter vs. Expert vs. Vienna

Choosing the right package depends on which vehicles and routes you want available immediately. The Expert Edition focuses on expanding vehicle variety and operational infrastructure, offering 17 fully licensed drivable vehicles in total.

What is Included in the Expert Edition?

The Expert Edition combines the core game with four separate add-on packs. It adds high-capacity articulated buses, modern tram tech, and expanded line logistics:

• MAN New Lion’s City Bus Family: Adds six bus variants spanning solo and high-capacity articulated setups (including the 12C, 18C, and massive 19C).
• Flexity Vienna Tram DLC: A modern articulated electric tram with asynchronous drive, a detailed driver's cab, functional climate controls, a maximum speed of 70 km/h, and a 160-passenger capacity.
• StadtRegioTram DLC: A fan-favorite, fully electric tram capable of 70 km/h with room for 160 passengers.
• Bus & Tram Depot + South-Route DLC: Introduces an operational depot facility, new northern and southern connection lines, and eight additional bus stops set in a high-rise city district where AI runs scheduled shift routines.
• Cosmetic DLC: Basel Style: Visual customization pack for vehicles and company branding.

Upgrade Paths for Existing CTS Owners

How you access City Transport Simulator 2026 depends on whether you owned the previous generation:

Free Base Game Upgrade

Players who already owned the previous City Transport Simulator (or City Transport Simulator: Bus & Tram) receive the core City Transport Simulator 2026 as a free upgrade. Save files, profile options, and previously purchased standalone DLCs carry forward automatically into the 2026 client.

CTS 2026 Expert Upgrade Pack

For players who own the base game and want to upgrade to Expert status without repurchasing the base title, developer ViewApp and co-publisher NPLAY provide a standalone CTS 2026: Expert Upgrade priced at $29.99 / €29.99. This package unlocks the MAN New Lion's City pack, Flexity Vienna, and StadtRegioTram.

Note for partial DLC owners: Community feedback on the Steam forums indicates that Steam's bundle logic does not dynamically scale discounts down if you already own parts of the bundle (such as the Depot or New Lion's City). If you only lack one individual vehicle, check individual add-on pricing before buying the full upgrade pack.

Vienna Expansion and Season Pass Considerations

The Expert Edition does not include the Vienna Expansion ($49.99 / €49.99) or later standalone releases like the Tatra KT4D ($22.99). Players seeking complete content coverage often pair the base game or Starter Edition with the CTS 2026 Season Pass ($64.99 / €64.99), which includes Vienna, the Citybus C2, Tatra KT4D, Flexity Graz, and the Citybus C2K.

Gameplay and Technical Features

The Expert Edition runs on the CTS 2026 baseline engine, which introduces several fundamental mechanics:

• Dynamic Weather and Seasons: City trees, foliage, and ambient roads transition across spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Weather conditions change dynamically from sunshine and fog to thunderstorms and heavy snow. Players can toggle static or dynamic weather, setting transition speeds from fast (15 minutes) to medium (30 minutes).
• Interactive Ticket Sales: Drivers can sell tickets directly from an integrated cab printer. Passengers board at the front door requesting single, week, month, or short-trip tickets via cash or contactless payments. Drivers must manually process payment, print tickets, and dispense change via the pay table or print change credits. Ticketing frequency can be adjusted in gameplay settings (off, rarely, sometimes, often, very often).
• Free Roam Mode: Seamless exploration lets players walk through the city as a pedestrian, ride AI-driven buses and trams as a standing passenger, or step into the cab at scheduled stops to take over driving duties without loading screens.
• Cab Subsystems: Full simulation controls include windshield defrosting, mirror heating, door heating, passenger compartment heating, roof fans, and cockpit temperature settings.

System Requirements (PC)

City Transport Simulator 2026 incorporates Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM with a 5-machine daily activation limit. Official PC hardware specifications:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Expert Edition include the Vienna expansion?

No. The Vienna Expansion is sold separately for $49.99 / €49.99, or as part of the Vienna Edition ($69.99) and the CTS 2026 Season Pass ($64.99). The Expert Edition only includes the Starter fleet, MAN New Lion's City, Flexity Vienna, StadtRegioTram, Depot + South-Route, and Basel Style DLC.

Can you sit down as a passenger in Free Roam mode?

In the current release build, players boarding AI vehicles in Free Roam can stand in the passenger aisles and request stops, but cannot sit down in passenger seats. You can, however, take over the driver's cockpit at scheduled stops.

How do you get steering wheels to work on PS5?

According to verified player reports, some PS5 racing wheels may fail to register if connected before launch. Start the game with a standard DualSense controller, navigate to the main menu, connect the steering wheel USB cable, and press the wheel's PlayStation connection button to initialize control.

Can ticketing be disabled if I only want to drive?

Yes. Under gameplay options, ticket sales can be set to off, off with printer, rarely, sometimes, often, or very often.