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Bus Simulator 27: Everything We Know (45 Buses, 13 Brands, First-Ever Coaches)

Proton Bus Mods Research Team 8 min read
A real Scania Citywide low-floor city bus, one of the manufacturers confirmed for Bus Simulator 27.

The wait finally has a date. Bus Simulator 27 — the most ambitious entry the series has ever attempted — now has a locked release day, a playable demo already out, and a confirmed roster that answers the question fans have asked for years: can I finally drive a coach? Here's everything confirmed so far, refreshed with the latest reveals — and how you can drive most of these buses right now.

The headline facts

Bus Simulator 27 releases on 8 September 2026. It is developed by Simteract and published by astragon Entertainment, and this time it arrives on three platforms at once: PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Players who buy the Year 1 Edition get in a few days early, on 3 September. The date was revealed alongside a coach-focused trailer shown during IGN Live.

Better still, you don't have to wait to try it. A free demo went live on Steam on 15 June 2026 as part of Steam Next Fest. If you want a feel for how the new machines handle before launch day, it is playable right now.

45+ buses from 13 manufacturers

The number that has everyone talking: Bus Simulator 27 will feature more than 45 officially licensed buses from 13 world-famous manufacturers, including Solaris, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, IVECO BUS, Scania and Volvo. That is the broadest officially-licensed line-up the series has ever shipped — a roll-call of the real machines that fill Europe's streets every day.

A real Mercedes-Benz Citaro city bus.
The real Mercedes-Benz Citaro — Mercedes-Benz is among the 13 manufacturers confirmed for Bus Simulator 27. Photo: Florian Fèvre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A real Solaris Urbino low-floor city bus.
The real Solaris Urbino — the Polish low-floor workhorse, another confirmed BS27 brand. Photo: Felix O, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A real MAN Lion's City city bus.
The real MAN Lion's City — MAN is one of the six brands astragon has named outright. Photo: Florian Fèvre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A real Volvo 7900 hybrid city bus.
The real Volvo 7900 — Sweden's contribution to the confirmed roster. Photo: Robbie Klinkenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A real Iveco Bus Crossway intercity bus.
The real Iveco Crossway — IVECO BUS rounds out the named six. Photo: Florian Fèvre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The big first: coaches

Here is the feature that sets BS27 apart from every game that came before it. In astragon's own words: "for the first time ever in the series, you can get behind the wheel of impressive coach buses and enjoy long-distance journeys." Until now the franchise has been all about city routes — the stop-start rhythm of urban transit. Coaches change the game entirely, swapping the city loop for the open highway, the high-floor cabin and the cruise.

The launch coaches have names now, too. The reveal confirmed the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, the Scania Irizar i8 and the MAN Lion's Coach among the first long-distance machines you'll drive. If you're fuzzy on why a coach is such a different beast from a city bus, we broke it down in coach vs city bus.

A real MAN Lion's Coach long-distance touring coach.
The real MAN Lion's Coach — one of the long-distance coaches confirmed for BS27's first-ever coach line-up. Photo: Robbie Klinkenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What's in the demo

The Steam Next Fest demo is a real slice of the game, not a menu tour. It runs three missions: a story prologue, a city route through the fictional town of Mequina in a Solaris Urbino 12 electric, and — the headline — a long-distance coach run around Felicia Bay in a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo. It is the cleanest way to test how the coaches feel on the open road before you commit to a pre-order.

Pre-order Deluxe Pack and the Year 1 roadmap

Pre-orders come with a Deluxe Pack that leans hard into the electric era. It bundles the HESS lighTram 12 Plug, the Alexander Dennis Enviro100EV and four exclusive vehicle liveries. The lighTram is the interesting one for sim drivers: HESS's double-articulated giant is one of the longest buses you can put on a city street.

A real HESS lighTram double-articulated bus in Groningen.
A real HESS lighTram — the Swiss double-articulated giant that headlines BS27's Deluxe Pack. Bending twice makes it a very different machine to steer. Photo: TheRoy-t, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Beyond launch, astragon has mapped out a Year 1 of content delivered through the season pass: a Mercedes-Benz Intouro coach, a FlixBus Expansion, two further Bus Packs and two Cosmetic Packs. The Intouro is a smart pick — it is the intercity middle ground between a city bus and a full touring coach.

A real Mercedes-Benz Intouro intercity coach.
The real Mercedes-Benz Intouro — the intercity coach confirmed for BS27's Year 1 season pass. Photo: COUVRAT Sylvain, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A green FlixBus Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coach.
A real FlixBus coach — the green long-distance network gets its own BS27 expansion in Year 1. Photo: Florian Fèvre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How it fits the simulator landscape

BS27 lands in a genre with deep roots. The polished, console-friendly Bus Simulator line has always traded a little modding freedom for accessibility — the opposite end of the spectrum from the famously open OMSI 2, and a different beast again from the mobile-born Proton Bus Simulator. We've mapped that whole family tree in the history of bus simulator games, and weighed the trade-offs directly in Bus Simulator vs OMSI.

Drive these brands today

You don't have to wait until September. Almost every manufacturer on the BS27 roster already has a home in the Proton Bus Simulator modding scene right now. Want the Swedish heavyweights? Browse the Volvo mods or the Scania range. Prefer the German giants? MAN and Mercedes-Benz are both deep catalogues. The real buses BS27 is licensing are the same ones our community has been modding for years — so you can get a head start on the whole roster today.

FAQ

When does Bus Simulator 27 release?
8 September 2026 (3 September for Year 1 Edition buyers), on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A free demo is already available on Steam.
Is there a Bus Simulator 27 demo?
Yes. A free demo launched on Steam on 15 June 2026 during Steam Next Fest, with three missions including a coach route.
Who is making Bus Simulator 27?
It's developed by Simteract and published by astragon Entertainment.
How many buses are in Bus Simulator 27?
More than 45 officially licensed buses from 13 manufacturers, including Solaris, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, IVECO BUS, Scania and Volvo.
Can you drive coaches in Bus Simulator 27?
Yes — for the first time in the series, BS27 lets you drive long-distance coaches such as the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, Scania Irizar i8 and MAN Lion's Coach, not just city buses.

Sources

  1. Bus Simulator 27 on Steam — release date, platforms, developer/publisher, "45+ buses from 13 manufacturers."
  2. Sustainable Bus — Bus Simulator 27 — 8 September 2026 date, IGN Live coach trailer, Deluxe Pack contents, Year 1 roadmap, named launch coaches.
  3. Bus Simulator 27 Demo on Steam — free demo, live 15 June 2026 during Steam Next Fest.
  4. Bus Simulator 27 — Wikipedia — platform and demo cross-check.

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