Summary
- Dovetail Games collaborates with Mattel to bring official Thomas the Tank Engine content to Train Sim World 5 in 2025.
- Train Sim World 5 is the eighth iteration of the game, offering players access to various trains and routes.
- The new expansion pack will provide a story-driven experience featuring Thomas, his friends, and foes, expanding the simulation game uniquely.
Dovetail Games have announced that Thomas the Tank Engine content is being officially added to Train Sim World 5 next year. Train Sim World 5 is a series of simulation games by Dovetail Games released for PC and consoles. Unlike most gag mods that involve Thomas the Tank Engine, this collaboration with Mattel’s franchise will be an official add-on pack for Train Sim World 5 that expands on the simulation game in a unique way.
Train Sim World was first released in 2019, with each new entry being an annual release since Train Sim World 3 in 2022. Train Sim World 5 is the eighth iteration of the game, released on September 17, 2024. In this version, players get access to a variety of trains and their routes, including the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes and the L.A. to San Bernardino Metrolink Line. As part of the game’s new content for 2025, Dovetail Games is adding a new expansion pack based on the Thomas and Friends franchise, which, unlike other add-ons to the game, is entirely story-driven.
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In Train Sim World 5‘s announcement trailer of the new content, Dovetail Games community director JD states that he and the developers are excited to be working with Mattel on this collaboration. While the expansion pack doesn’t have an exact release date next year, JD teases that Thomas will be joined by his friends Annie and Clarabel, while they also have to deal with the mischief caused by Diesel and the Troublesome Trucks. Some gameplay screenshots were also shared by Dovetail Games, showing how Thomas the Tank Engine looks in the train simulation game, along with a recreation of the West Somerset Railway.
In an interview video between Dovetail Games and Mattel producer Ian McCue and executive producer Matt Peddlesden, they share what to expect about the upcoming update, as well as how the collaboration came about. According to Peddlesden, the developers wanted to collaborate with the franchise for the longest time, though noted that there were several complicated hurdles in order to do so. The opportunity came at the right place and time in order to bring Thomas into Train Sim World 5, giving players a story-driven experience while they also do the expected tasks of a Train Sim World game.
While Thomas the Tank Engine has been added as a mod to various games before, like Fallout, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and even Elden Ring, those were usually done for comedic contrast. This add-on for Train Simulator 5 comes from a place of love and adoration for the timeless franchise, evidenced by Dovetail Games’ enthusiasm for the collaboration.
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