Building the ideal city as eras evolve. Hands-on preview & developer interview for “Transport Fever 3”—final mission set on “Tanegashima” [TGS 2026]

Paradox Interactive has announced that *Transport Fever 3*, the latest installment in the transportation management simulation series developed by Switzerland-based Urban Games, is scheduled for release on September 30, 2026, for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

In this game, players build transportation networks by land, air, and sea to grow their cities.Starting with horse-drawn carriages, steam locomotives, and paddle steamers, transportation methods evolve alongside progress to include the latest jet aircraft, ultra-large tankers, high-speed trains, and helicopters. Set against the backdrop of over 100 years of transportation history, the game features more than 300 types of vehicles.

Players must not only build transportation networks but also consider how to connect cities and industries. As small villages develop into major cities, it’s crucial to understand residents’ needs and create a comfortable transportation infrastructure. Additionally, the game supports mods, allowing players to introduce new vehicles and other content starting on the very first day of release.

In this article, we’ll cover “Transport Fever 3,” featuring details from the early hands-on demo held in conjunction with the “Tokyo Game Show 2026” and an interview with the developers!

Build the Ultimate Transportation Network!

The game’s main menu offers not only the basic game mode but also a tutorial and a campaign mode. In the tutorial, you’ll learn the game’s fundamental elements, such as how to create basic transportation routes, set up cargo routes, install trains to connect cities, and acquire marine resources.

To create a basic bus route, you’ll first need to place several bus stops within a city and build a garage for your vehicles. Next, connect the bus stops with a route, and finally, purchase and assign vehicles to run on that route to complete the setup. You’ll earn funds whenever passengers use your transportation services, such as buses and boats.

Factories, workshops, and fishing grounds located around the city produce resources such as wood and fish. Cities have specific resources that their residents need, and transporting these via trucks or ships promotes the city’s growth. Conversely, it’s also possible to send workers to these facilities, so you’ll need to plan routes not only for transporting goods but also for transporting people.

Building a transportation network is very straightforward, and you can easily add or replace vehicles and adjust the order of stops. Of course, various facilities incur maintenance costs, so the key is figuring out how to build the most efficient network possible.

Cities That Evolve Over Time

Cities in the game feature eight management categories: noise, pollution, deliveries, traffic, reputation, supply, bonuses, and happiness. These metrics change based on the player’s actions—for example, destroying forests or fields on the city’s outskirts to build roads will lower your “reputation.”

By addressing residents’ grievances, the city develops, and as the population grows, the player’s level increases. As your level rises, new buildings, resource exploration, and landmarks are unlocked. Landmarks require a large amount of resources, but once completed, they provide significant bonuses.

Additionally, the types of vehicles you can introduce change over time. If you start in an earlier era, you’ll transport people using horse-drawn carriages and steam locomotives, but eventually, buses and trains will appear, enabling more convenient transportation. However, if you use trains, you’ll need to adapt the urban environment to the times—for example, by installing elevated tracks.

It’s challenging to meet the city’s needs, maintain the environment, and build a transportation network that doesn’t run at a deficit. In the game, any issues or events are indicated by icons at the top of the screen, so be sure to resolve problems thoroughly and make improvements while keeping an eye on route revenue. Of course, you can adjust the difficulty level, so feel free to play at your own pace.

You can also view the world from the perspective of cars or boats traveling through the game world. The cityscapes are very detailed, so we recommend taking a moment to relax and enjoy the view!

"Transport Fever 3" Developer Interview

At this hands-on event, Nicolas Heini, Publishing Manager at Urban Games, served as our gameplay guide and answered our questions.

According to Nicolas, there are eight different missions available this time, and the final mission is set on Tanegashima Island in Japan. Feedback from the community—specifically that “the game is too easy”—has been taken into account, so the missions get progressively more challenging as you advance, making the Tanegashima mission particularly rewarding.

The team has also put significant effort into mod support for this title. By collaborating with modders they’ve been working with since the previous game, players can enjoy a variety of mods right from day one. Mods can be viewed directly within the game, and new maps and vehicles are available. The list even includes Japanese vehicles.

In the base game, you can set detailed parameters such as map size and era across four distinct regions, each with its own unique character. Within the game, urban issues are color-coded, cargo is organized into color-coded layers, and fireworks are set off when a city levels up due to population growth—all of which make it easier to visually process information.

――We saw many innovative features in the build shown at last year’s TGS. Could you tell us what aspects you’ve further refined over the past year?

Nicolas: While the basic elements were already in place in last year’s build, over the past year we’ve aimed to refine both the visuals and gameplay to make the experience smoother and more intuitive.

――This game features a UI designed for more intuitive controls. Could you tell us what you aimed for during development, and what elements you specifically wanted to preserve because this is *Transport Fever*?

Nicolas: One thing we were particularly focused on was ensuring that series fans could enjoy gameplay that makes them feel like they’ve “come home!”

We’re developing the UI with the goal of letting players see at a glance what’s happening in the game as they play. I believe these UI improvements will not only make the game easier to understand for newcomers but will also allow existing players to experience greater depth.

――What is the typical playtime for the Story Campaign?

Nicolas: It depends on the player’s skill level, but I think an experienced player could complete all the campaigns in about 10 to 15 hours.

However, since there’s plenty to explore in the world and various side quests available, I think it could take over 20 hours if you take your time.

The early campaign missions are designed to help players learn the game’s basic mechanics. We hope players will get comfortable with the game through the first four missions and then take on the more challenging missions in the latter half.

――The final mission takes place on Tanegashima. The real-life Tanegashima is home to the “Tanegashima Space Center”—are there any elements in the game related to that?

Nicolas: I don’t want to give too much away, but since it’s the final mission, please look forward to it (laughs).

We also wanted players to enjoy playing in a variety of locations, so we chose Japan for the finale this time.

――City evaluations are divided into eight categories. It seems there are also a variety of game rule options available—what exactly are they?

Nicolas: That’s right. There are eight evaluation categories for the city, and you can adjust the settings for each one individually. It’s not just a simple on/off switch—you can also adjust the impact and sensitivity of each category in stages, or disable them completely.

This makes it easy to customize the difficulty level to your liking—for example, by deciding, “I’ll just use this category this time” or “I’ll disable this category.”

――It seems that carefully selected mods will be released starting on the game’s launch day. How is the development team collaborating with modders?

Nicolas: We’ve spent about a year on development. We also held a modder recruitment program for this title and are collaborating with those who applied and were selected.

Participants receive early access to the game and other rewards, and since their work is evaluated through reviews after release, we’re able to provide users with high-quality content.

――The Deluxe Edition features iconic buildings and vehicles from around the world. Will the variety continue to expand through DLC and other means in the future?

Nicolas: We aren’t currently planning any DLC or similar expansions; our focus is on the game’s release for now. However, new content may appear in the future through free updates and the like.

――Are there any features you’d like to highlight for Japanese players?

Nicolas: There are plenty of Japanese vehicles, including mods, but I’d definitely like players to check out the Shinkansen!

――Finally, please share a message for our readers!

Nicolas: We’ve spent six years developing *Transport Fever 3* and poured a lot of effort into it. We’ve incorporated feedback from the community, and I believe we’ve created the best game possible, so please give it a try and see for yourself.

We’ve also received tremendous support from the Japanese community. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all once again!

――Thank you very much!

“Transport Fever 3” is scheduled for release on September 30, 2026, for PC (Steam/Epic Games Store/GOG.com), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.