Electronic Arts and Maxis have celebrated the 22nd anniversary of The Sims and revealed the first details on the future of the iconic brand at a special franchise event. The Behind The Sims Summit live stream shed light on what’s next for life simulation and how The Sims will open up new opportunities for players to experiment, discover themselves, and creatively express themselves.
As of yesterday, the base game of “The Sims 4” is available as a free download for all new players on PC and Mac, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The Sims has always been about celebrating new ways to play with plenty of opportunities for discovery, and Maxis looks forward to inviting more players than ever to tell new stories and embark on a journey of discovery without limits.
More content is on the way
Additionally, the Maxis development team is committed to continuing to develop new and meaningful experiences for The Sims 4 for the foreseeable future. Players can look forward to more packs, sets, free updates and Sims Express Delivery. The studio shared a glimpse of concept art for two planned expansion packs due out next year – and announced that infants will make their way into the game in early 2023.
As a thank you to players for their support, there are some rewards in The Sims 4, The Sims FreePlay, and The Sims Mobile, including a selection of tattoos and a special Plumbob ceiling fan. The content is free and already available in the games.
The next generation of The Sims is in development
Maxis has given fans a first look at a very early stage of The Sims’ next generation and creative platform, known by the working title Project Rene. The title “Project Rene” was chosen to evoke words like renewal, renaissance, and rebirth, and to represent the development team’s renewed commitment to the future of The Sims.
The game title stays true to what The Sims has always been about, while also aiming to evolve the way Sims think and behave. This reinterpretation of The Sims will offer even more ways to play, tools to encourage creativity and opportunities to tell meaningful stories. With Project Rene, players can play solo or collaborate with others, as well as play their game across multiple supported devices.
Relationships with creators are expanded
For the first time in The Sims history, the developer studio announces that it will partner with Overwolf to offer The Sims 4 players a dedicated location for downloading mods and custom content. Overwolf is the operator of CurseForge, a mod management and discovery platform that supports creators and makes their content available. Over the years, more and more modders and content creators have been joining the The Sims 4 community, and this collaboration marks a big step forward to recognize their efforts and celebrate their contributions.
More information about the program and the release will be announced later in the year.
Exciting new updates for The Sims FreePlay and The Sims Mobile
Finally, new updates for The Sims FreePlay and The Sims Mobile have been announced.
As part of an ongoing effort to improve the representation of all players, The Sims FreePlay introduces new facelifts for the child, teen, adult and senior life stages. These visual upgrades include all hairstyles, earrings, and glasses for all genders, and are permanent and free starting today. In addition, the annual Christmas Seasonal Quest in December will come with a new special story. Also, in early 2023, the ability to build and live in a luxury superyacht will be introduced.
The Sims Mobile introduces a new build/buy supplement, Balconies for the Holiday Season. Designed for Simmers who want to express themselves through imaginative stories, the feature offers players the chance to build dream homes with balconies and customize them using a variety of railings.
