Today, on the 18th of October 2022, The Sims 4 base game officially became free-to-play. Along with this, a special livestream took place, titled Behind The Sims Summit, that made a lot of announcements regarding the future of The Sims. There was a lot unveiled in this half-hour livestream. Let’s breakdown what was announced and what we can expect to see in The Sims.
The Sims 4: Now Free-to-Play, Plus Upcoming Content
The Sims 4 has been out since 2014. 8 years later, it will now become free-to-play – at least the base game. This applies to all platforms of The Sims 4, including PC, PlayStation consoles, and Xbox consoles. The Sims 4 base game has really expanded in content since its release, thanks to free updates. If you’re thinking of getting The Sims 4 or you weren’t sure before, now is a good time to try it out.
That’s not all. It’s been confirmed that new content is on the way for The Sims 4, in future updates as well as new expansions, game packs, stuff packs, and kits. In the Behind The Sims Summit livestream, we got a glimpse of new worlds, new objects, new Create-A-Sim items, and new gameplay is likely too.
It’s also been confirmed that two expansion packs are on the way in the near future. A possible one was briefly shown towards the end of the stream. For years, players have been tired of babies being treated like objects in The Sims 4, confined to bassinets. According to the preview, that looks like it’s about to change. A baby was shown crawling across the floor, something we’ve never seen a baby do in The Sims 4. The baby was also wearing clothes currently not seen in the game, and there were some new baby objects in the background. Nothing more has been revealed at this stage, except to expect this new content in early 2023.
Is one of the new Sims 4 expansion packs about babies?
The Sims Next Generation Currently in Development
One rather major reveal in the Behind The Sims Summit livestream was the fact that The Sims team are developing the next generation of The Sims. It hasn’t been given an official title yet, but it looks like it could be The Sims 5. It’s not yet called that though, instead it has been titled The Sims Project Rene. The word “Rene” was used to mean things such as rebirth and renaissance, reflecting on the team’s desire to continue working with The Sims.
This is the first time that The Sims Project Rene was announced, and we even got a very early look at what they have been working on. We got a little look at what putting together a room could look like. From what was shown, it has some advancements from past Sims games. This includes customizing parts of objects, choosing patterns, and even a color wheel. It’s similar to the level of detail in object customization from The Sims 3, except more so. Creations can also be shared with other players. The clips shown were from very early development, so a lot can change since then. The Sims team will be sharing development updates as progress is made on Project Rene.
If you’re concerned that this marks the beginning of the end for The Sims 4, don’t fear. The team promised that there’s plenty more content to come in The Sims 4 yet, such as the two upcoming expansions and future updates. It will also be a long while before The Sims Project Rene is ready to be released.
Project Rene is the next generation in The Sims.
A New Place to Download Custom Content and Mods
Creativity plays a huge part in The Sims. One form of this is in player created content, including custom content and mods. It’s been such an enormous part of The Sims for so long that The Sims team recognizes this, making a special announcement in the Behind The Sims Summit livestream. The Sims are collaborating with Overwolf, who operate CurseForge, which is a mod manager and home to custom content. CurseForge will be a new home for mods and custom content in The Sims 4, providing a place to download new stuff for your game. More information on this collaboration should come soon.
There will be a new place to download custom content and mods for The Sims 4.
Updates for The Sims FreePlay and The Sims Mobile
It’s not just The Sims 4 that’s getting special attention. If you play The Sims FreePlay and The Sims Mobile, there’s some new stuff in store.
Starting with The Sims FreePlay, the Sims’ faces are getting an improved visual update since the game’s release. Plus, hairstyles, glasses and earrings are now available for all genders. The annual Christmas in the Heir seasonal quest is coming to FreePlay in December 2022 with a new story. Additionally, you will soon get to build and live in a luxury superyacht, coming in early 2023.
Look out for new stuff coming to The Sims FreePlay.
What’s new for The Sims Mobile? Players have been asking for balconies, and now they’re going to get balconies, thanks to a new update on the way soon. You will be able to build and customize balconies and get creative with them.
Balconies are coming to The Sims Mobile.
Gifts for The Sims 4, The Sims FreePlay and The Sims Mobile
If you play The Sims 4, The Sims FreePlay or The Sims Mobile, you’ll get some special gifts as a mark of appreciation from The Sims team for your dedication. These rewards include new tattoos and a new plumbob ceiling fan, and they’re available for free in all 3 of these games.
There are some special gifts for players in The Sims 4, The Sims FreePlay, and The Sims Mobile.
That wraps up everything that was announced in Behind The Sims Summit livestream. There were a lot of exciting reveals and updates in this livestream that celebrated the past and got players hyped for the future. What announcement did you like best in Behind The Sims Summit livestream? Let us know in the comments.
