A new free base game update is set to arrive in The Sims 4 on February 3, 2026, complete with not just new content, but also hopefully a bunch of bug fixes. These bug fixes have been the most voted for by The Sims community, affecting several players’ games and in demand to get addressed. The newly-released laundry list (January 27) reveals all the bugs planned to be fixed in this upcoming update.
Top Community Concerns Being Investigated for Next Update
- Since The Sims 4 base game update on January 13th, players have reported photos turning black. This should be resolved in an upcoming update.
- In Create-A-Sim, UI issues found in Likes and Dislikes as well as Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs should be corrected.
- When entering and exiting Build Mode during Scenarios with Goals, the UI could disappear, or the game could even become unresponsive. A fix should address this.
- The game should no longer crash when editing Aliens (Get to Work) and Mermaids (Island Living) in Create-A-Sim.
- The issue preventing room type assignments in Build Mode (For Rent) should be resolved.
- The Simple Slattered and Mastercraft staircases should not have an extra board when placing L-shaped stairs.
- The following Skill book covers should not change when placed on a retail display: Baking (Get to Work), Wellness (Spa Day), Snowboarding (Snowy Escape), Rock Climbing (Snowy Escape), Herbalism (Outdoor Retreat), and Photography (base game).
- Mixology (base game) and Fabrication (Eco Lifestyle) Skill books should no longer share the same cover.
- Nail asset yfAcc_ManiNaturalShort_SolidDirt should not cause metallic effect to entire body.
- Nail assets yfAcc_ManiGP12Forest and ymAcc_ManiGP12Forest should not show lines around Sim’s upper arms.
- Sims should be able to complete Dance with Someone goal at Prom in order to earn Gold Event rating (High School Years Expansion).
- Upgraded vacuums should now work on Off-the-Grid Lot Types (Bust the Dust Kit).
You should be able to get a Gold at Proms now you can do the Dance with Someone goal.
Update on Top 5 Issues Voted for By Community
- Ongoing issue with eyelids not closing properly (noticeable when blinking and sleeping) is being worked on.
- Looking into the strange disappearance of pets and horses in premade households. Fix for internal testing should be available soon.
- Investigating concern of strangers joining in with conversations. Some new theories could lead to fixes.
- Testing potential fixes for animals stuck or even missing in Inventory.
- Several proposed fixes are under investigation regarding Sims obsessively using objects.
Animals seem to have a strange habit of disappearing from inventories. A fix should address that though.
Notice for Mod Users and Genealogy Mods
On February 3, a free base game update will be released for The Sims 4, including expanded and improved functionality for family trees, genealogy, and relationship data. These updates will enhance how Sims’ family connections are tracked and displayed, which plays a big part in the upcoming Expansion Pack Royalty & Legacy as you play with Dynasties.
This update will make major changes to the game, and therefore mods specifically designed to extend or interpret family and relationship data will be affected. Side effects could be missing relatives, unexpected relationship changes, and incorrectly-displayed family trees. In turn, these could affect your saved game.
For mod users involving lineage, generational gameplay, and complex family rules, it is highly recommended that these mods are removed before the update lands in The Sims 4 on February 3. You should wait until the creators confirm that these mods are compatible post-update.
For mod creators, a list of Python changes with this base game update has been provided via a post on EA Forums, which will assist in updating genealogy mods.
Mods tied with genealogy in The Sims 4 may need to be updated due to big changes coming very soon.
Update on Save File Investigation
Issues with save files in The Sims 4 is an ongoing investigation. So far, The Sims Team have worked towards resolving this issue in previous updates. In order to resolve any remaining issues, they’re awaiting further information from players reporting these issues to investigate further, continuing to monitor anything new.
Their attention is now turning from investigating to long-term prevention. Any fixes regarding save issues will be mentioned in future laundry lists released for The Sims 4.
