As 2024 comes to a close,The Sims 4officially crossesover a decade of activity. This advanced age doesn’t mean that the game is slowing down, as EA has confirmed thatThe Sims 4will continue to receive updates, with new experiences and content coming in 2025. Alongside an improvedThe Sims 4is Project Rene, which isstill in developmentwithout a set release date going into 2025.
In a recent blog post,EAshared that players havelogged over 1.2 billion hoursinThe Sims 4, with303 million hours in build mode and 759 million hours in live mode. These massive numbers prove thatThe Sims 4is as alive and popular as ever. With another game in the works and an entire team dedicated to improvingThe Sims 4’score experience,players have lots to look forward to in 2025. Here’s what to expect.
Expect More News on Project Rene, But Probably Not A Release Date
Players Will Have To Be Patient In 2025
WhileThe Sims 4has continued steadily, Maxis and EA have alsobeen working on Project Renefor the last few years. This project wasinitially thought to beThe Sims 5, but developers have confirmed that’s not the case. Instead, Project Renewill be an entirely separate gamefor players to enjoy alongsideThe Sims 4,though it is still currently untitled. More solid news will likely come out about Project Rene in 2025, as the game had a small and invite-only playtest in the Fall of 2024, but anyrelease date information is unlikely.
10 Essential Features Project Rene Needs To Include From The Sims Series
If EA and Maxis want to improve the Sims with Project Rene, they should take these things into account so players can have the best experience.
So far, EA has confirmed some aspects of Project Rene. One major update is that it will befree-to-play, as confirmed inSeptember 2023 on Behind The Sims, a series onThe Sims’official YouTube channel.Behind The Sims in January 2023alsoconfirmed that Project Rene will have multiplayer, but explained that “Project Rene is not an MMO.” Instead, the game will be more akin toAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, whereplayers can play in their own separate space and then invite friends to join them. Additionally,a blog post from EAconfirmedProject Rene will have crossplay between PC and mobile.
With all this confirmed news, it stilldoesn’t seem likely that EA will announce a release date in 2025. Project Rene has been playtesting since 2022, and despite the transparent development process,doesn’t seem close to ready. While a long development process can sometimes be frustrating, giving developers thetime they need usually means a better productfor players to enjoy for many years afterward.
More Content For The Sims 4
New Expansions, Packs, And More
In the aforementioned EA blog post, the company confirmed newThe Sims4 content is coming in 2025. However, what exactlythat content will be is still a mystery,though players can enjoy theholiday content that was released forThe Sims 4. 2024 saw only two main expansion packs released,LovestruckandLife & Death, so 2025 will likely have a similar number. WhileMaxis and EA haven’t confirmed any specific content for 2025, it does seem likely that there will besome sort of anniversary event for the series. February 2025 will be the25th anniversary of the series, asThe Simsfirst came out on August 24, 2025.
Everything The Sims 4’s Latest Holiday Content Update Added (2024)
The Sims 4 recently added some new quests for the holidays that offer in-game rewards for players. These include new items and create-a-Sim options.
Hopefully,The Sims 4will releasea throwback pack or expansion. Any pack that includesthrowback items or clothing for that Y2K vibe of the first gamewould be fantastic, like the inflatable chairs and the iconic aquarium. One item that should most definitely make an appearance that has still somehow never made it intoThe Sims 4isthe heart bed.It seems like a no-brainer thatThe Sims 4will have some sort of anniversary celebration,but bigger would be better, so ideally it will be more than a stuff pack.
Say Goodbye To The Sims 5
No Sequel For The Main Series Is Coming
EA has confirmed thatthere is no direct sequel in the works forThe Sims 4. The traditional release format of one mainline game with a new number after the title has seemingly been broken, asEA is instead focused on continuing support forThe Sims 4. Any players holding out hope forThe Sims 5will have to settle for moreThe Sims 4contentfor now.EA Vice President Kate Groman statedearlier in 2024: “We are not going to be working on replacements of previous projects. We’re only going to be adding to our universe.”
Alongside theconfirmation that Project Rene is notThe Sims 5, the statement from Groman makes it clear that EA and Maxis seeno point in leavingThe Sims 4when it still consistently makes moneyfrom its expansions, stuff packs, and kits. Rather than starting over with a new game, the developers would ratherfocus on building the existing communityof creators and players whilesimultaneously improvingThe Sims 4experience. While it may seem ambitious to keepa decade-old game going even longer without a refresh, this business model has beenproven to work with a dedicated community, as games likeGrand Theft Auto 5andThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimare still going strong.
Expect A Cleaner Sims 4 In 2025
Fewer Bugs, But More Detail From A Decade Old Game
AsThe Sims 4enters its tenth year, the game hasreceived special attention to bug fixes and improvements. In May 2024, EA announced that a special team dedicated to the “core game experience” had been created and in a blog post from September,EAconfirmed that the team was even more invested in “efforts to focus on previously reported issues, quality assurance and game optimization for future releases”.
Additionally, the team willcontinue to release new fixes every two months until otherwise stated, so fans can look forward to amore stable experience with their Sims going into 2025. With such a massive game, anda practically endless number of modsand creator content attached to it,keeping the bugs at bay can be quite an undertaking for developers. Updates include basic bug fixes, like identifying why certain mods crash, or adding fun details toThe Sims 4, like Sims reacting differently to other Sims' deaths depending on their relationships.
Whether you’re a builder, a family Simmer, or a Create-a-Sim fan, there should be plenty to look forward to fromThe Sims 4in 2025. While it’s unlikely we’ll be getting a brand-new game, it’s clear EA and the team behind the game have lots planned to keep us invested inThe Sims 4.
