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The Sims news is currently a bit of a rollercoaster. Following the explosive announcement of a potential EA takeover that would give Saudi Arabia an overwhelming 93% majority stake, a new rumor has emerged: the infamous Sims 4 Remaster. Last week, a reliable source within the community suggested that the decade-old game was set for a major overhaul. And this wouldn’t be just any update, this new version is expected to finally introduce several long-requested features, including the holy grail of an open world.
It would have been in line with games like Rainbow Six Siege and Overwatch, which received massive visual and gameplay upgrades without requiring players to spend additional money. However, with EA, it’s always wise to temper expectations. In the end, it appears this won’t be a remaster, nor a true Sims 5, but rather an unusual hybrid that falls somewhere between the two.
No Sims 5, But a New Game Could Be Coming
At least, that’s according to gloamingthepain, a user who claims to have worked with EA Firemonkeys and shared this information on the ATRL forums. According to him, the project, internally referred to as Project X, is neither a remaster nor a disguised Sims 5, but rather a separate game. While much of the existing content could be reused, the new version might feature several highly requested additions, such as an open world, neighborhoods up to three times more vibrant than those in the current game, and revamped graphics that could resemble the first Project Rene demos, the ones with a more modern style, not the watered-down mobile versions recently shown.
In reality, this Sims 4.5 would simply be the single-player mode of Project Rene, which is now planned to be sold separately. Yes, sold. The source suggests that there will be some form of backward compatibility for previously purchased expansions and saves, but players will still need to repurchase the game. If EA decides to call it The Sims 5 for simplicity’s sake, it’s crucial to understand that we shouldn’t expect a true sequel. Instead, it will be a more streamlined version of the current game, incorporating some highly-requested features… but leaving out others.
“The game however will be more simplistic than Sims 4 in other ways as the single player experience of Rene was never meant to compete with The Sims 4 and was more a simplified single player offering in a game focusing on multiplayer, and to keep the Sims 4 as the flagship single player game,” explains the source.
Is The Sims 4 Being Phased Out?
At the heart of this shift lies a financial concern. With its decade-old engine, complex code, and an ever-growing list of bugs, many of which stem from the sheer volume of expansion packs, The Sims 4 has become increasingly expensive to maintain. EA appears to be looking to establish a new, more stable technical foundation, one that can better address mod-related issues and the bugs they create, problems that are draining the resources of the QA team.
As a result, the publisher is reportedly considering gradually winding down development of the current Sims 4, with plans to shift some of the content to this Sims 4.5. According to the same source, this new game is expected to launch by the end of 2026. As always, it’s important to remember that, while the rumor has caused a significant stir within the community, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt until EA officially announces their plans.
Source : gloamingthepain via ATRL forums
