Everything you need to know about The Sims 5, aka Project Rene

although The Sims4 still blooming 10 years after it was originally released, developer Maxis and publisher Electronic Arts are actively developing Project Rene, the codename for what will become The Sims5. Maxis is “very early in development”. The Sims5 from 2023according to a blog post on the Electronic Arts website.

But the game has progressed so far that Maxis was able to organize small playtests focused on interior design and furniture as early as 2022 – the same year the company announced it was developing the game. Maxis and Electronic Arts plan to keep this up and organize small playtests during development.

“This is how the best games are made, hand in hand with players,” wrote game director Gane Rodiek in 2023. “It’s such a valuable tool that will help us make Project Rene truly special. But!– it is a long, involved process.”

So far the developer has done that published four separate videos which are about the latest news about Project Rene. The broadcasts are an unexpected and transparent way for Maxis to get players invested in the next generation of The Sims. There is still much to learn The Sims5including the ever-important release date, but we do know a lot.

Let’s get carried away.

Why is it called Project Rene?

Project Rene is the codename for the next Sims game. We technically don’t even have a confirmation as to what this game will be called The Sims 5 — just that it’s the next generation of The Sims. Whatever the name, it won’t remain Project Rene; code names are industry standard. But the team specifically chose this codename because it reflects words like “renewal, renaissance, rebirth,” says Lyndsay Pearson, head of The Sims franchise: in a broadcast of Behind the Sims. “It represents our renewed commitment to The Sims,” she added.

When will The Sims5 be released?

Maxis and Electronic Arts have not given a release date for The Sims5 – they just said it’s still very early in development. You shouldn’t expect it The Sims5 won’t be released for a few more years, but there may be opportunities for early access periods.

“However, there is still so much work left for Project Rene,” Grant said in a 2023 blog post. “We still haven’t shared our simulation experiences or character and clothing customizations – not to mention new versions of apartment customizations and additional social play experiences. All of this will be slowly improved, shared, tested, adjusted, improved and reduced. And we plan to develop it hand in hand with our players.”

Is The Sims5 free to play?

Maxis made The Sims4 free to play in 2022, well into the game’s lifespan; The Sims4 was released in 2014. The Sims5 will be free to download from the start, Pearson said an episode of Behind the Sims from September 2023.

“That means that when it’s ready and fully open to our players, you’ll be able to join Project Rene and play and explore it without a subscription, without purchasing a core game or power mechanics,” Pearson said. The Sims5like it The Sims4, will feature paid content, but Pearson said the new game’s content distribution will be slightly different. Her example was again – in The Sims4you needed the $40 Seasons expansion pass to have again at all. But The Sims5 would come with basic weather, and the paid content would expand on that — so if there was snow in the base game, you could go ice skating or build a snowman with the expansion, she said.

Pearson said Maxis wants to “lower those barriers to play” to give players access to the widest shared systems. You shouldn’t expect to start with everything that’s currently in there The Sims4However.

Do The Sims5 do you have multiplayer?

The Sims5 will have multiplayer, but Rodiek tempered expectations in a Behind The Sims episode starting January 2023. “One thing to keep in mind is that Project Rene is not an MMO,” Rodiek said. “It’s not this public, shared space where everything you do is always with other people. You could play alone, on your terms, and if you want, on your terms, you can invite others to come play with you.

Where can I play? The Sims5?

Maxis and Electronic Arts haven’t confirmed exactly where you can play The Sims5, just that it’s coming to Windows PC and mobile. Not only that, but there will also be a cross-save between the two options: “Project Rene lets you play on PC, put it down and pick up where you left off on a mobile device,” according to a blog post on the Electronic Arts website. The developer is still working on how to “tailor the experiences by platform,” meaning how the game changes between PC and mobile, if at all, as a result of performance on the platforms.

How will the gameplay change compared to The Sims4?

Maxis and Electronic Arts said in his third Behind The Sims video from September 2022 that The Sims5 will feel “Simsy,” where players control what their Sims do, “while also presenting gameplay choices differently.” There’s not a lot of information on what that actually means, but some areas where you can expect changes are animation, visuals, socialization, and Sim routines.

“The vision for animation is driven by the phrase ‘read the room,’ which means we want players to know how our Sims feel and what they think just by how they behave,” Maxis wrote on his blog. “This means that we support a variety of attitudes, emotions and postures that should operate on different objects and socialization characteristics.” The developer expects this to expand to Routines, improving the way Sims live “at home and in the wider neighborhood.”

When it comes to customization options, you can expect more details everywhere. The first playtest focused on customizing and designing furniture, and the first Behind The Sims shows a bit how this works. There’s a ton of flexibility when it comes to color and design, as well as how objects are placed in the world. For example, the clip shows a Sim tinkering with a sofa: they could change the colors and patterns on the sofa, as well as adjust various details, such as the shape or the number of cushions. They can also place and move cushions on the sofa.

What about The Sims4?

The Sims4 won’t die when The Sims5 has been released. said Maxis Project René and The Sims4 will coexist: “We will continue to support both at the same time and plan to offer more exciting content The Sims4 community for the foreseeable future.”

We cannot say how long Maxis will continue to support The Sims4 when The Sims5 is coming out, but it’s safe to say it won’t drop immediately.