The Sims franchise turns a quarter century on February 4, and it’s been 25 wild years of WooHooing, drowning Sims in pools, painting goblins in the basement, vampire dynasties, grinding the career ladder, and other soap opera antics. Maxis and Electronic Arts hosted a short stream on Tuesday showcasing some of the upcoming content, including new accessory packs, creator collaborations and quality of life updates.
On February 4, developer Maxis will be adding a bunch of free cosmetics to the game, both in Create-A-Sim and in Build and Buy modes. This includes new hairstyles, clothing items, shoes, wallpaper, windows, wood finishes on kitchen cabinets, and a huge pirate ship playground for Sim kids.
Later in March, Maxis will also overhaul the lighting The Sims4allowing for more dynamic lighting and realistic reflections. This makes adding a bay window to the breakfast nook much more appealing, and architects will no doubt enjoy furnishing their Sim’s home with optimal aesthetics.
Maxis also shared some smaller changes that are coming The Sims4such as an overhaul of many common Sims features, with new pieces added to the game over its lifespan. Players will also notice a new menu when they log in starting Tuesday, focusing on their current Sim family.
In September, Electronic Arts and Maxis announced that there may be no The Sims5and they will continue to support The Sims4. “Project Rene,” a secret project focused on multiplayer, is still undergoing early playtesting. We’ll have to wait for more details on what Project Rene will look like and how it will mix The Sims4. Maxis is clearly learning from these playtests and is continually updating the game with features such as the Occult Switcher.