EA has revealed that the studio has no plans to make The Sims 5 anytime soon, and that the franchise as a whole will move "beyond linear, sequential" releases, offering "more options for players than ever before".
In a new blog post, EA lays out the future of the Sims franchise, and the studio says it sees The Sims' future as "more than any one title". Future plans for the series include "cozy games, social and collaborative based gameplay, [and] mobile narrative games".
With regards to The Sims 5, it looks like EA is planning to stick with The Sims 4 for the foreseeable future. The studio says the game will "continue to be a foundational Sims experience", although it will receive "continued depth, improvements, and modernization".
Speaking to Variety, Sims general manager Kate Gorman said she and EA want players to "continue all of those families and generations" that you've been following in The Sims 4.
Creating The Sims 5 would mean "reset[ting] your progress", and Gorman says she wants to avoid this eventuality. She says the future of The Sims is all about "keeping your progress, keeping things across titles, and really having an ongoing experience".
So, what actually is in store for the future of The Sims? Well, first up, EA confirms that the upcoming Sims movie is very much real. It'll be directed by Loki's Kate Herron and produced by Margot Robbie's company LuckyChap, in conjunction with Vertigo Entertainment.
Additionally, The Sims 4 is getting Creator Kits, a set of packs made by Sims content creators that will deliver "creator-made content that's console-friendly and curated with safeguards".
EA also says it's currently working on Project Rene, which, I suppose, officially isn't The Sims 5, although EA stops just short of explaining what it actually is, simply saying that it is "focused on building ways for friends to meet, connect, and share while playing together in an all-new world".
We'll learn more about Creator Packs in November, and more details about Project Rene will likely emerge when an "invite-only playtest" is held this fall. Additionally, The Sims 4 will, of course, continue to receive regular updates.
Given that Paradox's Life by You was canceled earlier this year, The Sims now has pretty scant competition, although games like InZoi are still keeping a watchful eye on the franchise's life sim crown.
We'll have to wait and see what The Sims' new agenda manages to achieve, and whether any of its upcoming competitors manage to knock it off its throne. Stay tuned for more on this.
