EA's New Sims Concept Leaks: Fans Unhappy

A video purportedly from the next iteration of The Sims has surfaced online, sparking concern among fans about the future of the beloved franchise. Project Rene—often speculated to be The Sims 5, though EA insists it's a separate spin-off—has been in development for several years. Recently, early access footage of a game titled "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to believe this could be the next Sims game.

The video runs for 20 minutes and features a player navigating through text prompts to customize their avatar's outfit, hair, watch, and activities. The player then enters a sunlit Plaza de Poupon, where they purchase food and interact with other characters. Later, the player works at an outdoor café. Throughout the gameplay, characters are referred to as Sims, communicate in Simlish, and display the iconic Plumbob.

"EA clearly wants to kill off traditional Sims games and push people toward a mobile-style experience. So, in their mind, a reboot literally means this — at least that’s what I THINK."

"This is not going to be for me, I can tell already," stated another. "It just seems so basic, and I don't want to play The Sims on my phone."

"The funny thing is, making a PC/mobile cross-compatible Sims game isn't a bad idea," proposed a fan. "EA just believes that mobile games HAVE to be ugly for some reason. They're chasing all of the design trends of the past decade, but it means that this thing already looks dated and it's not even out yet."

"The way The Sims was literally a satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness... And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness," commented another.

Project Rene, initially rumored to be The Sims 5 until EA clarified otherwise, was first teased in 2022 at the Behind the Sims Summit. It's a free-to-play game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. Although it hasn't been officially revealed or given a release date, EA has been conducting small, invite-only playtests since its announcement, with the latest playtest likely being the source of the recent leaks.

The name Rene was selected to reflect terms like "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," symbolizing the developers' commitment to a bright future for The Sims.

Last October, leaked images from Project Rene's closed online test drew criticism regarding the art style, limited features, and microtransactions. The inclusion of a café raised eyebrows, especially due to its similarities to 2018's The Sims Mobile. Following the leak, EA clarified that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but a distinct "cosy, social game" under The Sims franchise.

Meanwhile, fans of the series were delighted to see The Burglar make a return in the latest update for The Sims 4, bringing back a nostalgic element from the older games.