The Sims 5 Cancelled: Here's Why The Sims 4 Sequel Is Likely Never Happening

19 September 2024, 16:44 | Updated: 19 September 2024, 17:04

The Sims 5 is no longer happening, confirms EA. Picture: EA/Maxis

By Katie Louise Smith

The Sims 4 will continue to receive updates while Project Rene will usher in the 'next generation' of The Sims.

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Simmers, we have good and bad news... The good news? Plans to expand The Sims 4 are on the cards. The bad news? The Sims 5 has been cancelled and is no longer happening.

A few years ago, EA and Maxis unveiled the shiny new Project Rene - which was widely believed but never confirmed (!) to be The Sims 5. Billed as the 'next generation Sims game', Project Rene teases multiplayer modes, advanced creative options for furniture and layouts and so much more.

While Project Rene is still in development, EA's vice president Kate Gorman has now confirmed to Variety that The Sims 5 is not happening. Instead, The Sims 4 will continue to receive updates and paid expansions – as well as a major new base game update.

Explaining the reason behind scrapping a potential fifth instalment of the franchise, Gorman revealed there was concern that players would have to start all over again after a decade’s worth of gameplay in the existing The Sims 4.

What is The Sims Project Rene? What happened To The Sims 5?

The Sims: Project Rene was announced in 2022 and will be a new Sims game. Picture: EA/Maxis

Project Rene is a brand new Sims gaming experience that is currently in development. This will include multiplayer modes, and will introduce a new feature that allows Simmers to sell their own custom content through the EA store as "Creator Kits".

This is a completely separate project to The Sims 4, and is not intended to act as a replacement for the 10-year-old fourth instalment of the franchise.

"The way to think about it is, historically, 'The Sims' franchise started with 'Sims 1' and then 'Sims 2,' '3' and '4'. And they were seen as replacements for the previous products," Gorman told Variety. "What we’re really working with our community on is this a new era of 'The Sims.' We are not going to be working on replacements of previous projects; we’re only going to be adding to our universe. With that, you’ll see there are more ways to experience ‘The Sims’ on different platforms, different ways to play, transmedia, and lots of great offerings within this universe."

The Sims Project Rene will continue to be developed, but will not become The Sims 5. Picture: EA/Maxis

As for The Sims 4? The game will continue to grow, with "expansion packs and updates and fixes". Gorman also teased that they're "going to do things going forward is a little different. And it’s really exciting and it’s really the most expansive iteration of ‘The Sims’ yet."

She added: "What this means is that we will continue to bring HD simulation experience and what people would want from a ‘5’ — but it doesn’t mean that we’re going to start you over, reset all your progress, and really feel like you’re going to lose all of that amazing play you put into '4'."

So, if you were panicking about The Sims 4 being replaced, and losing all the hard work you've put into your legacies... there's no need to worry at all. Because it's not happening.

"We don’t want to reset your progress," Gorman continued. "And so it’s not about as much of what the numbers are in the games, but know that the future of the franchise looks more like keeping your progress, keeping things across titles, and really having an ongoing experience, and not a start-and-stop experience between products."

So there you have it. The Sims 5 is not happening, The Sims 4 will continue to grow, and a new experience is just around the corner with Project Rene.