The Sims 4 continues to actively develop for over a decade now, and according to statements from Electronic Arts executives, the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. The Sims 4 will remain a key game, and if EA ever decides to release The Sims 5, it won`t happen in the foreseeable future. Laura Miele, head of non-sports games at EA, made this clear in an interview with Variety.
Miele explained to the publication that she does not want players to have to start everything from scratch, losing their created content and all the expansions purchased over the years. Over the past ten years, more than 85 content packs have been released for The Sims 4, and resetting all of that would be unfriendly to players and not the best decision for the community.
Instead of replacing The Sims 4, EA intends to build upon the existing foundation and expand the broader Sims ecosystem with the multiplayer-focused Project Rene and other initiatives.
Miele stated: “We are upgrading and refreshing all the technology, adding new gameplay modes, and will also be creating and updating the core technology and user experience in the main game.”
“Thus, you will have a life simulation, multiplayer capabilities, as well as mobile versions. We are also working on `cozy` games, and more information will be available soon. We have already released `cozy` Sims games with Nintendo in Asia. I view The Sims as a significant ecosystem, a universe of many Sims experiences that we must develop,” she added.
The mention of “upgrading and refreshing technologies” will likely attract the most attention from long-time The Sims 4 players. Many are calling for a new full-fledged Sims game, despite knowing that this would reset DLC cycles and render mods non-functional. Players want The Sims 5 because The Sims 4 has been out for 11 years and feels outdated, even with regular updates. Perhaps this statement indicates a potential major overhaul of The Sims 4`s foundation.