EA's New Sims Concept Leaks Online, Fans Disappointed

A video purportedly taken from the next iteration of The Sims has surfaced online, sparking concern among fans about the future direction of the beloved series. Known as Project Rene, this project has been rumored to be The Sims 5, though EA has clarified that Project Rene is actually a spin-off. Recent footage from a game titled "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to speculate that this could be the next installment in the Sims franchise.

The leaked video, which runs for 20 minutes, shows a player navigating through various text prompts to customize their character's appearance and activities. The gameplay then transitions to a sunny Plaza de Poupon, where the player's Sim purchases food and interacts with other characters. The video also features the Sim working at an outdoor café. Throughout the playtest, characters are referred to as Sims, communicate in Simlish, and are marked with the iconic Plumbob, further fueling speculation about its connection to The Sims series.

"EA clearly wants to kill off normal Sims games and push people toward the 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," another user remarked. "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," another fan suggested. "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," another player noted.

Project Rene, initially rumored to be The Sims 5, was first hinted at during the Behind the Sims Summit in 2022. It's described as a free-to-play game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. Although it hasn't been officially released or given a release date, EA has conducted small, invite-only playtests since its announcement, with the latest test likely being the source of these leaks.

The name "Rene" was chosen to signify "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," reflecting the developers' commitment to the future of The Sims. However, last October, leaked images from a closed online test sparked criticism regarding the game's art style, limited features, and use of microtransactions. The inclusion of a café, reminiscent of 2018's The Sims Mobile, drew particular skepticism, leading EA to clarify that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but a different "cozy, social game" within The Sims franchise.

Meanwhile, fans of the older Sims games were delighted by the return of The Burglar in the latest update for The Sims 4, bringing a touch of nostalgia to the series.