Since the release of The Sims 4 by developer Maxis and publisher Electronic Arts, almost 10 years have passed - this is the longest gap between new installments in the series. Nevertheless, new expansions continue to be released, and significant information about The Sims 5 started to emerge only in 2022-2023. Prior to that, most of the information was only available from insider sources and leaks. 

In October 2022, the base game of The Sims 4 officially became available for free on Origin and Steam. This means that the release of a new installment is now a bit closer. On October 18, 2022, the official announcement of The Sims 5 took place. Let's summarize and delve into all the information about the new installment that is available at the moment and speculate on when to expect its release. 

Behind The Sims Summit: What's New?

In fact, the title "The Sims 5" is just a placeholder. The original project name is "The Sims: Project Rene." The official announcement took place during the developers' stream event - Behind The Sims Summit Stream Event. Part of the stream was dedicated to updates and content for The Sims Free Play, and only at the end did they show players a small piece of what The Sims: Project Rene will look like.

From the demonstration on the screen, it became clear that The Sims 5 will be cross-platform. Actions performed by the player on a smartphone were instantly reflected on the PC. And this is truly amazing because none of the previous versions of The Sims offered cross-play. 

It's noticeable that there are many more tools for customizing items available. Items are not tied to a grid, and placement options are almost unlimited. The Build Mode looks like a full-fledged editor for interior designers. Here are a few more interesting facts:

• The create-a-style editor will return along with detailed customization, as in The Sims 3;
• Multiple players will be able to decorate a residence simultaneously. 

Maxis promised to keep everyone updated on the development and release of news. Now we can follow the progress knowing that the project is in active development. 

Project Rene: Expectation or Disappointment?

Despite the long-awaited announcement, not all players were impressed with the presented gameplay. Firstly, there isn't much of it. The majority of what we've already seen is a detailed and elaborate Build Mode. However, players did not receive detailed information about the character creation mode, the surrounding world, towns, and other important aspects of The Sims world. 

Also, the community expressed doubts about the fact that the game will be available for free, including on mobile devices. Recall that previously, the classic series The Sims was available only on PC and consoles. Side projects, such as The Sims Free Play and The Sims Mobile, differed from the mainline series of The Sims by featuring constant grinding, in-game purchases, and restrictions such as energy and time meters. For example, in The Sims Free Play, a character actually goes to sleep for 8 real hours, and speeding up time in the game is impossible. Based on the experience with The Sims Free Play and Mobile, players speculated that the idea of making the classic line of The Sims free and available on smartphones is highly doubtful. Although, developers promised that in Project Rene, there will be no restrictions similar to old mobile versions. 

Will we really get a worthy sequel in the form of The Sims 5 or another innovative project on smartphones that will be in demand only by a portion of the fanbase? Time will tell. 

When Will The Sims 5 Be Released?

As of now, developers haven't provided an approximate release date for The Sims 5. Maxis emphasizes that Project Rene is still in its early stages of development. Presumably, the company will need several more years to bring the game to a significant level and present it to the world.

In 2024, there has been no new information from the developer company about the upcoming project. According to leaks, a test version of Project Rene for October-November 2022 has surfaced online. Presumably, Project Rene is based on an unknown version of the Unreal Engine and is protected by the Denuvo anti-piracy system. This information is unconfirmed.

Will There Be Expansions for The Sims 5?

Yes. Despite the game being free, developers do not exclude the release of DLCs. At the same time, the approach to releasing expansions and their content will be completely re-evaluated. For example, weather mechanics, which previously always came with a thematic paid expansion, will be available in the base free version of the game. 

"Our goal is for Project Rene to be a worthy game from the very beginning. At the time of its release, it won't have everything that's already present in The Sims 4, but over time, we plan to add new features and content to the game." - information from EA's social media. 

Will The Sims 5 Have Multiplayer Mode?

Developers and players of The Sims have been dreaming of a multiplayer mode since the release of The Sims 4, which essentially was supposed to replicate an earlier project - The Sims Online. EA and Maxis are considering implementing a multiplayer mode, and it should be something more than just the online gallery we got in The Sims 4, which can only be dubiously called multiplayer mechanics. 

All we can do now is wait for further news. Stay tuned for updates on The Sims world with us!