EA's New Sims Concept Leaks Online, Fans Unhappy

A video purportedly showcasing 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 referred to as The Sims 5 by some, though EA insists it's a separate spin-off. The early access footage, titled "City Life Game With Friends," has led many to speculate that this might indeed be the next installment in the Sims franchise.

The leaked video, which runs for 20 minutes, shows the player navigating through text prompts to customize their character's outfit, hair, watch, and activities before entering a sunlit Plaza de Poupon. There, the player engages in typical Sims activities such as buying food and socializing with other characters. The gameplay then transitions to the player working at an outdoor café.

Throughout the video, characters are referred to as Sims, speak in Simlish, and are topped with the iconic Plumbob, further fueling speculation that this is indeed a new Sims game.

"I am terribly disappointed with Project Rene. Yes, I know, according to EA, 'this is not the final game.' Is this a joke or what?" expressed one frustrated player on The Sims' subreddit in a widely upvoted post titled "I think Project Rene is a red flag (I hope not)."

"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," commented another user. "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," one 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 remarked.

Project Rene, initially rumored to be The Sims 5, was first teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit. EA describes it as a free-to-play game that incorporates multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. Although no formal release date has been announced, EA has conducted invite-only playtests since its announcement, which likely led to the recent leaks.

The name "Rene" was chosen to signify "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," reflecting the developers' commitment to a vibrant future for The Sims. However, last October, leaked images from a closed online test triggered backlash regarding the game's art style, limited features, and the use of microtransactions. The addition of a café, reminiscent of 2018's The Sims Mobile, drew particular scrutiny.

In response to the leaks, EA clarified that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but rather a distinct "cosy, social game" under The Sims franchise.

Meanwhile, fans of the series were pleasantly surprised by the return of The Burglar in the latest update for The Sims 4, a nostalgic nod to the older games in the series.