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, sometimes mistakenly referred to as The Sims 5, though EA insists it's a spin-off, this project has been in the works for several years. Recent footage from a game called "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to believe it could be the next installment in The Sims franchise.
The video, which runs for 20 minutes, shows a player navigating through various text prompts to customize their character's appearance and activities before entering a sunlit Plaza de Poupon. The player then proceeds to purchase food, interact with locals, and work at an outdoor café. The characters are referred to as Sims, speak in Simlish, and feature the iconic Plumbob, further fueling speculation about its connection to The Sims.
"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 disappointed player on The Sims' subreddit in a post titled "I think Project Rene is a red flag (I hope not)," which received hundreds of upvotes."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 fan 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," suggested another. "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 fan pointed out.
Project Rene, initially rumored to be The Sims 5 but later clarified by EA as a separate entity, was first teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit. Described as a free-to-play game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us, it has yet to be officially unveiled or given a release date. EA has been conducting small, invite-only playtests since its announcement, with the latest presumably leading to these recent leaks.
The name "Rene" is derived from words like "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," symbolizing the developer's renewed commitment to the future of The Sims.
Last October, images of Project Rene leaked from a closed online test, prompting criticism regarding the art style, limited features, and the inclusion of microtransactions. The addition of a café particularly drew skepticism due to its similarities to 2018's The Sims Mobile. At that time, EA clarified that Project Rene was not The Sims 5 but would be a distinct "cosy, social game" under The Sims franchise.
Meanwhile, fans of the series were delighted to see the return of The Burglar in the latest update for The Sims 4, bringing back a nostalgic element for long-time players.
