A video purportedly showcasing the next iteration of The Sims has surfaced online, sparking concern among fans about the future of the beloved series. Known as Project Rene, a codename sometimes used interchangeably with The Sims 5, though EA clarifies it as a separate project, this game has been in development for several years. Recent early access footage from a game titled "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to speculate that this might indeed be the next Sims installment.
The video, lasting a full 20 minutes, features a player navigating through text prompts to customize their character's outfit, hair, watch, and activities. The gameplay then transitions to a sunlit Plaza de Poupon, where the player buys food and interacts with other characters. The scene later shifts to the player working at an outdoor café. Throughout the playtest, characters are referred to as Sims, communicate in Simlish, and sport the iconic Plumbob, further fueling speculation about its connection to the Sims series.
"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 fan on The Sims subreddit in a post titled "I think Project Rene is a red flag (I hope not)," which garnered 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 a fan. "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 a literally [sic] satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness.... And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness," another fan observed.
Initially teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit, Project Rene was described as a free-to-play Sims game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. While it has not yet been officially revealed or given a release date, EA has conducted small, invite-only playtests since its announcement. The latest playtest likely led to these recent leaks.
The name "Rene" was chosen to signify words like "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," reflecting the developer's commitment to a bright future for the Sims franchise.
Last October, images of Project Rene leaked from a closed online test, prompting criticism regarding its art style, limited features, and the inclusion of microtransactions. The addition of a café drew particular skepticism due to its similarities to 2018's The Sims Mobile. In response, EA clarified that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but a different "cosy, social game" within the Sims franchise.
Meanwhile, The Sims 4 fans were delighted by the return of The Burglar in the latest update, a nostalgic nod to the older games in the series.
