EA's New Sims 'Concept' Leaks Online, Fans Unhappy

A video allegedly showcasing the next installment of The Sims has surfaced online, stirring up a mix of excitement and apprehension among fans of the beloved franchise. Dubbed Project Rene, which some believe to be The Sims 5, but officially described by EA as a spin-off, this project has been under wraps for several years. However, leaked footage from a game titled "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to speculate that this could be the next big Sims release.

The leaked video, which runs for a full 20 minutes, features a player navigating through a series of text prompts to customize their character's appearance and activities. The gameplay then transitions to a sunlit Plaza de Poupon, where the player character, or Sim, purchases food and interacts with other Sims. Later, the Sim heads to work at an outdoor café. Throughout the video, characters are referred to as Sims, communicate in the iconic Simlish language, and are marked with the signature Plumbob, all hallmarks of 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?" voiced one frustrated player 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," remarked another. "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 literally a satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness... And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness," commented another.

Project Rene, initially rumored to be The Sims 5, was first teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit. It's positioned as a free-to-play game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. Although it has not been officially unveiled or given a release date, EA has been conducting small, invite-only playtests since its announcement. The recent leak is believed to have originated from one of these playtests.

The codename "Rene" is derived from terms like "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," symbolizing the developers' renewed dedication to the future of The Sims. However, images leaked last October from a closed online test sparked criticism regarding the art style, limited features, and the implementation of microtransactions. The addition of a café, reminiscent of 2018's The Sims Mobile, raised further skepticism about the project's direction. In response, EA clarified that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but a separate "cosy, social game" within The Sims franchise.

In other news, 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.