One of the most popular PC gaming franchises of all time, The Sims, may be announcing a new mainline title in the series before the end of October, according to industry insider and leaker Jeff Grubb. With The Sims 4 getting long in the tooth in 2022, Electronic Arts is almost certain to be looking at ways to move the franchise forward, and a few other key events suggest as much as well.
Namely, the last time The Sims received a new mainline game was in 2014, and even though The Sims 4 has been receiving expansion packs ever since, it's rather outdated so many years after its inception. With that in mind, Grubb's latest Game Mess Mornings stream suggested that EA may be getting ready to finally announce The Sims 5, with the reveal potentially taking place this October.
On its own, Grubb's insight isn't necessarily groundbreaking, but there's been a fair bit of hubbub surrounding The Sims as of late, potentially corroborating his claims. Firstly, it has already been announced that The Sims 4 is going free-to-play, albeit only the base game with none of the DLCs attached. Secondly, Electronic Arts and Maxis have already announced that there's a big Sims livestream coming up on October 18, making it a potential platform for the rumored reveal of The Sims 5. With a major announcement coming up, the previous game in the franchise going free-to-play, and leakers claiming that the next entry is on the docket, it certainly seems possible that something big is afoot.
Though potentially unrelated, there's also the fact that Maxis is hiring a multiplayer game designer to work on one of its projects. The developer is likely working on multiple games at the same time, as is usual in the industry, but this listing could very well be related to the supposed Sims 5, though there's simply no way to tell just yet.
Naturally, all of the above ought to be kept in mind with a pinch of salt in hand. Though a new Sims game is long overdue, it's no secret that The Sims 4 and its many DLCs have been remarkably successful in the long run. Grubb's claims are hardly set in stone, and the October stream could end up being a DLC announcement or simply have something to do with The Sims 4's newfangled free-to-play status.
Whatever the case may be, The Sims 5 will happen sooner or later, and fans already have a whole slew of game suggestions and wishlists that Maxis may want to take into account. There are many features that could improve The Sims 5, but only EA and Maxis will be able to decide if the next entry in this long-lasting franchise brings meaningful change or perhaps just more of the same.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.