The Sims 4 may not always provide the most realistic life simulation experience - players can befriend vampires, visit outer space, and even afford their own home without sinking into horrible debt. However, there are some areas of the game which developer Maxis and publisher Electronic Arts have committed to making more realistic, and inclusive language is one of them. The Sims 4 developers have stated that they want players to be able to honestly express their gender identity in game, and that they are looking to add a free update to the base game which will address this issue.
The Sims 4, which first released in September 2014, has received near-constant updates in the form of nearly fifty purchasable expansion packs, "game packs," "stuff packs," and "kits," adding new locations to live in, new clothing, new home decor options, and more. The year 2022, which has been branded with the theme "Simthing to Celebrate" by the developers, promises even more new content. A reliable source has even leaked a potential Sims 4 kit, which will reportedly add carnival-themed clothing items to the game.
In a livestream event hosted on January 18, the team behind The Sims 4 showcased upcoming new content for 2022. This included a look at the Customizable Pronouns system, which will be implemented as a free quality-of-life update at an unannounced future date, possibly in response to a fan petition. The system will allow players to specify their Sim's pronouns upon character creation. Default options will include She/Her, He/Him, and They/Them, but players may also fill in a customizable field with the pronouns of their choice. They will even be able to view example sentences to preview how these pronouns will look in-game. Experience Designer Alister Lee clarified that there would be a profanity filter implemented to prevent players from abusing the pronoun system.
The lack of customizable pronouns is one of the major criticisms The Sims 4 has received in the eight years since its initial release. Other fan concerns have included the lack of an open world map, limited options for child and teen Sims, and a lack of core content from previous games that requires players to purchase tons of expansion packs in order to create their desired homes. Players have also begun hoping that The Sims 5 will be announced for release in the near future. Hopefully, when The Sims 5 does eventually arrive, it will include the customizable pronoun options currently in development for The Sims 4.
While fans wait for the pronoun update, they can enjoy recent additions such as the "Cottage Living" pack and the ability to complete in-game Scenarios, which many see as EA's response to the game's previous lack of a story mode.
The Sims 4 is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.