A video that has surfaced online, purportedly from the upcoming iteration of The Sims, has sparked concern among fans about the future direction of the beloved franchise. Known as Project Rene, this game has been referred to by some as The Sims 5, although Electronic Arts (EA) insists that Project Rene is actually a spin-off. The buzz around Project Rene has been growing since its initial teases a few years ago, but recent footage from a game called "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to believe that this could be the next installment in The Sims series.
The video in question, which spans 20 minutes, showcases a player navigating through various text prompts to customize their character's appearance and activities. The player then enters a sunlit Plaza de Poupon, where they engage in activities like buying food and socializing with other characters, before heading to work at an outdoor café. Throughout the video, the characters are referred to as Sims, speak in the iconic Simlish language, and are marked by the series' signature Plumbob.
"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?" said one unhappy player on The Sims' subreddit, in a post titled "I think Project Rene is a red flag (I hope not)" that 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 commented. "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," posited 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," suggested another.
Project Rene, initially rumored to be The Sims 5 but later clarified by EA as a separate project, was first teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit. This free-to-play game draws inspiration from multiplayer experiences like Animal Crossing and Among Us. While it hasn't been officially released or given a release date, EA has been conducting small, invite-only playtests since its announcement, which may have led to the recent leaks.
The name "Rene" reflects themes of "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," symbolizing the developers' commitment to a vibrant future for The Sims. However, last October, images from a closed online test of Project Rene leaked, prompting criticism over its art style, limited features, and the implementation of microtransactions. The addition of a café, reminiscent of 2018's The Sims Mobile, drew particular skepticism. It was then that EA clarified that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but a distinct "cosy, social game" within The Sims franchise.
Meanwhile, fans of the series have been delighted to see the return of The Burglar in the latest update for The Sims 4, bringing back a nostalgic element from earlier games in the series.
