The Sims 5’s Cancelation Is Actually Terrible For Sims 4 Fans

The Sims 5‘s cancelation is unfortunate news for fans of The Sims 4, despite the fact it means more free content. The Sims is one of the biggest franchises in gaming and one of EA’s most prominent IP. It has existed for decades now and has amassed a strong following with casual players thanks to its creative sandbox gameplay, vibrant modding scene, and seemingly never ending supply of content. While there are a lot of strong opinions about which Sims game is the best, The Sims 4 is certainly the one with the greatest amount of content available.

The Sims 4 launched back in September 2014 for PC and later made its way to consoles. It has since steadily evolved with tons of Expansion Packs, user-created content, and even a free-to-play version that allows players to get access to the base game. As a result, The Sims 4 is a massive commercial success, but that level of success also puts it in an odd spot. When a studio has so many players on one product, it almost becomes too risky to make a successor. Why risk losing players in the transition or scaring veterans away with massive changes?

The Sims 4 Has Already Reached Its Limits

EA Should Not Be Doubling Down On The Sims 4

EA recently came out and confirmed that it would not be making The Sims 5. The closest fans will get is a multiplayer spin-off currently known as Project Rene, a game announced a while ago that fans assumed would be The Sims 5. Instead of The Sims 5, EA plans to continue to support The Sims 4. On paper, this sounds like a rare player-friendly idea from EA, but it might actually be harmful in the long run.

As of right now, it costs over $1,000 to get every piece of content available for The Sims 4. Even if this was just boiled down to the big expansion packs, it would cost about $600 and, unfortunately, a lot of these DLCs aren’t even that great. The idea that this game will only get bigger and therefore more expensive is daunting, especially for those that want the “complete” experience. It really should not cost hundreds of dollars to be able to send sims to work, school, and allow them to have pets.

The Sims 4 has already peaked and reached its limits, both in terms of creativity and technical limitations. The game has begun breaking as a result of all of its content. It’s like The Sims 4 is bursting at the seams with content, but more to its detriment than as a selling point. Grand Theft Auto 5 has run into a similar issue over the years, resulting in support winding down or being more limited on older hardware. The game has a noticeably worse performance on Xbox One and PS4 as a result of being jam-packed with content.

The Sims 4’s State Proves We Need The Sims 5

The Sims 5 Should Happen Sooner Rather Than Later

While the idea of allowing people to continue to enjoy their content for years to come is noble, The Sims 4 is sort of a Frankenstein’s monster in its current state, begging to be put down. It’s a game running on a dated foundation that looks as if it’s going to crumble under its own weight. The Sims 5 is more of a necessity at this point, as a game with a new engine, fresh code, and updated features would be far more beneficial for fans. Those who want to enjoy The Sims 4 content can continue doing so, as fans have gone back to games like The Sims 2 for years now.

However, it seems EA is fearful that it may split its player base too much by having waited too long to make The Sims 5. Players are comfortable where they’re at, even if the game itself is rocky. Making a new game may not get enough people to make the leap and buy new content over there. Instead, it’s easier to sell to people where they already are. If The Sims 5 ever happens, it could be in the 2030s, but by then, it may be too late as The Sims 4 doesn’t seem stable enough to last that long.