Despite its long-term success with mainline installments for The Sims, publisher Electronic Arts has opted to go in a different direction with The Sims 5.
In 2025, The Sims will celebrate 25 years of hooking fans with its gripping life simulation gameplay. In this time, there have been numerous spinoffs, four core games, and a plethora of expansion packs that open up the series’ ever-growing world.
Since The Sims 4 launched in 2014, players spent years patiently awaiting the next mainline installment. Things have changed drastically, though. Here’s everything we know about the future of the franchise, so far.
Is The Sims 5 in development?
The short answer is, no – The Sims 5 is not in production.
EA confirmed in September 2024 that it will no longer move forward with plans for a Sims 5 installment. The company confirmed to Variety that developer Maxis will instead continue to push out updates and premium DLC offerings for The Sims 4, now the longest-running entry in series history.
This includes EA and Maxis partnering with players who build custom content, which will eventually be sold as Creator Kits in the official EA store.
There’s also Project Rene, a long-awaited multiplayer Sims project that many previously thought would be The Sims 5. Work on Project Rene will continue, according to details shared by EA President Laura Miele during the company’s Investor Day.
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On top of this and the continued support of The Sims 4, the future of the franchise also promises My Sims and The Sims Project Stories. All four Sims-branded experiences will be connected through The Sims Hub.
Why did EA cancel its Sims 5 plans?
Speaking with Variety, Kate Gorman, EA’s Vice President and GM of The Sims, said the decision centered on not wanting players to have to restart a decade’s worth of Sims 4 progress.
Gorman explained, “The way to think about it is, historically, The Sims franchise started with Sims 1 and then Sims 2, 3 and 4. And they were seen as replacements for the previous products. What we’re really working with our community on is this a new era of The Sims.
“We are not going to be working on replacements of previous projects; we’re only going to be adding to our universe. With that, you’ll see there are more ways to experience The Sims on different platforms, different ways to play, transmedia, and lots of great offerings within this universe…”
Still, Gorman said Sims 4’s user base of 80 million players can still expect the developers to bring “what people would want from a 5 – but it doesn’t mean that we’re going to start you over, reset all your progress, and really feel like you’re going to lose all of that amazing play you put into 4.”
Such news comes in the wake of Maxis announcing Artist Studio and Storybook Nursery kits, as well as a Life and Death expansion for The Sims 4.
