Since its release almost 10 years ago, The Sims 4 has been essentially free of timed content, with expansion packs and free additions being obtainable at any point after release. However, that's changing in a new update that brings a battle pass-style feature to the game's main menu, and fans aren't happy.
Today, EA revealed its plan for Events in a blog post, describing each event as a "limited time experience, centered around a fun theme, with free rewards or gameplay that adds new opportunities to your game."
Come for the vending machine, leave with a brand-new trait! ?
— The Sims (@TheSims) May 30, 2024
Events are here in The Sims 4 as limited time experiences with free rewards that adds new opportunities to your game. ✨
Discover more: https://t.co/RepxRYq9xn pic.twitter.com/fZZqynBeIm
Each Event is free and offers 8 rewards over the course of 4 weeks, with new rewards being made available each week. This format requires players to launch the game on at least different 8 days to claim every reward.
The first event, titled The Sims 4 Happy at Home Login Event, will become available for all players by June 13 and introduces several furniture items, a few new Sim accessories, and, most notably, a vending machine and a new trait called Practice Makes Perfect.
The blog post clarifies that each event will end in an extra week where players can claim rewards they missed. Still, claiming each reward requires extra commitment, and fans haven't been happy about it, with many taking to Twitter/X to share their disappointment.
TIMED EVENTS IN THE SIMS 4???
— OakieDokie (@OakSimStudios) May 28, 2024
fuck off. no. ur turning this game into a mobile game, this is NOT what we wanted. listen, i hate when people say this, but WHO TF ASKED FOR THIS??? fuck all the way off with this bullshit.
(pics from simscommunity) pic.twitter.com/rnY9c3pqLu
This isn’t it. Players log into games often when they offer engaging GAMEPLAY. The Sims used to do well with 2 EPs a year- they that kept players busy for months. Lately packs can’t hold simmers attentions for 2 days before they start asking for the next one. see the issue? pic.twitter.com/NGYpN4A4sK
— ?️?AnotherPlumbob?️? (@AnotherPlumbob) May 30, 2024
Other players, including some responding to a post on Reddit, complained about the game's ongoing bugginess seemingly being ignored to focus on Events. Others speculated that EA was setting up microtransactions for Project Rene.
"It's clear that this is the way EA are wanting to take the franchise. It's a shame that EA, a multi-billion dollar company, feels the need to create multiple broken DLC for a high price then think 'nah, we can still make more money,'" a user wrote. "We deserve better than re-colored items from other packs just so the data shows that player numbers are going up. I wish we were given genuine, original free content or better yet, focus on fixing the damn game instead of modders doing it. Things aren't looking good for the future of the Sims franchise."
EA previously confirmed that Project Rene, which most fans are calling The Sims 5, will be free-to-play when it's eventually released.
We gave The Sims 4 a 7.5 in our original review, calling it "a good start to what may eventually be expanded into a great Sims game." Since then, it's received a notable number of expansions and smaller patches, the most recent of which have added vitiligo, sexual orientation, and pronoun options for Sims.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they've contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and they're currently developing a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
