The Sims 5 news, multiplayer rumors and everything we know so far

The Sims 5 news, multiplayer rumors and everything we know and so far

The Sims 4 characters talking at a beach

(Image credit: EA)

If you've been thinking most The Sims 5 recently then don't worry, you're non alone. While information technology hasn't been officially revealed by EA Maxis just still, the side by side chapter of the hugely successful life sim franchise is reportedly in evolution and the developer has teased that the "next generation" of the Sims could involve a focus on social and online experiences. Rumors take even suggested this new Sims title might exist deject-based and involve some kind of multiplayer element.

The Sims 4 is, of class, still going strong, with expansions, Stuff Packs, mods and even live music festivals keeping things interesting. Only, it'due south coming up for 7 years since The Sims 4 base game was released so information technology's not surprising that fans are starting to go curious near what Maxis and EA could have planned for the future.

Given we've not had any firm announcement from EA, information technology seems likely that if The Sims five is coming, it's still a while abroad. In the meantime, though, nosotros've gathered all the latest news and rumors about the game below and we'll update regularly.

[Update: Could a recent patent betoken to the possible implementation of AI technology in The Sims 5? Read on to notice out more.]

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The Sims v: cut to the chase

What is information technology: The next installment of the dear life-simulation game The Sims
When is information technology released: TBD
Which platform will it be on: Historically, The Sims comes to PC first and then to consoles

The Sims v release appointment prediction

The Sims 4 screenshot — (Image credit: EA Maxis)

As it stands, the game obviously isn't far along at all, with NME reporting that The Sims 5 is currently in its "conceptual phase". With that in mind, nosotros probably shouldn't wait to encounter The Sims 5 for a few years however - we would predict not until at least 2023.

Deport in mind that the gap between past The Sims iterations has been typically long as well. The Sims 3 came out in 2009, afterwards which The Sims 4 was released in 2014. This means this is the longest nosotros've ever gone without a make-new mainline Sims game.

However, it stands to reason that The Sims four is yet going through its lifecycle and EA isn't finished with it yet.

Cottage Living is the latest expansion for The Sims 4, released in July 2021, and it'due south possible EA and Maxis could all the same release a few more than content packs for the game, though it does feel like there's fewer places to go.

It'southward worth noting, though, that EA continued to release expansions for The Sims 3 until October 2013, even afterwards it announced The Sims 4 in May 2013 for a September 2014 release. Then, while the continued release of expansions is a sign that EA isn't done with the The Sims four just notwithstanding, it doesn't mean it isn't thinking virtually The Sims 5 at all.

The Sims 5: what tin can we expect from gameplay?

The Sims 4 screenshot of a wedding — (Image credit: EA)

In that location are currently no The Sims v trailers right now, so we tin can simply speculate as to what the adjacent generation of The Sims holds for u.s.a..

In terms of gameplay, we tin probably expect that The Sims 5 will play similarly to previous iterations, no thing what it ends up looking like.

You have daily needs and shifting emotions to take care of, which you lot complete and keep in bank check by doing certain actions such as eating and, of form, socializing with people as shortly as they happen to pass by your dwelling.

Sims gameplay has remained relatively unchanged through its lifetime, with some new additions and quality of life updates thrown in from fourth dimension to time. It will be interesting to see whether The Sims 5 adds a new dimension to the game, perhaps even beingness able to take direct, 3rd-person command of your Sim as opposed to the overhead view of clicking and moving.

Information technology'south possible that if the game does go downward an online multiplayer route equally reports have suggested, we could see some more significant gameplay changes than previous releases.

The Sims 5 multiplayer rumors, news and more

The Sims 4 celebrity sim giving an autograph to a fan — (Image credit: EA)

Volition it make employ of AI applied science?

A patent filed by EA back in April 2020 and approved in October 2021 reveals AI technology that could be used in The Sims to plough pictures of people into in-game characters.

Reported by Sims Customs, the patent discusses the AI engineering science, explaining that it volition allow players to upload photographs of themselves or characters, which tin then be converted into an accurate Sim.

While the first Sims game allowed y'all to place an image of a face onto a graphic symbol model in Sims Creator, the results frequently left something to be desired. This AI tech could prove to be a more than effective manner of actually creating your likeness inside the game, though at that place are no examples bachelor right now to show off its capabilities.

EA owns the patent outright so we'll have to wait and see how and if they'll implement the tech. It also isn't clear if this will be implemented in The Sims 4, which is expected to have fresh content churned out for a few years yet, or if development is far enough away for The Sims 5 to be where it makes its debut.

EA standing to ameliorate The Sims iv

Post-obit the release of The Sims 4: Cottage Living expansion, EA Maxis hasn't revealed exactly what its future plans for The Sims 4 look like only the developer stated in a contempo blog post that its roadmap "continues to be focused on improving content that is in the game" and didn't entirely dismiss the idea of future expansions that could involve "werewolves, faeries, and zombies".

Unfortunately, this doesn't bode particularly well for a Sims five release any time presently and nosotros'll probably exist lucky to get our easily on information technology before 2023. The Sims 4 was in development for over three years, and so it makes sense that EA Maxis is continuing to maintain The Sims 4 in the meantime, making improvements to the game for those who have already spent their difficult-earned cash on the base game, kits, game packs and expansions.

EA Play Live 2021 and Gamescom no prove
EA held its EA Play Live 2021 showcase on July 22, but The Sims 5 didn't brand an advent as fans hoped. Given the latest Sims iv expansion, Cottage Living, has merely released, closing out the Summer of Sims roadmap, this is perchance non also surprising.

EA also attended the all-digital Gamescom 2021 in August simply the game wasn't present there, either. We imagine it could be EA Play Alive 2022 earlier we hear more on the adjacent generation of The Sims.

Sims Sessions - a sign of things to come?

Over the months of May, June and July in 2021, EA hosted a Summer of Sims, providing updates, events and a new expansion, Cottage Life, for The Sims 4. In that location was fifty-fifty an in-game music festival as a role of this summer of events called Sims Sessions, where owning The Sims iv was all that was required to join in the fun. Though the event was something of a mixed bag, nosotros tin't assistance simply wonder if it'due south a sign of things to come up for The Sims franchise.

It was in 2020 that Andrew Wilson mentioned elements of "social interaction and competition" becoming "part of the ongoing Sims feel in the years to come" and more recently EA'southward Laura Miele said EA wanted to "build on the tools for people to play with life...together". This communal event, with its existent-life artists and out-of-game TikTok hashtag, did certainly accept elements of the social connexion component that EA seems keen to lean into.

Teasing the future?
Information technology looks like EA has been teasing The Sims 5. While speaking with Geoff Keighley at VentureBeat'south GamesBeat Tiptop 2021 , Chief Studios Officer at EA, Laura Miele, gave a roundabout confirmation that the "adjacent generation" of the Sims franchise is in the works, with a seeming focus on the "fertile footing" of social and online elements.

"Nosotros will build on the tools for people to play with life – that's our brand, simulation – and the thought for people to exist able to play with life together," she said.

"Nosotros had The Sims Online that came out in 2002, which I can't believe, and I retrieve certainly nosotros were ahead of our fourth dimension.

"And I call up 20 years after, we learned a lot almost how players interact, what motivates players, and how players tin can come together co-operatively, and and so as you would imagine, as we think virtually the next generation of The Sims, information technology's super important for us to take the all-time tools, the about flexibility, and for players to really expand on their creativity [and] remix items and objects in the world.

"And then to do that together. I call up that's ane of our biggest opportunities with The Sims– the social connexion component that we need to bring to this brand and this franchise. The squad is hard at work on the next generation of that experience."

Multiplayer components
Multiplayer being added to The Sims is existence discussed on the official Reddit site and, for the almost part, has been met with indifference. It could be that people are expecting to meet something similar The Sims four community online functions, which lets people share creations online in the game.

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson said in January 2020 that the next game in The Sims serial could feature unmarried-player and multiplayer elements. He went on to say that there might be elements of The Sims Online added to the next title.

"As Maxis continues to think most The Sims for a new generation – across platforms in a deject-enabled globe – y'all should imagine that, while we will always stay true to our inspiration, escape, creation, and self-comeback motivations, that this notion of social interactions and competition – similar the kind of things that were really present in The Sims Online many, many years ago – that they will kickoff to become function of the ongoing Sims experience in the years to come," Wilson said on the Sims Community website.

He went on to say: "We are very excited. This is a game that really doesn't have any competition in its category for delivering and fulfilling these motivations for players, and we retrieve it'due south a tremendous growth opportunity for us for many, many years to come."

The Sims having multiplayer components could be a huge selling bespeak for fans of the series. In that location have been many occasions when playing The Sims that we have wished to start up a new household in a game and take friends join to accept on their respective characters and all play together, simultaneously living out the virtual experience in co-op.

This feature was used in The Sims two on PS2 consoles to great consequence, allowing ii players to create a character each and alive together in the same business firm, sharing the same screen; information technology was excellent.

Will The Sims 5 come to console?
Equally it stands, there'south no concrete information about The Sims five, simply we can probably expect that it volition come to the PS5 and Xbox Series X during its lifetime – which is typically long if previous Sims games are anything to go past.

Historically, Sims games become available on PC and then are re-worked slightly for consoles and other systems. Nosotros would wait this to exist the case for The Sims 5. The Sims 4 was released on PC in 2014, only condign available for consoles in 2017, so be prepared for a significant gap when information technology comes to porting the PC version to console.

What about expansion and game packs?
The frequent release of expansion packs help to pad out the life of each Sims game, giving it new life. The Sims 3 enjoyed 11 expansions, all of which added new elements – such as pets or the University Life expansion – and helped to keep the game fresh and going potent.

Currently, The Sims 4 has over 10 expansion packs and even more Game Packs and Stuff Packs. The point being, The Sims 5 will almost certainly get the same treatment and will be updated continuously through its expected long life.