A video that appears to be from the next installment of The Sims has surfaced online, sparking concern among fans about the future direction of the beloved franchise. Project Rene, occasionally referred to as The Sims 5, though officially described by EA as a separate spin-off, has been in development for several years. Recent leaked footage from a game called "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to speculate that this could be the next Sims game.
The leaked video, which lasts 20 minutes, features a player navigating through text prompts to customize their character's outfit, hair, watch, and activities. The gameplay then transitions to a sunlit Plaza de Poupon where the player's character, referred to as a Sim, purchases food and interacts with other characters. The Sim later works at an outdoor café. Throughout the video, the characters speak in Simlish and are marked with the iconic Plumbob, hallmarks of The Sims series.
"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?" expressed one disappointed player on The Sims' subreddit in a widely upvoted post titled "I think Project Rene is a redflag (I hope not).""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," they continued, voicing a sentiment echoed by others who fear a shift towards mobile gaming.
"This is not going to be for me, I can tell already," commented another user. "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," remarked 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 a literally [sic] satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness... And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness," reflected another.
Initially teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit, Project Rene was described as a free-to-play game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. While it has not been officially unveiled or given a release date, EA has been conducting small, invite-only playtests since its announcement, which likely led to the recent leaks.
The name "Rene" was chosen to reflect themes of "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," symbolizing the developers' commitment to a vibrant future for The Sims. However, last October, leaked images from Project Rene triggered backlash regarding its art style, limited features, and the inclusion of microtransactions. The addition of a café, reminiscent of 2018's The Sims Mobile, drew particular scrutiny. In response, 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 were delighted to see The Burglar, a nostalgic character from older Sims games, return in the latest update for The Sims 4.
