As The Sims Project Rene switches to being "mobile-first," EA vaguely tease the series' "next evolution"

I think as long as you make a new year’s update post before the incredibly arbitrary date of January 13th, you’re still able to do so without me thinking “come on, it’s almost February”, which is exactly what EA did with their new years Sims update post. Perhaps reassuringly, after word came last year of EA’s concerning acquisition, the post opens by doubling down on what the team has previously said regarding staying committed to their values (those values including inclusivity is welcome though I wish they’d be more explicit about who is being included). But the post also, sort of, goes into what’s next for the series.

Top of the order of importance is potentially the fact that Project Rene, i.e. not-Sims 5 with an emphasis on multiplayer, is now being described as a “mobile-first” game. The post is explicit about it not being “the successor to The Sims 4,” noting it is an “experience from any future deep, single player life simulation experience.” But its future on PC, or any other platform, is now up in the air.

One thing the post does make clear is the studio’s commitment to single-player games, even if Project Rene is meant to be more collaborative. “Single-player PC and console experiences will always be a part of our future, with more than half of our global development team dedicated to The Sims 4 and the next evolution,” the post explains, though what about that last bit, the next evolution? “More news in the coming months!” Very helpful, thanks.

We already know there’s not going to be a Sims 5, at least last time I checked anyway, so this evolution is limited in its potential. Perhaps a big refresh for The Sims 4? It certainly could do with one, given it’s over a decade old now. We’ll find out in those theoretically coming months!