The next iteration of The Sims Single Player is internally titled “Project X” – rumored for a late 2026 release.
ARTICLE UPDATE: “The Sims 4 Remastered” rumor has shifted into rumors of a whole new The Sims Single Player game. Click here to read more!
Some new unofficial information about the new Sims Base Game coming our way has surfaced online. We’ve given it an unofficial placeholder name as “The Sims 4 Remaster” but there seems to be an official name used internally within the groups of EA development team and playtesters – titled Project X. And that it’s going to be its own seperate thing from The Sims 4, with features and select content being ported right into the game.
The new rumors about Project X contain more of the same type of information that we’ve listed in the first Sims 4 Remastered Rumors summary. Including Open Neighborhoods and better graphics. However, some new details have been spilled by an alleged former EA Firemonkeys employee. Who seems to have intel about the reasons behind this overhaul, features like busier neighborhoods and release information. With alleged confirmation that The Sims 4 as we know will eventually retire.
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New Project X Rumors
According to user gloamingthepain on ATRL, we have alleged intel on what’s true about The Sims 4 Remaster rumors and what’s false. This user claims to have worked with the EA Firemonkeys team and has internal knowledge on some of the development talks between the Maxis studios. Starting with the Project X name which is the only current known name used in internal playtests.
It’s being treated as a seperate game and aspects from The Sims 4 will be carried over. The alleged reason for this switch being made is the fact that quality assurance and development costs have “risen substantially in the last 24 months” for The Sims 4 as developers try to tackle and maintain the complex game code that’s over a decade old now.
The new version of The Sims Project X allegedly promises to better troubleshoot mod-related issues and be a stabile, new foundation for new releases moving forward.
The Sims Project X is a single player mode within the Project Rene ecosystem. With graphics that resemble the early development images shown during the first Behind The Sims sessions and select content from The Sims 4 that will be included in it.
Here’s what’s been shared by this user – and make sure you treat it as speculation and rumor until proven otherwise!
Majority of what is being rumoured is false.
The single player part of Project Rene is being sold separately, releasing end of next year (at this stage) and is being referred to in playtests as Project X.
Aspects of the Sims 4 are carrying over, but it is a seperate game.
Originally, the single player part of Rene would be included in the full game of “Project Rene” but they’ve decided to seperate different experiences into seperate games.
This new game will have more flashy features like Open Neighbourhoods, busier Neighbourhoods (I heard up to 3x busier than Sims 4), better graphics (similar to what we saw of the early Rene content, not the mobile playtests we’ve seen).
The game however will be more simplistic than Sims 4 in other ways as the single player experience of Rene was never meant to compete with The Sims 4 and was more a simplified single player offering in a game focusing on multiplayer, and to keep the Sims 4 as the flagship single player game.
However, EA are keen to retire the Sims 4, simply because both QA and development costs have risen substantially in the last 24 months as the game has become complex to keep maintaining while developing new content.
A main factor of this is many of the bug reports & broken save files are being caused due to mods and custom content, and they want to move on with a game that will have smarter tech that can identify mod related issues easier, as now hundreds of hours of QA for The Sims 4 is being wasted on trying to replicate issues that are mod related and not in the vanilla game. This means the new game will allow them to streamline to get fixes in the game faster, and waste less time trying to replicate and fix bugs that don’t exist in the vanilla game.
So to compensate for The Sims 4 coming to a close, certain fan favourite features of The Sims 4, as well as planned Sims 4 content will be added to this new game instead.
I have no idea what EA will call this game, but it’s not a Sims 4 remaster and it’s not the Sims 5.
They may decide to call it The Sims 5 for sake of ease, or maybe stick with The Sims 4 brand in hopes it attracts those players, but either way it’s not a proper sequel.
It’s the single player mode of Rene being sold a standalone game and will be nowhere near as complex as proper sequel would be.
I’m sure it will be fun, but I’m sure many will identify where it falls short to The Sims 4, while acknowledging the tech advancements of a new engine and better hardware.
That’s all I really know as I don’t work at Firemonkeys anymore & only know info from people who work there who are very focused on Freeplay.
Also, some extra thoughts (and it’s my opinion not information);
- I don’t think EA will ever develop a stand alone AAA Sims game ever again. The Sims 4 is super lucrative but requires a lot of effort & money to keep it afloat. The Sims 4 will likely be the last AAA Sims game.
- As such, I don’t expect this new game to be priced as a AAA game either.
- This new single player mode of Rene will likely be the new norm moving forward & being sold seperate to the rest of Rene means if other parts of Rene fail, they’ll have this platform to continue with. And because it’s going to be designed to be more streamlined, it makes it easier to keep going and evolving indefinitely.
How true are the Project X Rumors?
It’s important to note that anything related to The Sims Project X still hasn’t been verified or officially announced by EA / Maxis team. At the moment we’ve had some internal surveys being published and insider information from various sources.
Before we wrote about The Sims 4 Remaster there was even a thread posted on Reddit by an anonymous user claiming to have been a part of The Sims Project X playtest. Allegedly confirming that EA is planning to port over all Packs and DLC content, make save games backwards compatible and more. With talks about a new User Interface as well:
Ok, I can’t stand by and watch everyone talking about The Sims 5 possibilities. I was part of a playtest for the next big Sims release and you have no idea what’s coming.
It’s so bad that I cannot handle being silent on it anymore. It’s been eating me alive. The next big Sims game is going to be The Sims 4 with a more open world, backwards compatibility with saves and packs, and that’s it. The UI is going to look very similar to Fortnite. This is what’s coming. They’re going to recycle The Sims 4 and make small changes and sell it to you again.
That’s all. I just needed to speak out because it’s killing me to stay silent. Throwaway for obvious purposes. I’ve played since The Sims 1 and I can’t watch this go down in good consciousness.
This thread specifically doesn’t validate the truth in all of these Sims Project X Rumors, but too many sources have posted about the new Sims single player platform for us not to take it somewhat seriously.
When is The Sims Project X releasing?
According to the new Project X leaker, the new iteration of The Sims will be releasing late 2026 with the current trajectory that everything’s been going on behind the scenes. The leaker also claims that there’s going to be one more Expansion Pack released (that they’re aware of) being developed by Maxis Europe. So there’s going to be some more content before the alleged release of The Sims Project X:
Question: So I guess those next two expansion packs for Sims 4 that will be released in 2026 will be the final ones?
Source: Basically yes, although I’m only aware of one more Expansion Pack which theme I don’t know. I just know it’s being developed in Europe.
That’s currently all there is to it when it comes to rumors about The Sims Project X. What are your thoughts on the new information of the next alleged Sims Base Game iteration? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned on Sims Community for all the latest Sims News!
So far, I don’t really understand what this is trying to be. Would we have access to expansions we’ve already purchased? If not, what was the point of us not getting The Sims 5 “because we’d have to start over” if they’d expect us to… start over… with The Sims 4.5?
TS4 is already a lobotomized version of what a proper Sims game should be and they’re making it simpler and more bland/corporate/safe? God, Will Wright probably hates EA to his guts
Y’all! Does anybody know what “one more Expansion Pack” mean to me? Because I’m getting confused over a question saying anything about “next two expansion packs for Sims 4 that will be released in 2026 will be the final ones”. Just askin’ y’all nicely, because my family are of Caribbean descent.
i really don’t understand why they just can’t make a Sims 5 with Seasons, Pets, Active Work Locations and Schools in the base game, i’m pretty sure a lot of people would migrate because it would have a strong foundation and solid quantity of essential content for a life simulator, you don’t necessarily need to re-sell all these expansions, put all the must essential content in the base game and monetize on more cosmetic stuff like Fortnite does, fr, it’s really annoying to see them do everything but a next generation AAA life simulation game. it’s like repeating the same mistakes of project olympus all over again, if this new base game experience is not great… and i don’t mean just good… but great, then what’s the point?
The sims has NEVER included everything in base game. Suggesting they do micro transactions (again) is absurd and unfair to long time, actual paying players. Not all of us got the game for free or steal it,
sweetheart, this model of monetization where they monetize on gameplay is just completely outdated and creates (according to Maxis themselfs) over 2.4 quintillion variations of combinations of packs, current successful Live Service games like Fortnite don’t monetize on gameplay, they monetize on cosmetic items like clothes, furniture, hairstyles, skins and etc, the sims should not be monetizing on gameplay either, all the features that come in these expansions like for example the hability to have imaginary friends (added to Adventure Awaits) should be free updates to bring more players in and make them spend money on cosmetic items (like skin variations for such imaginary friends).. stuff that won’t affect the stability of the game long term cause everyone will be playing the same game with the same features, they’re experimenting with that when it comes to Kits, this is a level of monetization that doesn’t break the game and generates a lot of revenue, and i’m pretty sure they’ll do more of that in this next main Sims title.
What is the point for EA to invest in a AAA when they are fully aware that a big chunk of their players base will just pirate it and complain for any cosmetic being locked being paywall…
they’re probably adding DRM to this new base game, meaning people won’t be able to pirate it anymore, anyway, i know sims 4 players are mad at the sims 4 coming to an end but there is no great solution for this game, if they add more content, the game breaks, if you invest even more money into this game, the more reluctant you’ll be to move on to the next one, it’s been 4 generations of this game, 4 times we had to start over… and for some reason, some people are just wanting to stick to 4… when this game is literally the worst and most problematic entry in this franchise, i’ll never understand, just let it go and die so we can have a better and less complicated foundation.
You are absolutely right, the game can no longer support anything and it is obsolete, continuing is simply impossible and unreasonable, it’s like trying to keep alive something that no longer works, you can repair it, add parts, it’s useless, it’s time to let it die and move on to something else.
Sims 4 was already obsolete when it released in 2014, speacially compared to 3, let alone now… thank god EA realized it’s not worth to continue with 4 anymore, fr, this generation should’ve never lasted more than 10 years in the first place, awful game that even after 11 years doesn’t feel good, can’t wait for the return of open neighborhoods and more customization features that were present in Sims 3 for this new base game experience they’re developing.
I’m calling BS from this statement alone.
The corrupted saves are plaguing console players who last time I checked, can’t mod their games.
They didnt say all bugs are from mod cc.They said they are plenty issues that are from mods.
I can confirm from another source that there is only one expansion left and that after it, The Sims 4 will end. So I confirm what has already been said: a new game is in development, a mix between The Sims 4 and what The Sims 5 could have been. Let’s call it The Sims 4: Next Generation for now. It won’t be a re-release of The Sims 4, but an entirely new game, incorporating some elements from the original, adapted to the Sims 4 universe, with new features (especially in terms of the interface) and original content. These won’t be expansions in the traditional sense, with the exception of seasons. The game will be more modern, smoother, and more powerful, thanks to a new graphics engine.
Don’t forget that time is running out for The Sims 4; that’s the key point. Once this new expansion is released, it’s over. I know the theme, but I prefer not to say anything more for now, but it definitely won’t be about groups. The end is near.
Sounds like i keep my packs? Im happy then. I couldnt care less about sims 5. And Sims 4.1 is cool with me so long as im keeping what I paid for.
We see but i doupt it
This whole situation just screams identity crisis.
I’ve said this on some other article I’m sure, but Sims Community as a whole should learn to properly proofread their articles for the sake of professionalism. Unfortunately, appearances matter, and when there are voices in the wider sims community that already stoke the fires of how this site can’t be taken seriously, it doesn’t help to have spelling and grammatical issues in your articles. I say this as a reader and supporter, not a hater. Take a bit more professional pride in what you do.
Everything that leaked about Project Rene makes it look like a terrible Sims game, it reeks of exploitative Free 2 Play games, just the “The UI looks like Fornite” bit made me uneasy. I was actually hyped for a remaster of 4 because the game badly needs it, specially after EA said they weren’t going to make a 5th game ever
It really looks simplistic and just boring/bland no identity. I def wont buy this. I was on the fence about Sims 4 when was released, but gave a shot after pools and EP was released. But this new “installment” what is supposed to be.. that is not Sims in spirit imo.
You don’t understand that The Sims as we know it is coming to an end. We are entering a new era. EA will no longer make new installments; they will focus on a game that will work differently, with a different content monetization model. It’s simply the end of one era and the beginning of something else.
You’re still clinging to the idea that The Sims 4 will last another 20 years, but it’s over, it was inevitable.
I understand, I am not even complaining of the monetization model or microtransactions. They could have a new monetization model, still creating an interesting game. Lets say if they monetized Sims 2, in a different way, still would be a sims game that is cool to play. But this mobile game generic look-like… that is not Sims.
Whatever that is in that Prototype Pic, that’s what I want. They should hurry TF up, cause whatever they’re trying to do, it’s long overdue. I’ll just keep TS4 as my Historical Style Life Sim.
It baffles me that it’s been 11 years since TS4 and we don’t have a successor to this game. Project Rene leaks looks absolutely terrible. Project X sounds like a watered down Sims experience.
When are we going to get a modern simulation Sims fans deserve? The last entry that I felt truly had a great deep simulation was The Sims 2. It truly had challenge (anyone remember playing the Broke family?). Sims 3 got a little easier and the Sims 4 needs are basically laughable.
Honestly, I hope they scrap both project x and rené. We don’t need another sims game for a loooooooong time. Maxis should try something completely new, with a completely new game engine. Just a complete start over with a new idea. It can still be Sims like, but with less dumbass dlcs, such as spongebob and star wars crossovers. We don’t need that shit in our games! They just need to stop for awhile, and try something completely new. And next time, they need to communicate a lot more with the fanbase and community of their game. They need to be a lot more transparent or they will lose out to indie games, that is becoming more and more popular, since they are not bound to some corporate company or shareholders. And with this sale of EA, I don’t think Maxis has a chance in hell of making a new Sims game popular, because it will be bound to the will and wants of the new owners. They can claim their vision is still the same, but lets be real, their new owners do not share that vision. Just end Sims 4 on a high note, keep fixing the game for a few years. STOP with the ridicules dlcs, and start creating something completely new.