“If the Maker Packs were more interesting they’d be selling better”
It appears that Electronic Arts isn’t happy about The Sims 4 Marketplace content. Just weeks after an insider report claiming that EA is unhappy with the current amount of Moola being sold through the Marketplace.
The same Sims insider that predicted The Sims 4 Marketplace a month ahead of its official announcement stated new information regarding EA’s satisfaction with the Marketplace content. “EA’s not happy that the content being made for the marketplace isn’t as good or interesting as either the EA or Creator Kits and believes if the Maker Packs were more interesting they’d be selling better” claimed the insider.
The insider also revealed that there is a new Sims 4 Live Event planned for May 2026, which could fit into the schedule of a new Sims 4 Update already being teased for early next month.
Plus, if you’ve been eager to read more about The Sims Project X we have some tiny bits of information from the insider. Nothing major or what hasn’t been mentioned before though.
Read the full Sims insider report below:
Table of Contents
New The Sims 4 Marketplace Performance Report
Statement: The fact they’ve moved the official kits back out of the marketplace suggests all isn’t going as well as they’d like us to believe. Might be wishful thinking but maybe the backlash is moving the needle a littleโฆ
Sims Insider: I got some more information on the Marketplace performance, and without going to deeply into it, EA’s not happy that the content being made for the marketplace isn’t as good or interesting as either the EA or Creator Kits and believes if the Maker Packs were more interesting they’d be selling better.
Kits like Restoration Workshop, Greenhouse Haven and Book Nook Kit were hugely popular because they added things players didn’t have like the ability to build a realistic Greenhouse, Modular Bookshelves and Workshops. The issue with the Marketplace is there’s nothing there that does this and EA was expecting more unique ideas.
Whether that’s the direction of Maxis developers in charge of the marketplace or the decision of CC makers, wasn’t clear.
That said EA isn’t too concerned at the moment, because money for existing DLC is still coming through strong. The Sims 4 is moments away from having more unit sales of its DLC than The Sims 1, 2 and 3 combined (including storefronts) so the revenue is still going strong. But they do see dips in sales across the board when there’s no new packs to keep things fresh and the Marketplace was supposed to address this, but so far isn’t. Though more people claimed the free Kit than EA expected, which was good as it was used to bring people to look at the Marketplace. The issue is, people aren’t staying there for long.
New The Sims 4 Ingame Event and Project X Talks
Statement: I heard that during one of the playtests people told EA it felt way too similar to Sims 4, so now I’m curious if they tried to move even a little away from that visual style. I mean, I get that the whole point of Project X is to keep that Sims 4 vibe, but who knows what might’ve changed since then lol…This no-news silence is actually killing me
Sims Insider: The marketplace was meant to create more “buzz” so the silence isn’t supposed to be here. EA thought the Maker Packs would be more interesting.
That said, regular updates and quality of life improvements are still coming and I believe there’s an Event on the horizon unless it’s been canned because the engagement numbers aren’t needed for investors. But there was one scheduled for May but I was told this back in January.
[It’s an] In-game event. It was pencilled in back in either Dec/Jan when I was talking to someone about it, it was before the Royalty Event happened.
But overall player numbers are extremely strong, so there’s no real need for EA to worry about players leaving the game, so less need to be super loud or in your face to get people to play the game.
2025 was the most successful year for The Sims on record, and while The Sims 1 and 2 re-releases assisted with that, the Sims 4 alone was able to achieve that. Businesses & Hobbies really did a great job at keeping player engagement which was likely largely fuelled by the back of the 25th Anniversary. Perfect timing for that pack.
Unless plans have changed, X should be very Sims 4. It’s the whole idea. The Sims 4 has eclipsed the rest of the franchise and for most players is “The Sims” and players recognise older games but don’t identify or engage with them. EA doesn’t want that identity lost.
But EA are known for never having a consistent opinion and the longer games are in development, the more revisions EA give developers. Developers have learnt how to work with EA to avoid this.
Statement: To me, not carrying over DLC content is a major turn-off for me. I paid a lot of money and started playing Sims 4 recently so I am not interested in going over to Project X for the next 5 years.
Sims Insider: It’s going to be interesting to see how they address this. Do they avoid the Sims 4 brand entirely and brand it a new game and hope people don’t question how similar it is to the Sims 4, or do they acknowledge the Sims 4 and then deal with the backlash of why not all DLC carries over. There’s not going to be a simple winning formula. But neither was a Sims 5.
The biggest issue EA has right now is they were completely underprepared for how massive the Sims 4 became after the Growing Together Expansion (it was already the most successful Sims game before that point) and since then have had no idea what to do with the franchise because they’ve had no long term plans or avenues that considered this success. It’s why one second they’re saying the Sims 4 is here to stay, the next there’s a new game, the next there’s an update to overhaul the whole game, the next is selling that overhaul as a new product. They simply just don’t know how make sure they don’t lose this playerbase they’ve acquired. They also don’t want to spend insane amounts of money to keep The Sims 4 going either. They want it to be a secure profit product and having such a large back catalogue of DLC makes it very hard not to spend money to keep it stable.
It’s going to probably be the most interesting rollout for a Sims game ever.
– source
Alleged The Sims Project X Playtest in December 2025
While The Sims Players await for new information from an internal Sims playtest that happened this work week, another player who allegedly was a part of a playtest in December 2025 shared new information. One which involves revealing the inspiration behind The Sims Project X’s new world involved in the playtest, lot count and more:
As far as I know, Project X was planned to have one base neighborhood inspired by New England, divided into three open districts, with a total of 24 lots. But that information comes from the December playtest.
During that same December playtest, they also emphasized that they wouldn’t be carrying over worlds, careers, traits into the new game.
Of course, things may have changed since then, and they could be considering different options now.
What do you think about the latest Sims insider report on The Sims 4 Marketplace and The Sims Project X? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for the latest Sims franchise updates!
The marketplace arrived too late to the game. In fact, it should never have arrived in the first place, but what I mean is that there’s already a ton of custom content created over all these years, so I suppose it must be hard to create something original and eye-catching these days.
I think the market place is a cool idea but Eaa needs to just make it a place for Console players to get cc. In return ther can idk makde more gamepacks or higher qual7ty kits for a higher price
I mean surely EA signed off on the restriction of the Makers only being able to use base game content when creating their Maker Packs. So to me it’s EA’s fault here for restricting the Makers from not being able to build upon features in other packs. We could be getting Maker Packs that give us new variations of Laundry machines, or Flower Arranging Tables. I would give anything for some more modern looking versions of things like the Gemology Table for example.
An old, cheap looking washing machine and dryer would actually be a great addition for poorer houses/sims vibes.
I think they probably want to avoid the DLC for DLC backlash they got with My First Pet. There’s also the fact the core game doesn’t have all the animations, etc. for DLC content, so there’s no easy way to make it so the content is base-game compatible.
In contrast, TS3 Store did have content from EPs, from washing machines, to arcade games, pool tables, hot tubs, etc. So even if you didn’t have the EP that came with that gameplay item, you could still get it in your game for a tiny amount. For example, if you wanted laundry in your game and you didn’t have Ambitions, you could buy a laundry set for as low as 3 USD (Bayside Laundry set with 6 items).
Yeah but that’s exactly my point, if according to this insider source EA is unhappy with the content on the Marketplace because the items are not “unique” enough.
“Kits like Restoration Workshop, Greenhouse Haven and Book Nook Kit were hugely popular because they added things players didnโt have like the ability to build a realistic Greenhouse, Modular Bookshelves and Workshops. The issue with the Marketplace is thereโs nothing there that does this and EA was expecting more unique ideas.”
Then how do they expect the Marketplace to thrive if they are not allowing Makers to add in things that are unique. The Makers are currently bound by base game only content, so there is literally no room for adding anything in that could be unique.
Also it’s other level of technical difficulty, to make let’s say new appliance, which would require new animations and actual new interactions in the game.
Yup which according to the blog post they won’t be letting the Makers do either.
Of course the market place is flopping. It arrived late into the game’s lifespan, most content is just tweaks of existing content, it’s all overpriced, and the new content is so low quality that you can count the polygons. Like gee, who would have guessed that players want their new content to be new.
They were able to get away with recycling assets in Royalty and Legacy because it provided gameplay we didn’t already have even if the foundation for said gameplay was based on systems introduced in previous packs. They need to stop with the sunk cost fallacy mindset, rip the band-aid off, and create The Sims 5. You’ll be able to spend the resources needed to properly plan the game out and not feel bound by The Sims 4. EA dug the hole for themselves by letting the game go on as long as they did so they need to dig themselves out.
The way EA is going somehow sims 5 will be worst which is sad. They have no care or basic respect for their employees, customers or kit/market creators let alone the longtime ones in each category. Typical corp. They wanted cheap labor with restrictions and arenโt happy it wasnโt gobbled up. EA shouldโve put in more resources into this game since they know full well how popular and established this franchise is. They cut corners from the start and made things harder for the devs and more restrictions for customers. I donโt see them changing if they think it can benefit them financially. Itโs self sabotage from greed.
Yep, that’s core of the problem, they just want easy and cheap way to make as much money as possible.
If they would been willing to invest to the actual game core next step – progressive aging and growth, height sliders, cloth layering, color wheels, detailed lot decoration, no rabbit holes(so active careers and school from get go) – some of this was even in the project rene previews!
I think that Adventure Awaits and Business & Hobbies were step to right direction, to provide right building materials for the Sims sandbox (custom venues, modular playgrounds, combined lots..).
Arenโt there restrictions like having to use pre-approved assets to create new items for the marketplace? How can creators be expected to make anything original with those restrictions?
No. You don’t need to use pre-approved assets. You can use stencils as a STARTING POINT but then you can do whatever you want in terms of meshes/textures. The stencils are there so creators have a base for certain things such as slots/pathing/lighting/etc. and it’s the way custom content has ALWAYS been done in all Sims games.
You know, the Sims 3 store actually had new gameplay items. Think about stuff like the toddler playpen, stroller, surfboard, basketball ring, ballet, … it had so many great additions to enhance gameplay.
Meanwhile, the sims 4 makers place is only about aesthetics and some sets only have like 4 items.
In the Sims 3 store you can buy entire sets or the objects individually if you like only a few objects whereas in the Sims 4 you HAVE to buy the entire set.
I am 100% sure if they would release any toddler/infant gameplay objects, that maker set will sell like crazy even though the backlash and even I would have a hard time not buying that as I refuse to support this.
I would insta buy modular cat tower/play area items, realistic and modern cat interactive and puzzle toys or like catio build set. Hangable cat beds, jump shelves etc..
So they want to make a sims 5, just not call it sims 5. Man can I get a job there? Sounds like you donโt have to do much.
The main issue with the marketplace (apart from the concept itself) is the ridiculous pricing of the Maker Packs. It should be in line with official Kits; ~25 items for $4.99, so about 1 item per 20 cents/20 Moola.
Oh no, who could’ve guessed that 2 sets ofer power outlets aren’t selling xD
This was my immediate thought as well.
Most of the content from the marketplace looks like it doesn’t fit with the game. It seems like it belongs somewhere else.
This leaker is also getting kind of suspicious. They’re very pro-Sims 4 and insulting towards older games, especially Sims 3 which was an early tactic for Sims gurus. I do wonder if the Sims 4 was also doing well when they made the base game free to play.
I have to disagree. Quite a lot of the Maker Packs fit very well into the games art style. There is the exception of a couple of the Maker Packs but most of the items I’ve been using blend in very well with the games other items.
They’re literally selling 4 power sockets for 2 USD. The disparity between prices and quality of the content is insane. EA needs to heavily curate the content it allows in the Marketplace if they don’t want it to fail and be full of trash. What were they thinking!!!
Nah, they’re just changing their tune because it hasn’t been well received. They’re the ones who made their stencils, who said right off the bat that the items would all be base game compatible and wouldn’t have new gameplay features. They’re the ones who supposedly had to review every item to make sure it was acceptable before launch. They’re the ones who decided on the predatory currency system that many people simply refuse to take part in. So EA can stop telling us they thought it would be better, because it’s their fault it’s bad.
EA have to stop hoping for motherlode cheat to work irl. Money wont just generate out of nowhere, while the devs do nothing lol.
The marketplace is rubbish. Some of these artists just want $ but have no intention of putting in the hard work to create a quality kit. It feels like they throw this garbage together in a single day.
None of them seem interested in creating a proper kitchen or bathroom with real appliances and plumbing, they just add some soap clutter and call it a bathroom. They’re mercenary, lazy, and cynical. I’m not following any of them anymore.
Is the marketplace a flop? Good.
The Sims 4 has really won me over. It was underwhelming initially, especially coming from Sims 3.
But the main praise I have for this game is its more persistent than the Sims 3 ever was. Playing a Legacy save in The Sims 3 always ended up with save bloat and lag.
I purchased The Sims 4 on day one and created my first family and I’m still playing on that exact same family tree over 10 years later. Something has to be said about the way Maxis has made this possible after so many updates.
Sure, there’s plenty of bugs and limitations with the engine. But I have to give credit where credit is due. The Sims 4 is now the gold standard for long generational play for me. The fact that I’m playing on the 8th generation on a family tree I started over a decade ago is nothing to scoff at! The Sims 3 could never.
I hope that Project X, whatever it is, carries on this same technicality. I am all for deeper and richer simulation like what we had in Sims 2 & 3 with open neighborhoods, but not at the cost of the longevity we have now with Sims 4.
lol not EA paying ppl to glaze ts4 in the comment section.
You must live a sad life to spend time worrying about what games other people are enjoying.
“Though more people claimed the free Kit than EA expected, which was good as it was used to bring people to look at the Marketplace. The issue is, people arenโt staying there for long.”
Country Kitchen being free as a draw to get Sims to use the marketing automatically put Maxis in the hole because it offers value for money, which the Maker Packs do not. Country Kitchen says it offers 15 items for 5 dollars (33 cents an item), but players are also aware kitchen counter sets are harder to come bay. Each Counter, Counter Island, and Cabinet is a cluster of items. The kit containing all 3 items significantly increases the Counter Kitchen kit’s value.
That being used as a draw to get players to purchase anything is laughable. Compare that to one of the recent sets – Artsy Boho Bedroom from Taurus. Ignoring duplicates, 18 items for $5 wouldn’t even make it into a Creator Kit. 27 cents an item is close to the expected 20 (25-30 items for $5) for a genuinely beautiful set of items, but it’s not great value for money.
Also, keep in mind, Kits are advertised on the same page as Maker Packs, sold for the same currency. Why would you compete with Marker Packs while complaining they’re not selling as well as expected. Why would I buy a Maker Pack when I can purchase a Creator Kit in this awful economy?
What a surprise that EA blames custom content creators for maker packs not selling well instead of acknowledging the big ol’ elephant in the room, which is that the majority of players didn’t want it.
EA has a larger god complex than the entire simming community combined (not meant as a jab at the community, by the way, but we simmers are very good with micromanaging our sims. EA, however, is not). Out of touch, tone-deaf, and unable to read the friggin’ room.
Crazy they just don’t call it The Sims V.
Just look at GTAV’s success! If pools, seasons, and a shit ton of build items were base game.. it would sell amazingly well. We are screaming for a new game!