New The Sims 4 Update Announced For Tomorrow (Preparations + Countdown)

And yes, it will have an impact on Mods and CC!

The Sims Team has announced today across media that they'll be doing a new The Sims 4 Update release tomorrow - August 25th, 2026 across Computers and Consoles.

The Patch will bring in the first wave of free new content and also prepare the game for the arrival of two new Capsule Kit releases coming this Thursday.

Statement on Next Sims 4 Update

Here's what EA_Cade shared on Discord about the upcoming Sims 4 Update:

As stated, there won't be a Sims 4 Laundry List for this update. The patch won't be a Quality of Life Update, which you should expect sometime in September. Bringing Sim Autonomy improvements, Family Tree improvements and more.

What to Expect in this Update

The first rollout begins later this month with the addition of plus size clothing and star hair. "the rest of the items will remain later this year"

Here's a look from the teasers on mentioned items that you should expect to see in tomorrow's Sims 4 Update:

Here's the usual guide brought together by our author nooboofever to preparing your game for the next Sims 4 Update, especially those that can affect Mods and CC:

Preparing for the Update

Saving your Save Files!

Especially if you are a Mods & Custom Content user and/or you play long-term save files like legacies, challenges, forever saves, etc., an important part of save file health and keeping them safe and playable is to back them up prior to updates.

This is primarily important for those who play with mods and custom content, as mods being disabled after previously being active in a save or mods being broken while active in a save can cause corruption and other issues.

Although creating back ups of files can sound a bit daunting if you're unfamiliar with the concept, it is fairly easy and painless.

Here are the steps for backing up saves:

Another good rule of thumb is that, if playing with mods or custom content, do not attempt to play save files you care about until creators have posted about the update and the status of their mods. Most major creators post fairly quickly, but be patient!

Mods Folders & The 50/50 Method

Like most other updates, mods have a chance of breaking, especially if they change a feature that has been adjusted in the update. Custom content is often completely fine, but files can always corrupt or go wrong in some way. This means that, while it may seem tedious, the 50/50 method is the best way to find any issues that have popped up in your game that are stemming from broken or corrupted mods and custom content.

The 50/50 method is a way of organizing and testing mods and custom content to track down a specific file or files that are causing a bug or error in your game, or are causing it to not load or crash. Make sure to back up your saves, mods, and tray folders prior to this!

For a more in-depth guide to the 50/50 method, ThatSimsLady has broken it down previously and provided a guide that walks you through it, but here’s a general diagram from Sims After Dark.

Basically, the 50/50 method is when you split your mods folder down the middle, testing each half (Say, Half A and Half B) individually to rule out issues. For example, if the error or bug in questions persists in Half A but not Half B, then you know that the issue is held in Half A. You can safely sort away Half B and then split Half A and test either half, and so on and so forth.

This should help you track down problematic files fairly easily. And I will say that nobody likes doing the 50/50 method since it can take a long time, especially if you play with loads of mods and custom content, but is a very good way to make sure your game is in healthy condition and none of your saves are at risk.

In most cases, mods that break during updates are UI Mods and Gameplay Mods.

Gameplay Mods generally add or change features in The Sims 4, and many contain two files; .package and .ts4script files. While not always, these mods are prone to breaking with updates and should be removed and separately tested, or only updated/added back in once the creator has said it is safe.

UI Mods are any mods that change the user interface, like the menus surrounding your screen in Live mode and Build mode, or your columns in Create-A-Sim. The most commonly used UI mods include UI Cheats, More Columns in CAS, and any User Interface Replacement mods. While it is not inherent that they will break, they are usually the first to break during any update.

Also, always delete your thumbcache file. It regenerates every time the game launches, and should always be deleted while changing your mods folder in any way, especially if you're doing the 50/50 method.

It is also recommended to test mods with new updates in a completely fresh save file, to avoid corruption but also since certain updates only work with newer saves.

Other Points of Note for Mod Organization & The 50/50 Method

The biggest point is that your organization method makes sense to you, and you alone! As long as you can find where you put things and troubleshoot your folder, that is all that matters!

Countdown to The Sims 4 Update

The next Sims 4 Update is set to release August 25th, 2026 across supported platforms. The usual release time is set for 7PM CEST / 10AM PST / 6PM BST.

As soon as the counter below turns zero you should be able to download the latest Sims 4 Update:

Are you excited for the first free items coming with the next Sims 4 Update? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to Sims Community for the latest updates on Game Updates!