Life By You Shutdown: What Happened

Jovan

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July 1, 2024

The team was doing extremely well before the game’s termination.

A couple of days ago we wrote the story about Life by You, the planned life simulation game from Paradox Interactive and it’s entire closure of the development project. Shortly after the Paradox Interactive CEO broke the announcement on the Paradox forums was a formal Press Release. Sharing the information that the game development studio Paradox Tectonic, who’s main and only project was Life By You, got shut down entirely.

Paradox Interactive has decided to cease further operations in the wholly owned studio Paradox Tectonic (Tectonic) in Berkeley, California. The studio has since 2019 led the development of the game Life by You, whose release is canceled, and employs 24 people.

This is difficult and drastic news for our colleagues at Tectonic, who’ve worked hard on Life by You’s Early Access release. Sadly, with cancellation of their sole project we have to take the tough decision to close down the studio. We are deeply grateful for their hard work in trying to take Paradox into a new genre, says Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive.

– Paradox Interactive PR Statement

This confirms that the Life By You team, at least for Early Access had employed 24 people who unfortunately will have to look for new open positions and projects now.

How Life by You and Paradox Tectonic closed last minute

According to one of the developers working on the game, the bosses at Paradox Interactive announced the pull in the last minute. In his detailed post on LinkedIn the now-former Life By You developer elaborated about how the video game project got shut down. At least from the developer’s perspective.

First and foremost, nothing expressed here represents the sentiments of Paradox Interactive or Paradox Tectonic. These are my thoughts and my thoughts alone.

I’ve known for some time that we might be getting shut down. We were actively working on a hyper-moddable life sim called Life By You. An indie answer to the aging IP that is the Sims but instead focussed heavily on UGC.

And as far as it goes, we were doing *extremely well.*

I cannot share specific numbers, but I can say that we had an internal metric we were aiming for that had been approved, and that we exceeded that number by a significant portion. We also got a thumbs up a few weeks before launch.

Then two weeks before launch we were told we wouldn’t be launching. And just now that we’ve all lost our jobs. We were only informed of this via a public announcement.

We were not told why. Instead we spent a month in purgatory, and did everything we could to prove to them we were worth launching, including things like finding potential buyers or suggesting cutting ties and going indie. We heard virtually nothing back.

According to the dev, there were internal plans to salvage the project and publish it under an indie label. Still, the Paradox Interactive team gave no reply and decided to continue with the decision to shut down the game and studio.

“To be honest, I have guesses about what happened.” – said the former Life By You developer. “And while I can’t conjecture, I’m sure you have guesses too. As a business owner, some of them are understandable, but many of them are not. We were a strong team on a strong project ready to launch to a strong audience.“

Even though Life By You was internally passing all the green marks and prepared well throughout for the first Early Access release, the executives didn’t share the sentiment and removed the game from the release map without notifying its developers on time. Even though there was some suspicion before about how the project could fail, it still surprised many of the developers with the way the announcement got carried out.

As for now, there are still a few other life simulation games waiting for its release date. Paralives, InZOI and The Sims 5 / Project Rene have a confirmed trajectory of coming out sometime in the future. With The Sims 4 still pushing new DLC content for 10 years now.

What are your thoughts about the cancellation of Life By You and the Paradox Tectonic studio? Share your input in the comments down below!

News tip: PCGamer

The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod: Organize Your Calendar

Jovan

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July 1, 2024

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The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod: Organize Your Calendar

Disable Sims 4 Festivals and organize them on your own calendar!

The Sims 4 adds a new Festival with almost every rich lore world that they add through recent Expansion Packs. Still, to those who play the game with organization in mind they’ll often notice that Festival dates might overlap with their scheduled planned activities.

Zerbu, who’s been modding the game for as long as it’s been running itself, has figured out a neat solution with The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod!

This is a script Mod available only for The Sims 4 Base Game PC and Mac. Seasons Expansion Pack is required for Calendar Festival activation.

Overview of The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod

This Sims 4 Mod is designed to keep your calendar organized and playtime scheduled out with no random Festival occurances. Until you create and activate them yourself through the “Add A Holiday” feature. Each Festival from multiple Sims 4 DLC releases have been converted as Holiday Traditions. This means that you can further customize a Festival by adding another Holiday Tradition to the mix to keep it interesting!

The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod disables all festivals in the game and allows you to re-add them using the Seasons holiday system. It supports festivals from City Living, Island Living, Snowy Escape, Cottage Living and High School Years. You can schedule them to appear on any day and season you want, or disable them entirely by not scheduling them at all.

This mod requires Seasons to work. You’ll also need at least one pack that contains festivals, otherwise it’s useless.

If you have High School Years, the mod also changes how the Chess and Computer Team Science Fairs work. These are now scheduled through the holiday system like the other festivals instead of through the phone.

Like most holiday traditions, Sims can “Love” or “Ignore” them based on their traits. A Sim “Ignoring” the tradition won’t prevent the festival from appearing, it just means they won’t get any holiday points for it.

– Zerbu

After mod installation you’ll notice that all your Festivals have been cleaned up from the calendar. Ready for you to add your custom schedule for the next 28 Sim days!

The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod Tutorial

As of early July 2024, this is the number of current Sims 4 Festivals that you can manage additionally through this Mod:

List of current Sims 4 Festival

Cheerleading Team Sports Day (High School Years)
Chess Team Science Fair (High School Years)
Computer Team Science Fair (High School Years)
Festival of Light (Snowy Escape)
Family Fun Day (Island Living)
Festival of Snow (Snowy Escape)
Festival of Youth (Snowy Escape)
Finchwick Fairs (Cottage Living)
- Chicken, Cow, Garden, Llama and Oversized Crop Fairs
Flea Market
Flowers and Music Festival (Island Living)
Football Team Sports Day (High School Years)
GeekCon (City Living)
Humor and Hijinks Festival (City Living)
Island Celebration (Island Living)
Romance Festival (City Living)
Spice Festival (City Living)
Town BBQ (Island Living)
Town Potluck (Island Living)

All of these festivals listed above can now be easily managed through The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod.

Download & Install

This Mod is available for download and easy installation on PC and Mac devices, supporting the current latest version of The Sims 4. For more information about the Mod conflicts list and Mod download click the button linked below! You’ll be taken to Zerbu’s official portal where you can download the two Mod files required to activate it in game.

Copy and paste the files to Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods folder from your original documents directory and ensure that you’ve enabled Mods and CC in your game options!

Download The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod!

The Sims 4 Schedule Festival Mod Tutorial

Will you be trying out The Sims 4 Schedule Festival Mod from Zerbu? Let us know your thoughts in the conversation section right below!

The Sims 4: Forecast for Next Pack Releases

The Sims 4

Jovan

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June 30, 2024

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The Sims 4: Forecast for Next Pack Releases

We might get another Sims 4 Expansion Pack this year!

It’s the Season of Love for The Sims 4 series with the latest Lovestruck Expansion Pack being officially announced a couple of days ago. Still, some players might not have romance gameplay being their forte. For them, and every Simmer who wants to know what’s next, we might have a leaked order of Sims 4 Pack Types releasing in the next couple of months and seasons.

The order of next two Sims 4 Expansion Pack releases

Thanks to the Twitter user @anadius, we have a set order of Sims 4 Pack releases after the release of Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Packs. Before we dig into the list, read the explanation of this source of information:

Ever noticed the “packversion” in the version.ini file, in the DLC folder? (EP01, EP02, etc.) First number of that version is incremented with each DLC. I assume number 1 is reserved for the base game, so the first DLC – Holiday Celebration Pack – has number 2.

There are some exceptions, but in general this number represents the release order.
– anadius

They later explained the Sims 4 Expansion Pack release order set in the game files currently. Please note that things are subject to change, and the list having previous small exceptions and skips in pack ordering.

The latest two Kits have numbers 80 and 81. The upcoming Lovestruck DLC has number 82. And after some digging today I found out that EP17 will have number 85, and EP18 will have number 90.

That means there will be (about) two DLCs between Lovestruck and EP17, and (about) four DLCs between EP17 and EP18. So now you can guesstimate when we get them. (I don’t have any info about EP17 and 18. Only that EA is working on them.)
– anadius

That means that according to the current version of the Sims 4 DLC list, you can expect the release order after Lovestruck EP to go like this:

Rumored Sims 4 Expansion Pack Release Order

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack
The Sims 4 DLC 83
The Sims 4 DLC 84
The Sims 4 Expansion Pack 17
The Sims 4 DLC 86
The Sims 4 DLC 87
The Sims 4 DLC 88
The Sims 4 DLC 89
The Sims 4 Expansion Pack 18

Behind the DLC term can fit Sims 4 Kits, Stuff Packs and Game Packs. These releases are all probable in the coming months, quite possibly up until the end of the current Fiscal Year which just started. EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson reported in last month’s fiscal report that there are going to be around 15 Content Updates for The Sims 4 in the twelve months ahead.

Another Sims 4 Expansion Pack This Year?

The rumor mill in the Sims Community on Twitter keeps turning. Sims Creator @TheHenfordHen tweeted a subtle nod that there might be another Sims 4 Expansion Pack release this year. Considering that there will be only two releases after Lovestruck Expansion Pack, we might be looking at another Sims 4 EP release sometime Fall to early Winter 2024.

Although this information is not officially confirmed yet, the Sims 4 DLC pack order gives off strong hints already that Lovestruck won’t be the only big Sims 4 release of 2024.

EA is already making theme plans and brand collaboration suggestions in their latest official survey, so there’s something to look forward to after The Sims 4 EP18 comes out officially.

What are your thoughts on the rumored Sims 4 Expansion Pack order and themes for the next few months? Join the discussion below and stay tuned for the latest Sims 4 News and Updates!

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Giveaway

Jovan

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June 28, 2024

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Win a copy of The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack for Desktop and Consoles in our latest giveaway!

We’re giving away three copies of the latest Expansion Pack! That’s right, in our latest Sims 4 Lovestruck Giveaway you can win 1 out of 3 copies of the latest EP – both for PC and Mac and Console supported platforms!

The giveaway has very simple rules of entry, and you can enter no matter which port version of the game you’re playing. As long as it’s updated to the latest Sims 4 version and supports the set system requirements.

Ready to make your entry? Here are the following rules and giveaway entry expectations:

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Giveaway

The upcoming Sims 4 Expansion Pack is set to release on July 25th, 2024. To celebrate the launch of the newest Expansion Pack we’re giving away 3 copies in our Sims 4 Lovestruck Giveaway (platform of your choice).

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is answer this simple question in the comments down below:

What are you looking forward to the most in The Sims 4 Lovestruck?

That’s about it! Leave your comment down below and we’ll choIse three random winners on the Expansion Pack release day.

Winners for this giveaway will be chosen randomly through random.org. The giveaway entry period will last for about less than a a month until the release of this Expansion. You can expect the giveaway and the comments section below to be closed down on July 22nd, 2024 at 1PM CET / 4AM PT.

The Sims 4 Lovestruck giveaway winners will be announced through the commenting system below just a few hours after the giveaway is closed. Winners will be contacted and reached out to shortly before the full release of Lovestruck Expansion Pack.

Before entering this giveaway, make sure you accordingly follow the rules listed below:

Giveaway Rules:

Be respectful and follow the Sims Community House Rules linked below.
You need to be a member of Sims Community in order to leave a comment! The Sign Up button can be found right above the comments.
Not more than 1 comment!
Your comment might be saved for manual approval. Don’t worry, we will manually approve your comment in a few hours in case you’re waiting!
Make sure you leave your correct information when registering to Sims Community through OpenWeb. Your correct e-mail is needed so we can contact you with the inquiry about your preferred platform for The Sims 4 Lovestruck!
Expect The Sims 4 Lovestruck Giveaway Code to be delivered up to 48 Hours after the release on July 25th.
Do not share your personal email and data in the conversation!

That’s it! Enter The Sims 4 Lovestruck Giveaway by leaving your answer to the question above and we’ll notify you through comments on July 22nd about the winner.

For the latest news and updates on the latest Expansion Pack, catch up on our Lovestruck News Category!

The Sims FreePlay and EA are under Legal Investigation

Jovan

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June 28, 2024

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The Sims FreePlay and EA are under Legal Investigation

An attorney firm is investigating a Privacy Violation from several EA titles, including The Sims FreePlay.

You may be eligible for a financial compensation if you’ve played The Sims FreePlay in the course of the last two years. The ClassAction.org website has published a new list of “Video Game Lawsuits & Investigations” for breaching federal laws. One of them being The Sims FreePlay, which according to the Milberg law firm has put an illegal tracker behind the scenes to track data and harvest personal player information.

The website has listed several titles for breaching the privacy law including EA.com, EA Sports FC Mobile, Madden NFL, EA UFC Mobile 2 and The Sims FreePlay. Among other video game companies such as Ubisoft and the developers behind PubG Mobile.

The Sims FreePlay Lawsuit

Law firm Milberg is pursuing arbitration claims against Electronic Arts for using special software to track player activities and sharing such data with third parties without giving users an option to consent.

In The Sims FreePlay, which is available to download for free on the App Store, Google Play and Amazon Appstore, the possibilities are endless. You can put on a cabaret, grow a family, fall in love and even build a superyacht. But is it also possible that Facebook and Meta are collecting data about you and how you interact with the game?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have reason to believe EA Inc., publisher of the popular life-simulation game, may be using tracking tools on The Sims FreePlay app to secretly gather and transmit players’ personal information to Facebook for advertising purposes. This data potentially includes unique Facebook IDs, which can be used to match players’ in-game activities to their individual Facebook profiles. Attorneys suspect that these potential data-sharing practices may violate a federal privacy law and are now gathering players to take action.

Attorneys have started collecting data from players who have downloaded and played The Sims FreePlay on their phones in the last two years. Milberg believes that EA has collected data from players using the Meta Pixel software to harness data from players and sell it to the Meta company, who owns Instagram, Facebook and other social networks.

According to the Class Action form linked here, players who submit their report and are eligible in the listed criteria may also be financially compensated on behalf of Milberg, who is pursuing legal actions in the forefront of other players.

Thank you for your interest. Milberg is pursuing arbitration claims against Electronic Arts, the maker of the Sims Free Play game, for using the Meta Pixel to track the activities of account holders and share them with third parties (including Meta), all without users’ consent. We believe this is a violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA).

If this happened to you, we believe you may be eligible to receive compensation for your damages. Milberg can pursue these claims on your behalf.

Lawsuit against EA

There’s a seperate general lawsuit investigation happening for Electronic Arts for several of their games. Specifically the ones that include in-game cutscenes. Read more below:

Electronic Arts, the publisher behind The Sims, Medal of Honor, Battlefield and EA Sports titles FIFA, NBA Live and more, is being investigated by attorneys for potential violations of a federal privacy law.

They believe EA.com may be secretly sharing consumers’ purchase information with Facebook via tracking tools, which could give the social media giant insight into players’ interests and activities for advertising purposes. It’s possible that this purchase data—specifically, for video games that include cutscenes—may be covered under the federal Video Privacy Protection Act, and the attorneys are now gathering gamers to take legal action against EA.

The entire arbitration claim and user report can be done through this link. If you want to contribute to this legal investigation and get compensated for an alleged privacy breach from EA, now’s the time!

What are your thoughts on the potential shady practices done by EA and The Sims FreePlay? Do you believe EA has sold your data to Meta? Join the discussion in the comments down below!

News tip: @t0nischwartz

The Sims 4 Survey: Future Expansions and Brand Collaborations

The Sims 4

Jovan

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June 28, 2024

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The new Sims 4 Player Survey suggests more Expansion Pack releases and possible Brand collaborations.

Electronic Arts has started rolling out a new Sims 4 Survey via mail over the last few days. Unlike with the in-game survey which typically covers recent Sims 4 releases and player satisfaction, this one is more general. Covering questions about the current satisfaction of The Sims 4, its current playability, interests in future Expansion Packs and Brand collabs that you’ve heard of and / or like. This could potentially mean that The Sims Team is also looking into collaborating with new brands sometime in the near future.

We’ve gotten an email from our reader Nate who captured all of the new Sims 4 survey questions and topics. Take a read below:

Sims 4 Survey Questions that Stood Out

We appreciate your honest and actionable feedback to help improve our game so don’t be afraid to share with us your thoughts and opinions! Responses you leave in this Sims 4 survey will be anonymized and will not be shared with any parties outside of EA.

To what extent do the following impact your Sims 4 play experience:

Simulation Bugs
Crashes
Lack of representation (myself or world can’t be made in The Sims)
Loading Screens
Game technical performance (i.e. hitches, framerate drops)

Which of the following best describe how you like to play The Sims 4?

Experience fantasy Sim-types (e.g. werewolf Sim-type)
Craft a world for my growing Sims’ families
Help my Sim progress through life by advancing skills, careers, hobbies
Build or design a realistic setting / world
Nurture my Sim and shape their life
Exploring different lifestyles and identities through my Sims
Build or design a fantastical setting / world

How would you rate your overall satisfaction with recent pack and kit releases in The Sims 4?

This Sims 4 survey question is an overall scale rating going from Very Dissatisfied to Very Satisfied. It doesn’t let players opt in for which Pack or Kit release have they specifically meant the vote for, as it’s more of a general question.

Please select the 2 most important aspects to you, when considering purchasing an Expansion Pack (EP) for The Sims 4:

Style of new Sim clothing and accessories
The price of the EP
Style of new furniture and decor
The new world size (i.e. number of venues, number of lots)
The new gameplay features added to the pack
Amount of new Sim clothing and accessories
New simulation updates
The geographic inspiration of the pack (i.e. Southeast Asia for “For Rent”)
New sim traits, aspirations and careers
New social dynamics
Amount of new furniture and decor
New architectural styles

Please indicate how interested you are to see the following Build / Buy features in future Sims 4 Expansion Packs:

Architectural design tools (i.e. curved walls, painted ceilings etc.)
Architectural styles (trym, roofing, walls)
Furniture / decor
Clutter (non-interactable)
Color Variations for items
New interior design styles

Please indicate how interested you are to see the following features in future Sims 4 Expansion Packs:

Story lines / modes (eg rubust stories, lore)
Animals and creatures
Occult and supernatural features

Brand Awareness and Potential Collabs

The second portion of the latest Sims 4 Survey lists multiple brands ranging from TV Shows and Movies to Makeup and Video Games.

The survey only asks for players if they’ve heard of mentioned brands outside of the world of The Sims 4. Potentially looking into adding more brand collaborations in future Sims 4 releases.

Here are all the Brands and Brand Types that have been suggested in this survey:

The last questions of the survey were regarding the player’s demographic, gender and general feedback they want to leave for The Sims 4 team.

This Sims 4 Survey is currently available to select players through the email sent by EA.

What are your thoughts about the newest survey and what the team is looking into next for The Sims 4? Share your thoughts in the comment section down below and stay tuned for the latest Sims 4 News!

The Sims 4 Sale: Summer Deals and Get Dating Bundle

Jovan

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June 28, 2024

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The Sims 4 Sale: Summer Deals and Get Dating Bundle

Special Sims 4 Deals currently available on Desktop! Plus, new Bundle out everywhere.

EA didn’t waste no time to prepare new players for the release of the flirty new Expansion Pack. Along with the new Sims 4 Sale currently available on PC and Mac stores such as EA App and Steam, there’s a new The Sims 4 Get Dating Bundle for both Desktop and Console platforms!

Let’s first break down the new Sims 4 Summer Sale and what deals you can currently expect from now until July 11th.

The Sims 4 Sale: Summer Deals

The return of the classic Sims 4 Packs for the sale are here. Almost all Expansion, Game and Stuff Packs have gone to sale with a few exceptions in newer releases. Here are the following Sims 4 Sale deals that you can expect on current supported deal platforms:

The Sims 4 Expansion Packs are up to 60% off!
- Cottage Living, Growing Together and High School Years are 50% off
- Horse Ranch is 38% off
- For Rent is 25% off
The Sims 4 Game Packs are 30% off!
The Sims 4 Stuff Packs are up to 30% off!
- Home Chef Hustle and Crystal Creations are 20% off
The Sims 4 Premade Bundles:
- Decorator’s Dream, Everyday Sims Bundle, Pet Lovers Bundles are 20% off
- Get Dating Bundle is 40% off

All deals are currently only available on EA App and Steam as of now. We’ll update this article if the sale extends to other platforms as well.

The Sims 4 Get Dating Bundle

There’s a new permanent Sims 4 Bundle released today on EA App for PC and Mac, Playstation and Xbox consoles. It covers the following DLC releases from The Sims 4 in a special deal offer, including:

The Sims 4 Get Together Expansion Pack
The Sims 4 Movie Hangout Stuff pack
The Sims 4 Bowling Night Stuff Pack
The Sims 4 Simtimates Collection Kit

The Bundle is usually priced up at $49.99USD, but during the Sims 4 Sale you can get it for 40% off until July 11th!

The sale and promotions end on that date at 10AM PT. The Get Dating Bundle will just revert back to its original price after it.

What are your thoughts on the newest Sims 4 Sale offers? Share what you’ve gotten with the sale in the comments down below!

Features we noticed in The Sims 4 Lovestruck Reveal

Jovan

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June 27, 2024

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Features we noticed in The Sims 4 Lovestruck Reveal

Updates to Eyelashes, a New App and whole lot of Romantic Activities in Ciudad Enamorada!

EA and Maxis have announced officially the next Expansion Pack called The Sims 4 Lovestruck. This 40USD Expansion DLC comes with a new World, new gameplay and mechanisms, CAS and Build along with new animations. Typical Expansion Pack content that you would expect, but this is an Expansion theme that hasn’t been much worked upon since The Sims 1: Hot Date!

The return of fan favorite Heart Shaped Bed along with interesting features with Sims 4 twists makes this Pack something to look forward to this summer. From the reveal trailer itself we’ve gotten plenty of feature confirmations and teases already, so let’s dig deeper into what was shown today:

Grown Up Costumes

The Sims Team is definitely getting as frisky as they can with this Expansion, adding a brand new Grown Up Costume Box to the Pack. This allows for Sims to get playful through roleplay in different costumes. Not guaranteed but might improve your WooHoo life!

Penthouses

It’s been 7 years since City Living last came out. And the last Penthouse options we had until The Sims 4 Lovestruck! The new world Ciudad Enamorada offers two new Penthouse lots, totaling with 13 lots in the entire new world.

Better Eyelashes

They say that the devil is in the details. And if you look closer in the picture below, you’ll notice that one detail that’s been highly requested since the release of The Sims 4 are improved eyelashes.

It seems that The Sims Team has finally taken into request by including more detailed eyelashes with The Sims 4 Lovestruck. Time will tell if there are any variants available for Base Game!

New WooHoo Spots

It’s been that The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack will offer 3 new spots to WooHoo. So far we know that you can get frisky in the portable blanket. The trailer has also shown two Sims doing the WooHoo deed in the storage room.

You Can’t Always Do It With A Broken Heart

The exclusive new death type coming with The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack is a Death By A Broken Heart. Sims who are aspiring lovers might get disappointed in certain things that might obstruck with their love story. Things like attraction and the brand new Romantic Boundaries features will play great role in triggering this new death.

The Iconic Heart Bed

First appeared in The Sims 1, this heart shaped bed has been a staple in The Sims Franchise throughout the entire franchise. Its variations were spread out then through The Sims 2 Apartment Life, The Sims 3 High End Loft Stuff Pack and now The Sims 4 Lovestruck!

It was first teased as an dissasembled heart bed in The Sims 4 Basement Treasures Kit.

New Phone App: Cupid’s Corner

The Sims 4 is finally getting a new Phone App with this new Expansion Pack. The Cupid’s Corner App is a dating app that will allow your Sims to meet potential new romantic interests. This app is available only for Young Adults, Adults and Elders who can snap their selfie, create a list of Traits and essential info and match with other Sims around the Neighborhood and other Worlds too.

In your profile information, you can list your Sexual Orientation, split into two new categories:

Romantically Attracted to
interested in WooHoo with

You can choose which three of the ages interest your dating life, as well as set your Traits that you want to display. You can always lie and tell them you’re someone different trough traits though!

In the Matches panel you’ll be able to match or pass Sim profiles that come suggested depending on your preferences. You can like them and have them saved in the list of matches in the third category.

The first gameplay look for The Sims 4 Lovestruck talked about being able to match other Sims through The Gallery too!

New World

Ciudad Enamorada, the name of the new world coming with The Sims 4 Lovestruck, actually has a cute meaning in Spanish! It translates to “City in Love”, and goes perfectly vibrant with the new features coming with this Pack.

Before the reveal trailer came on The Sims Team gave a teaser of the new heart shaped Pond, possibly featured in this new world.

New Romantic Interactions

Sims are closer than ever before with gorgeous romantic interactions. Some providing new variations of kissing, cuddling in bed, dancing and sharing gifts and cakes!

Round Pools

The rumored new feature coming with The Sims 4 Lovestruck (and possibly to The Sims 4 Base Game entirely) are the new round pools. Shown quickly in the trailer along with the new Penthouse, there’s a Pool with seemingly new customization options that allows it to be round at the ends.

Hope this feature gets confirmed closer in July!

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack is set to release on July 25th, 2024 across Desktop and Console supported platforms.

Have you spotted anything new in The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion reveal? Any feature that you’re looking forward to the most?

Share your commentary in the comments section below and stay tuned on Sims Community for the latest updates on this Pack!

The Sims 4 Lovestruck: Screens from The Reveal

Lovestruck

Jovan

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June 27, 2024

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The Sims 4 Lovestruck: Screens from The Reveal

Eggplant costumes, blanket WooHoos and more first looks!

EA dropped the bomb with the reveal trailer for The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack, showcasing the first frames of new content coming with the Pack. This explosive lovebomb had much to showcase in its first trailer reveal, which is why we decided to extract the best frames from the trailer and offer it to you for closer inspection.

There’s a lot that you’ll discover in these screenshots. New Costumes, the world of Ciudad Enamorada, Penthouses, Dating app and much more! Simply enlarge the frames by clicking on an image of your choice below.

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Screens from the Reveal

Round Pools – First Look?

There’s more than it meets the eye (and the official announcement) regarding the next free Sims 4 Update. Beside the now confirmed Romantic Boundaries system coming to The Sims 4 Base Game, we also might be getting Round Pools in the next game update.

One of the frames showcased in the trailer has shown a pool with its half edges rounded out built on top of a penthouse. Take a look for yourself down below:

What are your thoughts on all the new Sims 4 Lovestruck footage shared today? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!

The Sims 4 Free Update to add Romantic Boundaries

The Sims 4

Jovan

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June 27, 2024

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The Sims 4 Free Update to add Romantic Boundaries

Ready to open up the relationship in The Sims 4?

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack has just been announced! After weeks of multiple leaks and hints at upcoming features of the Pack, we got a special look at what’s coming to The Sims 4 Base Game in a free update.

EA.com published their first blog for The Sims 4 Lovestruck, talking about some of the new features within the Pack. In a paragraph segment they’ve confirmed that there’s going to be a new system called Romantic Boundaries. Added as a Free Base Game Update for all The Sims 4 players!

Free for all players is the new Romantic Boundaries system that will allow you to customize your Sim’s experience with boundaries and jealousy. You can now define how your Sims approach romantic relationships in terms of physical and emotional romantic exclusivity. This allows for Sims to date multiple Sims without impact to other relationships.

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack Official Reveal Trailer 1 40 screenshot

As suggested in the paragraph, players will be able to create relationships where Sims can have multiple partners. All while the other Sim partner doesn’t get jealous. They’ll be able to go on dates with multiple Sims without impact on their current set relationships.

The Sims 4 Base Game is expected to get Romantic Boundaries system as a free update closer to the release of the Lovestruck Expansion. Somewhere in the week of July 25th, 2024. We’ll keep you posted with more info soon!

Countdown to The Sims 4 Lovestruck Reveal

Jovan

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June 25, 2024

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Countdown to The Sims 4 Lovestruck Reveal

Set your love calendars for June 27th for the full announcement of the next Expansion Pack!

The Sims social media have officially started the week of The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion announcements, starting with a new video teaser.

The official countdown page for The Sims 4 Lovestruck reveal trailer is now also up on YouTube. The premiere of the announcement trailer is set for June 27th at 7PM CET / 10AM PT. If “u up” for the full reveal, check it out below:

For those interested on when to tune in for the first drop of new Sims 4 Lovestruck expansion footage, we have a simple countdown below that let you know exactly when the reveal happens. As soon as the counter turns zero the trailer will go live, along with first batch of feature confirmations and previews.

Countdown to The Sims 4 Lovestruck Reveal

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What to Expect

The upcoming Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack is set to release on July 25th, 2024 across Desktop and Consoles. This almost 40USD DLC piece will offer a plethora of new options for Romance in Live Mode, the brand new Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs mechanism along with many other confirmed features.

TS4 ep16 flirt usp feature tile single 9x10 1

TS4 ep16 dating usp feature tile single 9x10 1

This Expansion Pack will also offer a unique preorder bonus set, that will go live with the preorder purchase option after the countdown’s up! The official duration of this three piece order bonus will be announced on Thursday.

Looking at these previews, it would be a wonderful time to introduce a free Sims 4 eyelash update to the players. Time will tell if this rumored feature will come to fruition!

What are your thoughts? Let us know if you’re excited for the reveal of The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack in the comments below and stay tuned for the latest updates!

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion: New Pack Features

Lovestruck

Jovan

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June 19, 2024

0

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion: New Pack Features

A new wave of leaks about the upcoming Sims 4 Expansion Pack is here.

We’re just a few days away until the official announcement of The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack! The upcoming Expansion first leaked last week with official key features and the main render preview, showcasing gameplay and features that are coming with the Expansion Pack.

The leaks suggested that the Expansion Pack will be officially announced on June 27th, 2024, with the official release date of the Pack set for July 25th, 2024. Today, the same leaker @Anadius revealed new information and footage found in the EA servers.

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion: Gameplay Preview

Match

Cupid’s Corner / Match with single Sims

Young Adult Sims and older can access Cupid’s Corner from phones and computers to match with other Sims from the world or the Gallery. That’s right, your dating pool includes the entire Gallery! The app has 3 sections. In About Me, take a selfie for your Sim’s bio and choose which of their traits to display. The app curates matches based on your Sim’s age preferences and sexual orientation. Find Sims you’ve favorited in the Saved tab. Add your faves to your contacts, or create a date for them!

Dating / Create the ideal tryst

Create a date! Choose what type of date you want to have, select the venue, invite more Sims if you’d like, and choose your activities. Dates will have goals depending on the activities you choose. Other Sims won’t interrupt your date unless you invite them into a conversation, and you can change the venue of an in-progress date if a change of scenery is in order *WINK*. Just like in real life, if the date isn’t going well, the other Sim can end it early.

Flirt & play / Romantic new interactions

Sims have new ways to connect, with new games and a grown-up costume box. They can also feed each other from shareable treat boxes, cuddle in bed, or share special moments on the Romantic Blanket. This portable blanket is always there for you whether you want to snuggle, kiss, or WooHoo. Just remember: love can be dangerous. Sims who experience too much back-to-back heartache could die of a broken heart.

TS4 ep16 cupid usp feature tile single 9x10 1

Connection

Romance Dynamics / Hot or cold?

Romance Dynamics exist between Sims in relationships. They can be chosen by you in Create a Sim or developed through gameplay, and they can change or disappear through gameplay. The 4 Romance Dynamics are: Wholesome (Sims who are deeply in love and show it), Steamy (relationships with a physical focus), Strained (unhappy relationships), and Unpredictable (quick changes between arguing and affection).

Turn-Ons & Turn-Offs / What works for your Sim?

How attracted Sims are to each other will influence their behavior. Sims can become more or less attracted as they learn about each other’s Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs. Categories for these include Activities, Characteristics, Fashion, and Romance Style. In a relationship, each Sim can have a different level of Romantic Satisfaction and Attraction, so make sure to check in periodically with your partner.

Traits / Who are you in love?

Define who your Sims are in romantic situations using 2 new Traits. A Lovebug is someone who is especially enthusiastic about finding love, whereas a Sim who is Romantically Reserved will take longer to build relationships. Each new trait comes with new interactions for your Sims.

TS4 ep16 dynamics usp feature tile single 9x10 1

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Romance

New skill / Master the art of romance

Learn to be an excellent partner in this 10-level Skill. Sims who are well-versed in this skill will be better at wooing dates as well as maintaining Relationship Satisfaction. New perks are unlocked at every level and at level 10 your Sim will have an Aura of Flirtiness which will give Sims around them flirty moodlets. Even Teen Sims can practice this skill (with other Teens only) to prepare for a lifetime of love.

New aspirations / Romantic Explorer and Paragon Partner

Sims with the Romantic Explorer Aspiration will take a broad view of romance and want to experience it all. They’re interested in dating, but they’re also interested in day-to-day expressions of love. Sims with the Paragon Partner Aspiration have a more focused goal: building happy relationships with more than 1 partner.

Romance Consultant Career / Start a romantic career

Romance Consultant is a new 10-level career that branches into Matchmaking and Couples Therapy. Progressing through this off-screen career has rewards that include heart-shaped office décor and the following new interactions: Give Unsolicited Love Advice, Gush About Love, Share Relationship Satisfaction Tips, and Propose Potential Match.

TS4 ep16 newSkills usp feature tile single 9x10 1

TS4 ep16 aspirations usp feature tile single 9x10 1

Discover

Lovely lots / Meet and mingle

Singles Hangout is a new Lot Trait which will draw in single Sims – perfect if you’re on the lookout for love (this lot trait brings single Sims to your yard~). Ciudad Enamorada has 13 new lots across 3 new neighborhoods: Vista Hermosa, Plaza Mariposa, and Nuevo Corazón. There are 2 penthouses, a vacation rental, a park, a gym, a sultry nightclub, and a charming lounge.

Venue interactions / Flirt around town

Sims who are out on the town will have new ways to attract or connect with potential partners depending on where they are. Sims at the gym might Show Off Fitness, Sims at the museum can View Art Together, Sims who are out in nature at the park or beach can Watch Sky or View Stars together, and there’s even a new Seductive Dance for the bar, nightclub, or lounge.

TS4 ep16 venues usp feature tile single 9x10 1

What are your thoughts on the features that The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion has to offer? Share your thoughts in the comments down below!

Paradox Interactive cancels Life By You

Life By You

Jovan

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June 17, 2024

0

The Sims competitor “Life By You” has been cancelled completely.

Big news coming in today from another game development company. Paradox Interactive studios has announced today that their life simulation game “Life By You” has been completely cancelled. This includes any and every means of making the game available to the public through the platform.

Life By You was first announced back in March 2023 with an Early Access incentive allowing players to get their hands on the unfinished product for 30USD. The first Early Access release date was set for September 2023, after which it got delayed two times. First for March 2024 and then June 2024.

Announcement Event Life by You 2 1 screenshot

With the feedback from the community stating that some elements of the game still look unfinished, even for its Early Access tagline, the game got pushed back several times before reaching its complete cancellation today.

Paradox Interactive announced the game’s complete cancellation in the official message in their forum boards. Here’s the full statement:

Hi all,

Sadly, we’ve decided to cancel the release of our long-awaited life sim Life by You. This was an incredibly difficult call to make and is a clear failure on Paradox’s part to meet both our own and the community’s expectations. We realize this raises some large questions; here we hope to shed at least some light on why we opted to cancel, rather than delay as we communicated earlier.

Life by You has been in the works for a long time and we’ve been very excited about the promise and the potential of this game. Our hope was always that it would be able to leave a mark in this exciting and new genre for us. That’s why we’ve opted to delay it twice, to give the studio and the game a fair shot at realizing the potential we saw. For each delay we made, we’ve seen incremental improvements, which in hindsight may well have led us to focus on details rather than the whole picture.

A few weeks back, we decided to hold off on an Early Access release in order to re-evaluate Life by You, as we still felt that the game was lacking in some key areas. Though a time extension was an option, once we took that pause to get a wider view of the game, it became clear to us that the road leading to a release that we felt confident about was far too long and uncertain. This is not to say the game has not shown any promising qualities; Life by You had a number of strengths and the hard work of a dedicated team that went into realizing them. However, when we come to a point where we believe that more time will not get us close enough to a version we would be satisfied with, then we believe it is better to stop. This is obviously tough and disappointing for everyone who poured their time and enthusiasm into this project, especially when our decision comes so late in the process.

At the end of the day, our job is to release games that are fun, interesting, and challenging for our players, and our every decision should be taken with that purpose in mind. When we get that right, we earn our pay. So, how do we ensure we don’t find ourselves here again? Honestly, there are no real guarantees. Games are difficult to get right, and we’ll definitely make mistakes, which, as these things go, always become painfully apparent in hindsight, but still shouldn’t reach this kind of magnitude regardless. We have to take a long and hard look at what led us here and see what changes we have to make to become better. In the end, our mission remains the same, and we’ll continue to take whatever steps we need to do just that.

Sincerely,
Mattias Lilja, Deputy CEO of Paradox Interactive

Life By You had a promising start in terms of regular updates in its visuals and features. However, what might’ve failed this entire project is the very early announcement of an unfinished game. Hoping for the life simulation community to jump in the game and complete the work for Paradox themselves through early access.

LBY How To Garden from Start to Finish 3 9 screenshot

The game had very shaky framerate in its preview videos, high system requirements and unclear vision of its future. Paradox Interactive announced the game super early hoping that the community of life simulation players would pick up the slack for them, instead of investing in their actual development team.

And now, the future of many employees within Paradox Tectonic team who worked on Life By You remains uncertain thanks to the project’s failed leadership.

It’s unfortunate that an open world life simulation such as Life By You had to end so abruptly without giving the project a better, more professional approach at development. Who knows what the final build version of this game could’ve been. Guess we’ll never know now…

What are your thoughts on the announcement of Life By You’s cancellation? Share your comments down below!

OFFICIAL LEAK: The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack

Jovan

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June 13, 2024

0

OFFICIAL LEAK: The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack

The 16th Expansion for The Sims 4 has leaked in full!

That didn’t take a while! After announcing Summer of Love, the current Roadmap for The Sims 4, we now know what EA and Maxis have prepared as their biggest surprise of this Season. The Sims 4 Lovestruck is the title of the next Expansion Pack, and thanks to @anadius we now know the first official details (and screens).

According to the leak, The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack is set to release on July 25th, 2024 across Desktop and Console platforms. The official announcement of this Pack, along with the beginning of the Preorder incentive bonus is currently set for June 27th, 2024.

The source confirms that they haven’t been able to uncover the official screenshots from the Pack yet, only the Pre-Order bonus itself. Not to worry though, we already have a complete preview thanks to the official Boxarts and official key features and description of the pack!

Let’s take a look at everything new coming with this Expansion Pack:

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack – First Details

Explore romance as you match with alluring Sims and plan exciting dates in The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack. Create your Sim’s profile for the Cupid’s Corner dating app, and start meeting matches! New intimate interactions, like cuddling in bed or meeting for a seductive dance, are waiting. Whether your dynamic ends up steamy or strained will depend on what your Sim finds attractive. Pay special attention to those Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs.

Purchase now to get the Heartbreak Happens bonus items. Not all love stories have happy endings. Embrace a little heartache with the Cry Me A River Eyeliner, cuddle up with the new Herbert Heart Plushie and start your single life with the Basic Breakup Double Bed (your ex took the bed, but not your dignity…mostly). Available when you order June 27 through September 5**.

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Preorder Bonus — **Preorder Bonus for The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion**

Official Expansion Pack Features

Plan Hotter Dates — Check the Cupid’s Corner app for matches that make your Sim’s heart flutter. Then, set up a date with the new date-planning system. You’ll choose where to go and what to do, crafting romantic rendezvous that’ll leave Sims swooning. Sims can connect by playing games, cuddling in bed or taking the Romantic Blanket to a beautiful spot for a special moment.

All About Attraction — What works for your Sim? Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs will determine how attracted Sims are to each other. They can include interests, interactions and more. Discover these as your Sims get to know their partners, build relationships and maintain Romantic Satisfaction. Since Sims will like and dislike different interactions, partners might have different satisfaction levels. How Sims interact with each other will also affect whether their Relationship Dynamic is wholesome, steamy, strained or unpredictable.

For Lovers of Love — Romance isn’t just a word; it’s a skill that unlocks seductive interactions. For Sims with romantic aspirations, romance is a way of life. Truly hopeless romantics can even become Romance Consultants and make a career out of loving love! As they rise in their career, they’ll earn new ways to promote love and maybe find some cute heart-shaped furniture in their inventories.

Date Nights in an Unforgettable City — Fall in love with a gorgeous city made for romance! Ciudad Enamorada has 3 neighborhoods that exude charm with plenty of places for Sims to meet, flirt and even WooHoo. There’s even a new Singles Hangout lot trait that’ll attract available Sims to come and mingle.

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack is retailed at $39.99USD, just like all the other Expansions before. The big Gameplay Features of this Expansion are new Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs system, Online Dating, a new World called Ciudad Enamorada and everyone’s favorite object making the return – the Heart-Shaped Bed!

With two weeks left to spare until the official announcement, we could be expecting a lot more leaks and screenshot previews before the full reveal. Stick around on Sims Community to be the first to know when new info drops!

What are your thoughts on The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion? Share your opinions in the comments section down below.

The Sims 4: New Update! (June 6th, 2024)

Jovan

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June 6, 2024

0

The Sims 4: New Update! (June 6th, 2024)

There’s a brand new Patch for The Sims 4 on Desktop and Consoles.

EA has dropped a brand new Sims 4 Update across PC, Mac, Xbox and Playstation Consoles. Unlike the previous Update that released plenty of Bug Fixes and the brand new Events System to the game, this one is rumored to be fixing some of the exploits and issues that the previous patch brought.

The Update for an Update

Installing the Latest Update

You can get the latest Sims 4 Update on the following official launchers and platforms:

PC: EA App, Origin, Steam, Epic Games
Mac: Origin, Steam
Playstation: PS4 and PS5
Xbox: Xbox One and Xbox Series X / S

You can download the latest Sims 4 Update by checking for a Patch through the EA App. Or Origin if you play on Mac. If you have Automatic Updates enabled the update will automatically download through your client program. In case your EA App is not working properly ensure you’ve cleared your app cache!

If you play The Sims 4 on Xbox Series X / S and Playstation 4 and 5 you can request a new update by checking for updates under The Sims 4 game in the Main Menu. If you’ve enabled automatic updates the Patch should download right away.

The Sims 4 Patch Notes

Update 06/05/2024
PC: 1.107.151.1020 / Mac: 1.107.151.1230
Console: 1.93

Sul Sul Simmers!

Today’s update is intended to address multiple issues where players were able to access Happy At Home Login Event rewards before they were unlocked, as well as fixing a crash reported by players using the DirectX 11 Preview.

-The Sims 4 Team

Bug Fixes & Updates

Base Game

Removed an incorrect tooltip that appeared for the “Purchase” interaction on the Guerdon Goods Vending Machine.
We have resolved an issue that allowed the Practice Makes Perfect trait available in Create a Sim before it was unlocked through the Happy At Home Login Event.
Additionally, we’ve resolved an issue that allowed the Practice Makes Perfect trait to be available to Sims after aging up before the trait was unlocked through the Happy At Home Login Event.
Buffs from the Practice Makes Perfect trait will now be correctly applied and incremented when their requirements are met.
Addressed an issue that allowed locked Create a Sim rewards from the Happy At Home Login Event to become available through certain filters or through the randomizer.
Addressed an issue that allowed locked Build Mode rewards from the Happy At Home Login Event to become available in Build Mode through a specific combination of filters being applied.
Addressed a Last Exception error that caused Sims to reset after completing certain pool interactions.
We’ve resolved an issue that could cause text to be missing when opening the Happy At Home Login Event in Spanish.
We have updated the names and descriptions of some flowers to reflect the variety of colors they are available in.

DirectX 11 Preview

Resolved an issue causing a crash at launch when MSAA was enabled.
Various other stability improvements and fixes.

Thoughts on the latest Sims 4 Update drop? Leave your comments down below!

The team was doing extremely well before the game’s termination.

How Life by You and Paradox Tectonic closed last minute

Disable Sims 4 Festivals and organize them on your own calendar!

Overview of The Sims 4 Schedule Festivals Mod

List of current Sims 4 Festival

Download & Install

We might get another Sims 4 Expansion Pack this year!

The order of next two Sims 4 Expansion Pack releases

Rumored Sims 4 Expansion Pack Release Order

Another Sims 4 Expansion Pack This Year?

Win a copy of The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack for Desktop and Consoles in our latest giveaway!

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

An attorney firm is investigating a Privacy Violation from several EA titles, including The Sims FreePlay.

The Sims FreePlay Lawsuit

Lawsuit against EA

The new Sims 4 Player Survey suggests more Expansion Pack releases and possible Brand collaborations.

Sims 4 Survey Questions that Stood Out

To what extent do the following impact your Sims 4 play experience:

Which of the following best describe how you like to play The Sims 4?

How would you rate your overall satisfaction with recent pack and kit releases in The Sims 4?

Please select the 2 most important aspects to you, when considering purchasing an Expansion Pack (EP) for The Sims 4:

Please indicate how interested you are to see the following Build / Buy features in future Sims 4 Expansion Packs:

Please indicate how interested you are to see the following features in future Sims 4 Expansion Packs:

Brand Awareness and Potential Collabs

Special Sims 4 Deals currently available on Desktop! Plus, new Bundle out everywhere.

The Sims 4 Sale: Summer Deals

The Sims 4 Get Dating Bundle

Updates to Eyelashes, a New App and whole lot of Romantic Activities in Ciudad Enamorada!

Grown Up Costumes

Penthouses

Better Eyelashes

New WooHoo Spots

You Can’t Always Do It With A Broken Heart

The Iconic Heart Bed

New Phone App: Cupid’s Corner

New World

New Romantic Interactions

Round Pools

Eggplant costumes, blanket WooHoos and more first looks!

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Screens from the Reveal

Round Pools – First Look?

Ready to open up the relationship in The Sims 4?

Set your love calendars for June 27th for the full announcement of the next Expansion Pack!

Countdown to The Sims 4 Lovestruck Reveal

What to Expect

A new wave of leaks about the upcoming Sims 4 Expansion Pack is here.

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion: Gameplay Preview

Match

Connection

Romance

Discover

The Sims competitor “Life By You” has been cancelled completely.

The 16th Expansion for The Sims 4 has leaked in full!

The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack – First Details

Official Expansion Pack Features

There’s a brand new Patch for The Sims 4 on Desktop and Consoles.

The Update for an Update

Installing the Latest Update

The Sims 4 Patch Notes

Bug Fixes & UpdatesBase Game

DirectX 11 Preview

Bug Fixes & Updates

Base Game