Fortunately, EA has announced that The Sims 4 will become free on all platforms starting October 18. Maxis, the markers of The Sims franchise, will host a livestream event to detail plans for the future of the game and quite possibly the series.
More updates to follow during a special Behind The Sims Summit stream: https://t.co/89B3MDdeek pic.twitter.com/W4Gjg3xl75 — The Sims (@TheSims) September 14, 2022 To be clear, only the base game will be free for players to download and play. Expansions, game packs, stuff packs, and kits still need to be purchased if you are interested in owning them. Players starting in The Sims 4 will get a savings of $19.99 for the base game. We still do not know how the price of the Deluxe edition will be adjusted once the base game becomes free. Even as the base title becomes free, the main money maker for the franchise is still all the expansions and content packs. The Sims 4 currently has 12 main expansions and 12 additional game packs that add a plethora of content. There are also several stuff packs and kits for the game to add more items and thematic content. Checking the Steam page for The Sims 4, there are currently 59 add-ons that can be purchased. Speaking of expansions, the latest one called Highschool Years became controversial when a glitch allowed Sims to have incestuous relationships. EA has since fixed the bug and the expansion has been well received by players. For players who already own the base game, the Desert Deluxe kit can be downloaded for free as a reward. If you already own that kit, then there are no additional rewards from EA. This is the first time that the base game of The Sims 4 will be free for players to download. Fans have speculated that the game has reached the end of its natural life and EA will move on to a new entry into the franchise. However, we can’t be so sure about that as Maxis has already mentioned that “the team is more dedicated than ever to developing new and meaningful experiences for players and will continue to develop and release packs, Kits, and Sims Delivery Express drops into the foreseeable future.” EA teases that players can find out more about “what is in the works” during the livestream. Fans are anticipating an announcement for The Sims 5 during the event. The Sims 4 livestream can be viewed from the EA Youtube or Twitch channels on October 18.
