A video that is supposedly from the next iteration of The Sims has surfaced online, sparking concern and discussion among fans about the future direction of the beloved series. The footage, attributed to Project Rene—sometimes referred to as The Sims 5, though EA clarifies it as a spin-off—has been the subject of speculation for several years. The leaked video, titled "City Life Game With Friends," suggests to many that it could be the next entry in The Sims franchise.
The 20-minute video features a player navigating through text prompts to customize their avatar's appearance and activities before entering a sunlit Plaza de Poupon. There, the player engages in various activities, including purchasing food and socializing, and eventually heads to work at an outdoor café. The characters, referred to as Sims, speak in the series' iconic Simlish language and are topped with the recognizable Plumbob.
"I am terribly disappointed with Project Rene. Yes, I know, according to EA, 'this is not the final game.' Is this a joke or what?" expressed one dissatisfied fan on The Sims' subreddit in a highly upvoted post titled "I think Project Rene is a red flag (I hope not).""EA clearly wants to kill off normal Sims games and push people toward the mobile-style experience. So in their mind, a reboot literally means this — at least that’s what I THINK."
"This is not going to be for me, I can tell already," another fan commented. "It just seems so basic and I don't want to play The Sims on my phone."
"The funny thing is, making a PC/mobile cross-compatible Sims game isn't a bad idea," another fan suggested. "EA just believes that mobile games HAVE to be ugly for some reason. They're chasing all of the design trends of the past decade, but it means that this thing already looks dated and it's not even out yet."
"The way The Sims was literally a satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness... And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness," another fan remarked.
Project Rene, initially thought to be The Sims 5 until EA clarified otherwise, was first hinted at during the 2022 Behind the Sims Summit. Described as a free-to-play game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us, it has not been officially revealed or given a release date. EA has been conducting invite-only playtests since the project's announcement, with the latest test likely being the source of these leaks.
The name "Rene" is symbolic, drawing from terms like "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," reflecting the developers' commitment to a vibrant future for The Sims franchise.
Last October, images from Project Rene leaked during a closed test, prompting criticism over the art style, limited features, and the use of microtransactions. The inclusion of a café reminiscent of 2018's The Sims Mobile drew significant skepticism. In response, EA emphasized that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but rather a different "cozy, social game" within The Sims universe.
Meanwhile, fans of the series were delighted to see The Burglar—a nostalgic character from older Sims games—make a return in the latest update for The Sims 4.
