HowPopular life simulator game Sims 4 will now be free to download and play, almost exactly eight years after it arrived for PC. Starting October 18, the base game will be available for everyone across all platforms, including Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. The game’s official handle tweeted that more updates would follow during a special-edition stream, Behind The Sims Summit which will take place on October 18 at 10:00 PT.
Image Credits | EA
For users who’ve already purchased the release or those who buy it on or before October 17, don’t worry – you’ll receive the upcoming Desert Luxe Kit, free of cost from the company. The DLC is a fun pack which includes 28 southwestern-style build/buy items to furnish a desert-themed patio, and all you need to do is log into the game and claim the Kit through the main menu.
“We’re excited to continue to welcome in more players than ever to create new stories, and explore without boundaries,” said EA’s release on their website. They also stated that their team is “more dedicated than ever to developing new and meaningful The Sims 4 experiences for our players and we will continue to develop and release packs, kits and Sims Delivery Express drops into the foreseeable future.”
The Sims 4 has seen 31 million players worldwide since its release in September 2014. However the game was met with some criticism for being too barebones and lacking in features compared to Sims 3.
Several expansion packs have followed since then, the most recent being free update High School Years which launched in July this year. After the correction of some unfortunate and hilarious bugs, it received fairly positive reviews.
Developer Maxis has already brought out 12 expansions for The Sims 4 since its release back in 2014, and these won’t be included as part of the base game that will soon be available for free. If you do decide to download the free version, you’ll miss out on some of the compelling features that have been released over the years.
For instance, the Cats & Dogs Deluxe Kit was added to the game in August 2017, and won’t be included in the base game – this means your sims can’t adopt a feline or canine companion.
The base game, while it does capture the core experience, isn’t comprehensive. Ever since the early days of The Sims, expansions have been a key part of Maxis’ model. Since Sims 4 released there have more than 60 added kits and expansion packs that enhance the original game. Still, the free-to-play model will likely work out well for The Sims considering players will still have to purchase the expansions and kits for the full experience.
There are still plenty of advantages for EA Play and EA Play Pro members, according to the website. They will receive an “upgraded experience” when member-only bundles of The Sims 4 go into The Play List on October 18, when the base game releases free. The Sims 4 EA Play Edition includes The Sims 4 Get To Work Expansion Pack, while the EA Play Pro Edition includes both The Sims 4 Get To Work Expansion Pack and The Sims 4 Toddler Stuff Pack.
Currently The Sims 4 can be purchased at $19.99, and is included as part of an EA Play subscription on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. Earlier, The Sims 4 could be downloaded free from accounts with a PlayStation Plus subscription. The developers also released a free-to-play mobile game based on The Sims back in 2011, called The Sims FreePlay, which is still supported.
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