Maxis Games’ revolutionary 2000 title The Sims is one of the most important PC games ever released. The crossover hit is one of the best-selling games ever, and it essentially created the life simulator genre, yet this important piece of gaming history has remained mostly unplayable on modern hardware for over a decade.
But now, just ahead of its 25th anniversary, Electronic Arts is teasing an official return for The Sims to modern platforms.
Both The Sims and its 2004 sequel, The Sims 2, are getting digital re-releases, according to Kotaku. The outlet, citing “a source familiar with the plans,” reports that both games will be released alongside all their respective expansion packs. With over a dozen expansions and even more item updates between the two games, the releases would be a comprehensive reintroduction of where the series started.
The Sims official X account teased the first two games returning with a short 10-second video that featured both the original and Sims 2 versions of the iconic green “Plumbob” crystal. According to Kotaku, the two games are expected to hit platforms like Steam by the end of the month. It’s unclear if these retro titles will also hit consoles.
For longtime fans, The Sims and The Sims 2 represent the series at its best. After the original laid a strong foundation, its sequel deepened its core gameplay with aging and life stages, genetics that can be passed down to newer generations, and distinct personalities for the virtual humans. Unfortunately, both games have remained unplayable for over a decade. The original is a disc-only game that requires an all but obsolete CD or DVD-ROM drive. Its sequel was removed from EA’s outgoing digital storefront, Origin, in 2014. And even if you have copies of these games in your library, compatibility issues with current versions of Windows make it a challenge to get running on modern hardware.
The games are returning at an interesting time for the series. It’s been 11 years since the most recent installment, The Sims 4, was released on all major platforms. A while back, EA teased that a major Sims project codenamed Project Rene has been in playtests since at least 2022. The company then confirmed last year that Rene is a big update for the 2014 game rather than a proper sequel, a divisive choice among fans. While little is known about Project Rene, EA has said that multiplayer will be a major component, and that it will be released on both mobile and PC.
Meanwhile, Sim competitors have sprung up in the absence of a proper sequel. South Korean developer Krafton released inZoi last year, which has been gaining traction with influencers and streamers. Paralives, from indie developer Paralives Studio, is heading into early access later this year. Maxis and EA releasing two of the most beloved games in the series is a pretty fool-proof way to maintain interest in the 25-year-old franchise. Throw in the upcoming movie adaptation featuring Margot Robbie, and it’s clear there’s still a lot of life in the Sims yet.
