Project Rene is not The Sims 5, with EA and Maxis confirming it's set to be a new multiplayer online spin-off that will be developed alongside The Sims 4 - which will continue to get future updates and expansions, and serve as the main, core experience.
Project Rene was originally believed to be The Sims 5 in all but name, or the "next-generation" mainline game. But as it turns out, it won't be a new game that will replace The Sims 4. In a blog post, EA clarified that "The Sims will move beyond linear, sequential Sims releases and offer more options for players than ever before."
This essentially means that The Sims 4 will still be the base game of the series and that Project Rene will offer up an online experience of its own. Set to be free-to-play when it launches, playtests have already taken place, with plenty of interesting details out there about the direction it's taking. Below, you can find an overview of everything we know so far about Project Rene, from some gameplay features we can expect, to development details, and more.
What is Project Rene?
Project Rene is a set to be a new online multiplayer spin-off that will exist alongside The Sims 4.
Originally described as the "next generation of Sims games and the creative platform," it was initially believed to be the code name for The Sims 5, but it was later confirmed that it won't be the next big successor to The Sims 4.
A small invite-only playtest took place in Fall 2024, but it's still going to be quite a while before the project is released. Still, we've been given a sneak peek at what to expect.
"We chose Project Rene because it's reminiscent of words like renewal, renaissance, [and] rebirth, and it represents our renewed commitment to The Sims," explained Pearson during the original reveal at the Behind the Sims Summit in October 2022. "That's what we're doing, we're ushering in a new future for The Sims, with a new game experience and more."
"This new future requires us to stay true to what The Sims has always been while pushing to evolve how those Sims think and behave, to push tools further when creating and customizing, and to explore innovative ways not only to tell stories but to collaborate on those stories and creations with your closest friends across your favorite devices."
Game Direct Grant Rodiek also detailed that there's a lot more to come in an official EA post about Project Rene: "There is so much work remaining for Project Rene. We still haven’t shared our Simulation experiences or character and clothing customization — not to mention new versions of apartment customization and additional social play experiences. All of this will be slowly stood up, shared, tested, tweaked, enhanced, reduced. And we intend to develop it hand-in-hand alongside our players."
Project Rene release date speculation
There is no concrete release date for Project Rene just yet, with Maxis confirming it's "years out".
After it was initially believed to be the codename for The Sims 5, Maxis later clarified that Project Rene is not the next Sims game in the mainline series, but will instead be an online multiplayer experience. It seems the early reveal of the game was done for all players to be let into the Project Rene secret "earlier than ever before", so "you to be a part of the development journey."
VP of franchise and creative Lyndsay Pearson said during the initial Sims Summit video in 2022 that the Project Rene reveal "marks the start of our journey over the next few years", before later adding that "this is super early for us, and we've never shared information about our games years before launch to the world." So, expect Project Rene to be at least a few years (if not more) away from launch.
We'll keep you posted as more news heads our way. But you can rest easy knowing that Project Rene is still in development.
Project Rene Early Access
Maxis appears to suggest some Early Access periods will be on the cards for Project Rene over the course of development. In fact, some early closed playtests took place back in 2022, with the developer detailing how the team plans to continue looking to the community to help guide Project Rene's development.
"Over the next couple of years, we'll continue sharing updates with all of you on Project Rene," says Pearson. "We'll share in-progress work, explorations, sneak-peeks, behind-the-scenes content as well as start to open up Early Access to Project Rene software to small groups over time".
Now that doesn't sound anything like Alpha or Beta access in the traditional sense, but it does sound like there might be some opportunities to test out the game in the future. Here's the latest update from VP franchise creative Lyndsay Pearson: "We're developing this game in a different way and we're bringing everyone along with us, and that means a lot of different phases of development which can include everything from closed invites in small public tests to large-scale early access options."
Will Project Rene be free-to-play?
EA has confirmed that Project Rene will be free to download when it's officially released. The company was quick to clarify that it will still sell paid content packs for the game, alongside free updates to the core experience. However, Sims features that have traditionally been available via buying the best Sims 4 expansion packs may be available for free in Project Rene, including weather.
"We intend for Project Rene to be free-to-download," explains VP franchise creative Lyndsay Pearson. "That means, when it's ready and fully open to our players, you'll be able to join, and play, and explore Project Rene without a subscription, without core game purchase, or energy mechanics."
Pearson also discussed how the game will evolve over time, explicitly stating that the next Sims experience won't launch with all of the features currently available in The Sims 4: "Project Rene is not setting out to replace your current, awesome Sims experiences," she said in a video update.
Project Rene platforms - Will it be cross-platform?
Now, Maxis hasn't officially confirmed the launch Project Rene platforms yet, but as part of the Project Rene reveal, the developer did showcase the game running on what we assume to be PC as well as a mobile platform.
"No matter who you may want to play with, we want you to be able to play wherever you want," says Pearson.
During the initial Behind the Sims Summit, a tech test of "how you can play this game across supported devices of your choosing" was shown off, where someone was placing furniture using a phone screen and instantly seeing those changes replicated on a monitor – again what we assume to be PC. The aim is to offer the "same experience [on] different screens."
EA has now discussed this more as part of a community update on January 31, 2023. Content is being tested on PC and mobile. "With Project Rene, you'll be able to play on a PC, put it down, and pick up right where you left off on a mobile device", reads the blog post. It adds that the team is "still developing ways in which we can tailor the experiences per platform" though.
Project Rene gameplay features
Maxis and EA have started talking about some of the Project Rene gameplay features that are in the works. Below, we've grouped them up by how they'll impact each part of the game, but we'll also detail what's been said about general improvements and evolutions here too.
For example, Maxis teased a little about the new sharing capabilities, with the option to share an arrangement of furniture and other items in one cluster, rather than an entire room or complete build. "With Project Rene, we want to make it easier to work together and share. You can choose to play or create by yourself, or with your close friends - it's entirely your choice," explained Pearson.
In a second update on Project Rene, EA also confirmed that its experimenting with a "social play experience where players can design an apartment together". However, it's been quick to add that "we fully recognize and embrace the fact that The Sims can be a very private, intimate escape for some people to explore things on their own. It will always be your choice whether to play on your own or with others". Essentially, it's set to be a multiplayer experience, but "not an MMO", and it is also a single-player experience.
The Sims has given us some of the best single-player games, and its past ventures into the multiplayer sphere (we're looking at you, The Sims Online) haven't been the most successful. We're curious to see how EA finds that balance in Project Rene's gameplay - especially since it's going to be an off-shoot rather than The Sims 5.
Project Rene Build/Buy Mode
So far, Maxis has outlined just a few elements of what Project Rene will eventually be. The first playtest for the game has now been completed with a small number of players, and included furniture customization, which also took up the majority of the initial Behind the Sims Summit.
The first look showcased how creative tools for Build Mode will evolve, with players able to pick the color and pattern of items (like a more nuanced version of The Sims 3's Create-a-Style) but also the shape of objects.
The examples shown were a bed where you could choose a single or a double for a single item and then tweak things like the shape and style of elements like the headboard and footboard. A sofa was shown off, too, with the user switching between a segmented three-cushion back or base and a solid one, or mixing and matching. You'll even be able to place and position throw cushions on your sofa independently (something that you can only do with cheats in The Sims 4), so this is going to be huge for builders.
Project Rene Create a Sim
Not much has been said so far about Create a Sim in Project Rene. But what we do know is that hairstyles are a big focus. The team is working on modelling "a wide variety of hairstyles across a broad range of humanity, and unlocking options like flexible coloring." Fingers crossed, we'll be getting more hairstyles for our male Sims in the upcoming game, since they have a habit of being left out when it comes to Create a Sim variety.
Hopefully, we get more footage shown soon. Sims competitor, inZOI, went for more realistic character model approach, which caught everyone's attention in the lead up to its release. But even if Project Rene isn't The Sims 5, it would make sense for it to build on The Sims 4's extensive suite of options and continue to deliver the signature style we know.
Project Rene Live Mode
In terms of how our Sims will behave and react in Project Rene, Maxis is working on a vision for animation with the phrase "read the room" as the driving force. That means the team wants "players to know how our Sims feel, along with what they’re thinking, just by how they behave," which will manifest in a "variety of attitudes, emotions, and postures that need to work across various objects and socialization features."
To understand this, the team is looking into Sim Routines both inside and outside of the home, "diving deep into populations, routines and what a Sim can see and do". It's said to be "developing rapidly," and we should expect to see more soon.
Maxis has also said it's looking at improvements to socialization too and how to present that to players without it feeling overwhelming. "From animating, talking and processing thoughts, the team is using basic visuals and placeholder content to better understand how much information is too much, what stands out and ultimately, what helps players understand what their Sim is thinking."
The team say they're really leaning into "clean, clear, and simple visuals", or more specifically "how little we can get away with". We're so here for an uncluttered UI!
Is The Sims 5 cancelled?
If you find yourself asking if The Sims 5 is cancelled, that's likely because of the confusion caused by Project Rene when it first announced. It was initially believed to be the next big Sims games to follow-up the The Sims 4 - aka The Sims 5. But EA later clarified to Variety that Project Rene is not going to be a new Sims game to take the place of the Sims 4, and will rather be a new online multiplayer spin-off.
That means that The Sims 4 will continue to be supported as the mainline game in the series, with more expansions and updates set to come that will add to the core experience. Whether we'll ever see a potential Sims 5 someday remains to be seen, but if we do, it sounds as if it'll be a long ways off. For now, The Sims 4 will continue to live on as the main game.
The Sims 5 News
- Fans are hoping that The Sims 5 returns to an open world setting
- Sims 5 playtest leak shows early character prototypes
- The Sims 5 has multiplayer, but it's "not an MMO"
- I know it's early, but the Sims 5 environment prototypes look really good
- EA drops a Sims 5 bomb: it's free to play, will "coexist with other Sims games," but "won't start with everything you have in The Sims 4"
Check out our list of all the games like The Sims that you can play today. We also have a handy guide to all the new games heading our way if you want to keep track of more upcoming titles.
