EA has confirmed a bit of news that The Sims players have been eager to hear more about since the new entry in the series, currently codenamed Project Rene, was first announced, and that’s whether or not folks will need to once again pay for it upfront.
Validating rumours from a couple of months ago, EA has revealed that Project Rene will be “free to download” without the need for an upfront purchase or any other subscription tactics, similar to the current version of The Sims 4.
“Project Rene will be Free to Download,” the blog post reads. “This means that when Project Rene is ready and fully open to players, you will be able to join, play and explore it without a subscription, core game purchase or energy mechanics. We want playing to be super easy for you to invite or join friends and experience new features, stories and challenges. ”
Further explaining how it’ll work, EA’s announcement reveals that Project Rene will grow over time with regular updates to the core game and new content and packs made available to purchase – much like The Sims 4 now. It’s also explained that the barriers to play will be lowered when it comes to new features in content packs, with the example used that while an update might introduce a paid pack featuring winter sports and activities, the actual addition of weather effects to the game could be made free for everyone.
EA also claims that both Project Rene and The Sims 4 will co-exist side by side, at least for some time with the promise of continued support and new content for the existing game “for the forseeable future.”
Welcome to the third episode of Behind The Sims, our community series that covers the latest updates, sneak peeks and deep dives into game development, including the latest on Project Rene, new content for The Sims Mobile, The Sims Freeplay, & The Sims 4.
