EA won’t release The Sims 5 because players would lose 10 years of DLC

The Sims 5 isn’t coming anytime soon and EA says it’s because they don’t want to wipe out everything players have bought over the past decade.

Speaking to Variety, EA president Laura Miele addressed why the company isn’t rushing to release a Sims 5 sequel. The reason is the mountain of DLC players have accumulated for The Sims 4.

“What I wouldn’t want to have happen is you to have to start from day zero and start from scratch and give up all of the things that you have created, give up all of the content that you’ve purchased over the years,” Miele said.

That’s a lot to lose. Since its 2014 release, The Sims 4 has seen over 85 expansion packs, game packs, and kits — many of which cost real money. EA admits asking players to abandon that isn’t “player friendly.”

Miele also noted that The Sims 4 is now strong enough “technologically” that it doesn’t need to be replaced with a new engine.

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EA still has big plans for The Sims franchise

Instead, EA is focused on spin-offs like the in-development multiplayer project codenamed Project Rene, and upcoming cross-media projects like The Sims movie, which is in development at Amazon MGM Studios and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap.

Miele says the movie offers major synergy opportunities. “It’s going to be so full circle and so fulfilling to bring content in a linear way and an interactive way, simultaneously, and even have it adapt to fans.

“When we have a couple of ideas about how we would go to market with a movie and a couple of different expressions, I just think the opportunity is so ripe.”

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As such, fans should probably expect to see some of the movie’s characters, items, and other aspects come to the game as yet another form of DLC down the line.

With The Sims celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, EA sees the franchise evolving in new directions, just not through a clean-slate sequel.

Miele also hinted at more transmedia expansions across EA’s biggest IPs when asked about a possible Apex Legends show or film. “There are rich worlds and rich history with these characters… that can come to life through linear media,” she teased.