The Sims 5 release date speculation & multiplayer exclusive on Project Rene

Listen to our Sims developer interview on the One More Life podcast!

Well, in an exciting turn of events, we know for sure that The Sims 5 is in development. Codenamed "Project Rene" by the developers, we also know that the next in the series will be a little different.

The biggest change is its multiplayer aspect. Don't panic, you won't have to share your sims' lives with everyone on the internet - but the option will be there.

Game director Grant Rodiek said in a stream: "Project Rene is not an MMO [massively multiplayer online game]. It is not this public, shared space where everything you do is always with other people...

"You can play on your own, on your terms, and then again, when you want [and] on your terms, you can invite others to come and play with you."

So far, so intriguing. We'll share everything else we know about The Sims 5 down below!

When is The Sims 5 release date?

There is currently no release date for The Sims 5. Fortunately, we do know that EA is now working on the game under the working title Project Rene. Unfortunately, we also know that its development is still in its early stages - so don't expect it to release anytime soon. In the same stream mentioned above, Rodiek said that the game is still "years out".

But thanks to a press release from last year, we know that Project Rene has just begun its development. Vice president of franchise creative for The Sims, Lyndsay Pearson, explained: "Today marks the start of our journey over the next few years as we work on this next game and creative platform." It's safe to say The Sims 5 is some way off still. Our prediction, if we had to add to the speculation, would be 2025 at the earliest.

Between now and when the game does eventually release, though, various other expansions to the pre-existing Sims game are on the way. It's nice knowing, too, that The Sims 5 is in active development. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

• Buy The Sims 4 on PC now
• Buy The Sims 3 here

What consoles and platforms will The Sims 5 be available on?

No platform has officially been confirmed yet for The Sims 5, but it will more than likely release on PS5 and Xbox Series X. As is usually the case, too, an initial PC release could be the first thing that happens, with players on Windows computers often being the first people to try out each new version of The Sims.

Whatever platforms it does release on, it appears as though The Sims 5 will feature crossplay. In its statement, EA and Maxis explained that players "will have the ability to play their game across supported devices".

Players who prefer Apple devices will hopefully be able to play The Sims 5 on Mac, which seems probable, considering that The Sims 4 did get a Mac release. The only people who might miss out are gamers on Nintendo Switch. To this date, The Sims 4 has not launched on Switch, which makes it seem likely that The Sims 5 won't come out on Switch, either.

The Sims 5 gameplay changes

You probably know how this one works by now - The Sims is essentially a life simulator, in which you create digital avatars and control every aspect of their life, from their house and job to the smallest details.

EA and Maxis claim that The Sims 5 will "reimagine The Sims with even more ways to play, tools to encourage creativity, and the ability to tell meaningful stories". We know that it has co-op, too, with the same statement adding "players will have the choice to play solo or collaborate with others".

As a brand new numbered entry, The Sims 5 should not only have improved graphics but a bucketload of new features. Not much is known yet about how it will actually differ from The Sims 4, but the game has been confirmed to have online features - meaning you'll be able to visit your friend's creations for the very first time. There is also hope that content cut from The Sims 4 will return in this sequel, including an open world, vehicles and full neighbourhood customisation.

Other rumours suggest that we could see a story mode coming to The Sims 5, which would allow players to follow a tailor-made narrative path through the game. For newcomers and people that are never sure what to do with their Sims, that would be a handy addition for sure, and making this franchise a single-player and multiplayer experience is an enticing one.

The Sims 5 multiplayer exclusive

"We definitely want to introduce multiplayer," said Sims 5 developer Lyndsay Pearson on our One More Life podcast (click that link to listen now). "And not multiplayer in the big, scary 'jump in a world full of strangers' kind of way. But literally, how do you and your friends want to do some play together?

"And there's a lot of different flavours that could take, so we're exploring a lot of different spaces there.

"Because playing together can look like so many different things, right? Even our chat now, we've talked about, like, trivia games to fighting games to racing games, playing together and social can mean so many things.

"And so we're having a lot of fun exploring all those different opportunities, particularly within the context of The Sims, because it is still about these little characters, their little lives, and you helping guide them." Check out the clip below and feel free to click away for the whole interview!

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