The Sims 5 has been a long time coming. It's been almost six years since The Sims 4 hit shelves, longer than any other span in the series' history. EA has little incentive to rush, of course - the company has been able to sell fans on a never-ending stream of Sims 4 DLC, more of which is planned for this summer. But with the game's graphics looking increasingly antique, the likelihood of a Sims 5 sequel announcement is growing fast.

It's not clear what features The Sims 5 might have beyond better graphics. In February, EA CEO Andrew Wilson did promise that online features will be added to The Sims "in the years to come," specifically referring to the sort of "social interactions and competition" seen in The Sims Online. The game could also adopt an open-world design, but even that's getting into speculative territory, simply reasonable based on series history and the general trend towards open worlds among publishers. A open design can require a lot of investment upfront, but sometimes makes it easier to add multiplayer and post-launch content.

Related: The Sims 5 Should Have More Realistic Graphics

The best opportunity for a Sims 5 announcement is likely the next EA Play Live event, scheduled for July 22. EA hasn't said what it will showcase, naturally, but Sims fans and the games media will certainly be paying attention - not the least because the publisher isn't on the roster for E3 in June aside from being a partner with Summer Games Fest. It could theoretically make an announcement during E3 anyway, but a Sims title might get drowned out by announcements from Nintendo, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and others. An exclusive livestream in July means no one else can steal The Sims 5's spotlight.

Does EA Have Backup Options For A Sims Reveal?

A female character with her head covering her eyes and a thinking cloud atop her head

If EA is going to make a 2021 announcement for The Sims 5 at all, there's also no better event on the calendar. It could turn to options like August's Gamescom or September's PAX West, but few to zero AAA games debut during those shows. In a world still emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person attendance at any expo is questionable - so it makes sense to stick with a livestream, especially for a game series like The Sims, which doesn't really lend itself to booth demos.

As for an actual release date, it's doubtful The Sims 5 will ship before 2022. Most major studios have suffered from pandemic-related production delays, and the Sims team would likely be no exception. Furthermore, with Sims 4 DLC coming out as late as July, it would be upsetting for fans if they had to abandon it just a few months later. That makes the earliest probable launch window spring 2022, if not the summer.

Next: The Sims 5 Needs Actual Locations, Not Rabbit Holes