The Sims 4 team announced upcoming content they have planned for the game in 2022 this week, including a new game pack centered around celebration. Since the game's release in 2014, there have been over thirty DLCs released for The Sims 4, adding a myriad of items, clothing, and gameplay elements to the game. With over 30 million players, The Sims 4 is arguably one of the most popular simulation games on the market, with a very active community surrounding it.
There are four different types of DLC released for The Sims 4, each adding a different amount of content. The largest are expansion packs, which add large amounts of content and gameplay. Players can also purchase game packs that add a medium amount of content focused on one subject - such as vampires or camping - or the even smaller stuff packs, which solely add items and clothing. The latest addition to the DLC family is kits, now the cheapest DLC available, which add a handful of items or clothing. The Sims 4 has been out for over seven years, now the longest amount of time EA has gone between releasing base games in The Sims series, instead focusing on DLC content and creating new styles of Sims gameplay.
The Sims team announced their plan for the next three months of Sims 4 content on Twitter this week, highlighting multiple new releases alongside free content. The biggest announcement is the upcoming release of a new celebration-centric game pack that "throws a party for love," implying a wedding theme for the pack. Two kits were announced as well, and although it's unclear what their exact focus will be, they are billed as kits that will "celebrate fierce design." There will also be free content in the coming months centered around food, as well as collaboration projects within the Sims community. The announcement also teases "a few more surprises" in the next three months, however, it is unclear whether it will be paid or free Sims content.
This announcement has received a wide range of reactions from Sims fans. While the new content is undoubtedly intriguing, the lack of a full expansion pack on the list of releases makes the announcement somewhat disappointing for many. Seven years after release, many fans feel that the content in The Sims 4 is still lacking when compared to previous games - many DLCs have been perceived as adding content that should have been included in the base game, to begin with, instead of building upon existing content. This continued focus on The Sims 4 has also led fans to speculate about the future of the series, namely the much-anticipated release of The Sims 5. It's still unknown if EA will continue to focus on The Sims 4 throughout 2022, or if they will at some point pivot to The Sims 5.
Although this announcement only covers smaller pieces of content for The Sims 4, the fact that it only covers the first three months of 2022 means there is still a good chance EA will release more expansive content later in the year. The prospect of new ways for Sims to celebrate and throw events in the game is an exciting one, as new activities and events allow players to create even more narratives within the game. An upcoming collaboration with The Sims community is promising as well - The Sims 4 community is incredibly creative and often in tune with players' desires, and could potentially help create content that becomes a new fan favorite.
Source: The Sims/Twitter