Wild rumours claim The Sims 5 has been cancelled
Wild rumours claim that Maxis has cancelled The Sims 5, but with things unclear about what Project Rene is, players are confused about what's going on.
16th Jul 2024 10:12
Images via Maxis
Wild rumours claim The Sims 5 has been cancelled
Wild rumours claim that Maxis has cancelled The Sims 5, but with things unclear about what Project Rene is, players are confused about what's going on.
16th Jul 2024 10:12
Images via Maxis
The simulation could be over. Well, that's according to some of the wildest gaming rumours we've heard in a while. Electronic Arts has some of the biggest IPs out there, but alongside EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA) few franchises come close to touching the success of The Sims.
24 years after we first hung a Tragic Clown painting, took away the pool steps, and used the Rosebud cheat to get unlimited Simoleons, The Sims name is still going strong. Despite accusations that EA is milking The Sims 4 until it's a dried husk, others are happy for it to tide us over until The Sims 5 releases.
Rumours claim The Sims 5 could be in trouble
As shared by X user SimmerBerkay, the LinkedIn profile of an ex-Maxis employee claims that "The Sims 5" has been cancelled. We've got to be careful with our wording here because remember that EA has never officially referred to its next game as The Sims 5 (more on that in a moment).
LinkedIn claims that they were the Lead Character Artist at Maxis until Spring 2024, apparently working on the PS5 version of The Sims 5, but claiming the project has now been cancelled. There's a slight glimmer of hope that Maxis has been saying Project Rene is its next entry in the series, calling it "the next generation" of The Sims.
Speculation is rife, with fans throwing up some pretty logical explanations. Responding to SimmerBerkay, one sceptic wrote, "Rene hasn't been cancelled though? They are still hiring people for it right now. It could just be that a PS5 version of it was in the works and is no longer being developed."
The OP points to a slew of layoffs at Maxis as a possible cause, but ultimately concludes, "I think the sims 5 project turned into the rene project." As Project Rene has been recruiting playtesters, it seems to still be alive and kicking, but remember, it was never described as a full sequel to The Sims 4. Even we've been guilty of referring to Project Rene as The Sims 5
If The Sims 5 was in development under Unreal Engine 5 and has been cancelled, it would be a devastating blow to the ever-loyal Sims community. Even if you're still enjoying the various expansions, there's a question of when The Sims 4 will eventually bow out. There's no word from up high, but if we were EA, we'd want to nip this devastating rumour in the bud.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
