Lyndsay Pearson, VP of franchise creative for The Sims at Maxis Studios, confirmed on Tuesday that The Sims 5 (currently titled Project Rene) will be free to download across all platforms when it launches following a since removed job listing published in June that stated the title would be free-to-enter.
In a Behind The Sims video, Pearson stated: “We intend for Project Rene to be free to download, and that means that when it’s ready and fully open to our players, you’ll be able to join and play and explore Project Rene without a subscription, without core game purchase or energy mechanics.” The full video can be seen below:
Although the base game will be free to download, much like The Sims 4, the release of further expansion and content packs is expected following the game’s release. Pearson explains later in the video, “Beyond regular updates to the core game, we will sell content and packs, but we want to change that mix a little bit.”
Pearson continued to say that Project Rene won’t be as fully featured as The Sims 4, but the team aims to offer all-new content and packs that The Sims 4 may not have in the works. The full extent to which packs will appear is yet to be detailed, but we expect more information about these to come to light as more information regarding the development of Project Rene is unveiled.
Although we don’t have a release date for Project Rene, Behind The Sims is providing valuable insights for the upcoming game to drum up excitement. We’ve got a lot left to learn, but knowing the game will be free to download across all platforms is worth getting excited about in itself.
If you’re looking for games to tie you over until we learn more about Project Rene, then you might want to check out the best simulation games for something more realistic. Our list of the best single-player games may also offer adventures you might miss otherwise.
