Major Sims team split: continued Sims 4 support and next evolution

EA/Maxis confirmed in a start-of-year post that a large portion of the studio will continue supporting The Sims 4 while other teams work on the franchise’s "next evolution." The announcement puts a spotlight on Project Rene’s shifting direction and has already reignited community debate over whether that next step will be a mobile-first social platform, a codebase modernization, or a true next-generation single-player Sims.

Company messaging and subsequent investor and strategic communications have emphasized a mobile-first, social-multiplayer approach for Project Rene, while also referencing a future "Sims Hub" as part of a broader ecosystem. That mixed messaging is fueling speculation among players and modders: some read it as a pivot toward social and cross-platform service features, and others hope a parallel effort will modernize the underlying Sims technology for deeper single-player experiences.

For players who live and breathe expansion packs, packs and custom content, the immediate impact is practical. EA/Maxis explicitly said single-player PC and console Sims experiences remain important, which suggests ongoing pack releases, quality-of-life patches, and official bug fixes will continue to arrive for Sims 4. For modders, however, the company’s split focus raises questions about long-term investment in Sims 4’s aging codebase and tools. Many in the community are speculating about a remaster or a rewrite that could finally address decades-old technical constraints, while others caution that a mobile-first project might deprioritize the deep single-player systems mods rely on.

Project Rene’s long history of teasers and vague reveals adds to the uncertainty. Past hints have promised a "next evolution" in how Sims are created and played, but the studio has not laid out a clear, single roadmap. That ambiguity, combined with investor-facing language about platform-wide hubs and services, means conversations in community forums will stay lively for weeks. Mod authors should prepare by backing up custom content and documenting workflow, creators should keep an eye on toolchain announcements, and players who value the single-player sandbox should temper expectations while watching official channels for details.

The takeaway? The Sims ecosystem is branching out, not shutting down. Expect continued support for Sims 4 in the near term, but also brace for a longer transition period as Maxis balances pack cadence, modding stability, and the unknowns of Project Rene. Our two cents? Keep your saves and mods backed up, keep talking to devs in official threads, and treat any early Project Rene news like a teaser build-up—exciting, but probably not the whole story yet.