EA decides adding paid mods to The Sims 4 is a good idea, because it worked out so well for Bethesda with Skyrim and Fallout 4

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Here we (hopefully don't) go again

The Sims 4 Lovestruck reveal trailer screenshot showing a young woman with short curly hair laughing, a pink crop top and jewelry adorning her
(Image credit: EA)

The Sims 4 is going to be around for longer than fans thought, as EA reveals its plans to keep the 2014 game alive with even more new content - and Creator Kits, purchasable bits of DLC that feel a whole lot like paid mods.

EA has more in store for Simmers to look forward to than The Sims 4's spooktacular Life and Death expansion pack this fall, it seems. A new post from the developer regarding the future of its iconic sim franchise reveals quite a lot - there's an official Sims movie in the works, Project Rene is well underway as an online multiplayer spinoff, and community-created kits are coming for the Sims 4.

"These kits are designed and built by community creators to create new collections featuring unique styles and fresh storytelling potential," writes the dev. "These Creator Kits will mark the first time that a full collection of in-game assets have been crafted by a creator and officially published by The Sims development team, making them available for all players." Creator Kits roll out in November and will coexist with "our current collection of Kits."

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Kits are priced around $5 each, which means that Creator Kits will likely come at a similar price - which also means that they're not too far off from standing as paid mods. As a Simmer myself, I hope this isn't the case. The paid mod shop in Skyrim didn't work out so well, after all, nor did the one in Fallout 4. That's not to say that Creator Kits are the same, though - EA assures they're "a big step forward in delivering creator-made content that’s console-friendly."

It's no secret that Sims 4 mods aren't accessible to non-PC players, but I'm personally not sure that Creator Kits are the best way to open the door for console users. I'll do my best to remain positive, however, especially as EA says the coming Kits are "curated with safeguards" and are coming from "familiar faces" within the community. Until they start dropping this fall, good ol' Patreon is up and running with plenty of modders' selections to browse.

Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.