Stop us if you've heard this before, but a new Sims 4 update bringing long-awaited features has broken the game once more: "Bravo EA"

The Sims 4 screenshot showing a young woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and an academic green coat, her expression surprised — (Image credit: EA)

It's that time again, folks – The Sims 4 has once more been left a broken mess for many fans following an exciting content-filled patch, and I'm currently terrified to update my game.

Yesterday's update, described by EA on its official website, brings "a handful of new features intended to improve performance and player experience" – although it's safe to say it's done the opposite for many fans. While it does add skin details (including age spots, dark circles, freckles, rosacea, stretch marks, and more) as well as the long-awaited ability to select what packs you play with, much like in The Sims 3, it's also breaking Sims 4 mods and save files.

Most of us in the community are used to busted custom content and mods with each update, but it's exhausting – especially now that EA is rolling them out so frequently with no plans for a Sims 5 to ever release. A recent Reddit thread shines light on fans' tired voices, with its poster begging the new patch not to "break anything" in-game: "I don't trust anything with them anymore, I don't trust the small updates, I don't trust big game expansions, nothing."

EA threatening us :skull: from r/thesims

They continue, admitting, "I'm tired of fixing it." Comments see fellow players agree, with one saying, "I just wish I could disable forced updates…" Others sadly report that, as usual, the update is indeed "bricking your saves" already. "Bravo EA." It's a sad set of replies to read through as a Simmer myself, especially seeing somebody detail how they've "spent all week building a castle, and now my game is broken… hours of progress wasted."

There are countless other posts online highlighting similar complaints from fans, from Reddit to X – and it feels like déjà vu. It's not a phenomenon limited to us common folk in the community either; big content creators like Kayla "lilsimsie" Sims are suffering from the patch's subsequent issues as well. Her most recent stream on Twitch, having aired just yesterday as the new content dropped, was aptly dubbed "Sims update ruined my day."

It's a tale as old as time, I suppose… and while I'm genuinely excited to see requested content come to The Sims 4, like new skin details and pack selection, I can't help but be disappointed.

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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.

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