The Sims 4 Marketplace is coming with paid mods – because if there's one thing fans of EA's life sim want after spending over $1,500 on DLC, it's definitely costly custom content

I am admittedly frustrated to report that The Sims 4 is getting a new feature that many of us might have preferred to live without – a paid "Marketplace" where we can, you guessed it, purchase custom content and mods from fellow fans.

It's not the thought of paying hard-working players for their work that upsets me. It's the fact that, after spending over $1,500 on DLC (and, yes, you read that right), I will now be able to spend even more to spruce my base game experience up.

The Sims 4 Marketplace, as EA has so aptly dubbed the feature, is pretty much The Sims 3 Store but for the more recent life sim. See some sofas you like? Ready your wallets, they'll cost you.

As EA describes it in a new announcement, "This is an intentional evolution of a multi-year strategy to support custom content creators, expanding from co-developed Kits to Creator Kits and now The Sims 4 Marketplace and the Maker Program. This has all been thoughtfully built over the past few years to expand the reach and celebrate these incredible creatives."

As it stands, Kits themselves are $5 each. Prices on the Marketplace will vary.

It's not set to go live as a feature until March 17, when it'll roll out first on PC and then consoles in the coming months.

EA explains that it'll be fully integrated into The Sims 4 for a more seamless experience while shopping, and will introduce a new real-money currency: Moola. While the developers stress that the Marketplace "does not replace free content" and every purchase supports the creative fans selling their content, it's all understandably worrying.

I'm not the only one concerned, either. Comments under EA's official social media post on the upcoming virtual store prove as much. "BIG yikes," reads one. Another player writes, "Rest in peace, The Sims 4, I knew this was coming."

Others point out that the company will also make money off this, implying it's disingenuous to frame it as a net positive for custom content and mod creators. "I… can't even describe the horror I'm feeling."

The Sims 4 Marketplace is evidently not exactly proving popular with the community – but to be fair to EA, it isn't out yet. There's a chance it'll be okay, and I mean, I guess this does finally allow console users to have a go at downloading custom content and mods.

Hoping to spruce your base game up for free before the Marketplace lands? Browse through our roundup of the best Sims 4 mods available to download.