Sims 4 devs are working on a fix for incest and aging issues

The Sims 4
(Image credit: EA Games)

The Sims 4 developers are currently working on a fix for issues including rapid aging and incest.

Yesterday, it emerged that the latest Sims 4 update included a glitch that takes years off the lives of your virtual characters. Well, things have gone from bad to worse as in addition to speedy aging, the latest patch appears to have accidentally added incestual relationships. It's safe to say playing The Sims 4 is a strange experience right now.

As reported by Kotaku, after installing the game's latest update, which was released on July 26, fans have found that some Sims have become romantically interested in members of their own families. One Reddit user posted a picture of their elderly Sim who, to their horror, suddenly wanted to date her own son. 

why_is_my_sim_getting_a_whim_to_ask_her_own_son from r/thesims

Similarly, a Sims fan recently reported to EA that their virtual character wanted to ask his twin sister to be his girlfriend. On the same bug report forum, another fan wrote: "In the recent update, I made a new save, more to have a new family and fresh start on my sims games. However, this has unfortunately triggered the whim 'Ask <name> to be Boyfriend.' Which would be all fine and dandy if she wasn't thinking about it for her father."

But fear not, Sims fans, a fix is on the way. The Sims developer has taken to Twitter to confirm that the studio is aware of the unfortunate glitch and to assure fans that it's working on resolving the issue as soon as possible. It also confirmed that it's currently tackling the bizarre aging bug. Let's hope things return to normal in the lives of our virtual pals sooner rather than later.

The July 26 update also added several new features to the base game, most notably new sexual orientation options for your Sims. These can't be turned off as "LGBTQIA+ identities are a fact of life," says the dev, "not a toggle to be switched on and off."

Build the best world for your virtual friends with our Sims 4 guide.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.