Sims 4 Horse Ranch fans are hopeful the pack fixes the game's biggest problem

(Image credit: EA)

The latest Sims 4 expansion pack is on its way, and EA's description of it has reignited a years-long hope held by some Simmers for even bigger lots to build on.

"Does this mean a world full of big lots? Because we're gonna struggle building ranches on a bunch of 30x20 lots," said one hopeful Sims fan (via Twitter), quoting the mention of "big open countryside" as detailed on the EA website. It sounds like a heavy hint that, finally, we might be getting larger spaces to build our farms and ranches.

Sims 4 Horse Ranch is landing on July 20th, and thanks to a leak earlier this month, we've had the details for quite some time. Despite excitement for the ponies themselves, the word ranch, big, and countryside are the major draw for many fans who just want more space to play with.

The community has often had a bone to pick with EA when it comes to the size and scale of The Sims 4's neighborhood maps, dwarfed in every way by the open world stylings of The Sims 3. But despite the territories getting steadily bigger with each expansion, most recently in The Sims 4: Growing Together's sizable San Sequoia, the bigger neighborhoods still present the same issue: small buildable lots inside them.

The lots still felt cramped in farm-inspired The Sims 4: Cottage Living, seeing us cramming chicken coops and alpaca pens into a 40x40 lot with little room left to work with when building an actual home for the family. It's still a month from release, but judging from the promotional pictures alone, The Sims 4: Horse Ranch looks set to address the glaring spatial issue that's long been grumbled about by players.

There are many other games like The Sims if you're looking to diversify your world sim repertoire.

Jasmine is a Senior Staff Writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London, she began her journalism career as a freelancer with TheGamer and TechRadar Gaming before joining GR+ full-time in 2023. She now focuses predominantly on features content for GamesRadar+, attending game previews, and key international conferences such as Gamescom and Digital Dragons in between regular interviews, opinion pieces, and the occasional stint with the news or guides teams. In her spare time, you'll likely find Jasmine challenging her friends to a Resident Evil 2 speedrun, purchasing another book she's unlikely to read, or complaining about the weather.