While The Sims 4 multiplayer doesn't officially exist, there's a mod that'll help you play with up to 12 friends - yes, we can't believe it either. It's just one of the many excellent Sims 4 mods on offer, but the opportunity to mod a co-op mode really stands out, especially to fans who've been desperately campaigning for such a feature to exist.
The Sims 4 has been out since 2014, and in that time our prayers for a multiplayer element being added to the game have fallen short. Once upon a time, the Sims 5 official announcement hinted at “collaborative play”, but playing with a friend has not come into fruition. Unless, you utilize this handy mod we're about to reveal that turns Sims 4 multiplayer into a reality. Here's what EA has said about multiplayer and how to install and use the Sims 4 multiplayer mod, if you can't possibly wait any longer!
What EA has said about Sims 4 multiplayer
If comments from EA's CEO Andrew Wilson are any indication - and you have to hope they would be - an online future is something that the company is considering. This statement is from EA's third quarter of FY2020 earnings call.
"As Maxis continues to think about The Sims for a new generation – cross-platforms and a cloud of a neighborhood world, you should imagine while we will always stay true to our inspiration, escape, creation, self-improvement, motivations – that this notion of social interactions and competition like the kind of things that were actually present in The Sims Online many many years ago – that they will start to become a part of The Sims experience in the years to come."
This doesn't mean The Sims 5 is coming though. In fact, EA clarified in an official blog post in 2024 that "The Sims will move beyond linear, sequential Sims releases and offer more options for players than ever before." And, that's by announcing Project Rene - not quite The Sims 5, but a far bigger change than the usual updates or expansion packs. EA also confirmed that its experimenting with a "social play experience where players can design an apartment together".
How to use The Sims 4 multiplayer mod
In lieu of the real deal, the Sims community has created a serious mod to bring multiplayer to The Sims 4. The Sims 4 Multiplayer mod (S4MP) is designed to let you play with other people in real-time on a local network, and we're not just talking one player, we're talking up to 12 players. The mod basically uses one PC as a server, so you can all join the same game.
This is about as close as we can hope to getting a Sims 4 multiplayer mode, for the time being at least. You can check out the mod at sims-multiplayer.com and there's a Patreon if you want to support the project.
Remember, this isn't an official EA product, so you'll want to be careful when downloading and installing.
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