As it turns out, what was once thought to be The Sims 5 isn't actually The Sims 5. Codenamed Project Rene, Maxis and EA confirmed in 2024 that it was lined up to be a new online multiplayer spin-off, with The Sims 4 carrying on the core experience with future updates and expansions.
Since then, following various layoffs sadly impacting studios under EA, which has seen the closure of Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio, BioWare - as well as the cancellation of Mass Effect 5 - reports suggest that Project Rene may have been "paused". While not directly referenced, a post from EA touches on the plan to pause "Project Lotus", which may be another codename for Rene (but that's yet to be confirmed).
This comes after a $55 billion buyout, which saw EA get acquired by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and put into $20 billion debt. Project Rene was initially revealed as the "next-generation" of the series, which led many to believe that it was The Sims 5 in all but name. But as clarified later in blog post, "The Sims will move beyond linear, sequential Sims releases and offer more options for players than ever before." Now, the focus is on "Project Evergreen" for The Sims in "order to give the team more time to reach the full potential and vision for the game". Presumably that means The Sims 4. While we await further updates on Rene and the future of its development, you can find a full breakdown of everything that was previously revealed about the multiplayer experience below.
What is Project Rene?
Project Rene is a set to be a new online multiplayer spin-off, with the plan being that it would exist alongside The Sims 4.
Originally described as the "next generation of Sims games and the creative platform," it was initially believed to be the code name for The Sims 5, but it was later confirmed that it won't be the next big successor to The Sims 4.
A small invite-only playtest took place in Fall 2024, but with an uncertain future ahead, it's not clear as to when or if we'll see the project surface again. The below quotes, though, shed a little light on the idea behind Project Rene.
"We chose Project Rene because it's reminiscent of words like renewal, renaissance, [and] rebirth, and it represents our renewed commitment to The Sims," explained Pearson during the original reveal at the Behind the Sims Summit in October 2022. "That's what we're doing, we're ushering in a new future for The Sims, with a new game experience and more."
"This new future requires us to stay true to what The Sims has always been while pushing to evolve how those Sims think and behave, to push tools further when creating and customizing, and to explore innovative ways not only to tell stories but to collaborate on those stories and creations with your closest friends across your favorite devices."
Game director Grant Rodiek also previously detailed that there would be a lot more to come in an official EA post about Project Rene: "There is so much work remaining for Project Rene. We still haven’t shared our Simulation experiences or character and clothing customization — not to mention new versions of apartment customization and additional social play experiences. All of this will be slowly stood up, shared, tested, tweaked, enhanced, reduced. And we intend to develop it hand-in-hand alongside our players."
We'll have to wait and see what happens for the project, but we'll be watching out for further updates.
Project Rene release date speculation
There is no release date for Project Rene, with Maxis previously confirming it would be "years out".
After it was initially believed to be the codename for The Sims 5, Maxis later clarified that Project Rene is not the next Sims game in the mainline series, but will instead be an online multiplayer experience. It seems the early reveal of the game was done for all players to be let into the Project Rene secret "earlier than ever before", so "you get to be a part of the development journey."
VP of franchise and creative Lyndsay Pearson said during the initial Sims Summit video in 2022 that the Project Rene reveal "marks the start of our journey over the next few years", before later adding that "this is super early for us, and we've never shared information about our games years before launch to the world."
Hopefully there'll be more clarity on whether or not Project Rene will still be going ahead, or if development will continue in the future.
Project Rene Early Access
Maxis appeared to suggest Early Access periods could have been on the cards for Project Rene over the course of development. In fact, some early closed playtests took place back in 2022, with the developer detailing how the team plans to continue looking to the community to help guide Project Rene's development.
"Over the next couple of years, we'll continue sharing updates with all of you on Project Rene," says Pearson. "We'll share in-progress work, explorations, sneak-peeks, behind-the-scenes content as well as start to open up Early Access to Project Rene software to small groups over time".
Now that doesn't sound anything like Alpha or Beta access in the traditional sense, but it does sound like there were plans for some opportunities to test out the game. Here's the last update from VP franchise creative Lyndsay Pearson prior to the EA news: "We're developing this game in a different way and we're bringing everyone along with us, and that means a lot of different phases of development which can include everything from closed invites in small public tests to large-scale early access options."
Was Project Rene set to be free-to-play?
EA confirmed that Project Rene was planned as a free-to-play download. The company was quick to clarify that paid content packs for the game were on the cards, alongside free updates to the core experience. It seems that Sims features that have traditionally been available via buying the best Sims 4 expansion packs might have planned to be available for free in Project Rene, though, including weather.
"We intend for Project Rene to be free-to-download," explains VP franchise creative Lyndsay Pearson. "That means, when it's ready and fully open to our players, you'll be able to join, and play, and explore Project Rene without a subscription, without core game purchase, or energy mechanics."
Pearson also discussed how the game was due to evolve over time, explicitly stating that the next Sims experience wouldn't launch with all of the features currently available in The Sims 4: "Project Rene is not setting out to replace your current, awesome Sims experiences," she said in a video update.
Project Rene platforms - Will it be cross-platform?
Maxis never officially confirmed the launch Project Rene platforms, but as part of the Project Rene reveal, the developer did showcase the game running on what we assume to be PC, as well as a mobile platform.
"No matter who you may want to play with, we want you to be able to play wherever you want," says Pearson.
During the initial Behind the Sims Summit, a tech test of "how you can play this game across supported devices of your choosing" was shown off, where someone was placing furniture using a phone screen and instantly seeing those changes replicated on a monitor – again what we assume to be PC. The aim is to offer the "same experience [on] different screens."
EA discussed this more as part of a community update on January 31, 2023. "With Project Rene, you'll be able to play on a PC, put it down, and pick up right where you left off on a mobile device", reads the blog post. It adds that the team was "still developing ways in which we can tailor the experiences per platform" though.
Project Rene gameplay features
Maxis and EA shed some light on Project Rene's gameplay features in previous years. Below, we've grouped them up by how they could impact each part of the game, but we'll also detail what's been said about general improvements and evolutions here, too.
For example, Maxis teased a little about the new sharing capabilities, with the option to share an arrangement of furniture and other items in one cluster, rather than an entire room or complete build. "With Project Rene, we want to make it easier to work together and share. You can choose to play or create by yourself, or with your close friends - it's entirely your choice," explained Pearson.
In a second update on Project Rene, EA also confirmed that its experimenting with a "social play experience where players can design an apartment together". However, it's been quick to add that "we fully recognize and embrace the fact that The Sims can be a very private, intimate escape for some people to explore things on their own. It will always be your choice whether to play on your own or with others". Essentially, it's set to be a multiplayer experience, but "not an MMO", and it is also a single-player experience.
The Sims has given us some of the best single-player games, and its past ventures into the multiplayer sphere (we're looking at you, The Sims Online) haven't been the most successful. It only makes us more curious to see what Project Rene could bring to the table if it does come to fruition.
Project Rene Build/Buy Mode
So far, Maxis outlined just a few elements of Project Rene in terms of its build modes. The first playtest for the game was completed with a small number of players, and included furniture customization, which also took up the majority of the initial Behind the Sims Summit.
The first look showcased how creative tools for Build Mode were set to evolve, with players able to pick the color and pattern of items (like a more nuanced version of The Sims 3's Create-a-Style) but also the shape of objects.
The examples shown were a bed where you could choose a single or a double for a single item and then tweak things like the shape and style of elements like the headboard and footboard. A couch was shown off, too, with the user switching between a segmented three-cushion back or base and a solid one, or mixing and matching. You could eve place and position throw cushions on your sofa independently (something that you can only do with cheats in The Sims 4).
Project Rene Create a Sim
Not much has been said so far about Create a Sim in Project Rene. But what we do know is that hairstyles looked to be a big focus. The team worked on modelling "a wide variety of hairstyles across a broad range of humanity, and unlocking options like flexible coloring."
Even if Project Rene isn't The Sims 5, it would make sense for it to build on The Sims 4's extensive suite of options.
Project Rene Live Mode
In terms of how the Sims behave and react in Project Rene, Maxis workd on a vision for animation with the phrase "read the room" as the driving force. That means the team aimed for "players to know how our Sims feel, along with what they’re thinking, just by how they behave," which manifests in a "variety of attitudes, emotions, and postures that need to work across various objects and socialization features."
To understand this, the team is looking into Sim Routines both inside and outside of the home, "diving deep into populations, routines and what a Sim can see and do".
Maxis also said it was looking at improvements to socialization, too, and how to present that to players without it feeling overwhelming. "From animating, talking and processing thoughts, the team is using basic visuals and placeholder content to better understand how much information is too much, what stands out and ultimately, what helps players understand what their Sim is thinking."
The team say they're really leaning into "clean, clear, and simple visuals", or more specifically "how little we can get away with". We're so here for an uncluttered UI!
Is The Sims 5 cancelled?
There's been a lot of confusion surrounding The Sims 5 over the years and whether or not its been cancelled, and that's only been compounded following layoffs at EA.
In a statement titled building the next chapter of EA, which was first shared with employees, COO David Tinson and CSO Cam Weber touched on the future portfolio, which included The Sims and its focus "on the long-term potential" of the series.
"We’re going to prioritize our efforts on "Project Evergreen”"for The Sims to give the team more time to reach the full potential and vision for the game, and to help make this possible, we're pausing development on "Project Lotus."
While the codename Project Rene isn't directly referenced here, its believed that Lotus may be the internal codename for Rene. If so, that would mean development has been "paused", which implies it may not be officially cancelled outright and could continue someday.
Previously, the confusion stemmed from Rene initially seemingly being put forward to be the next big Sims games to follow-up the The Sims 4 - aka The Sims 5. But EA later clarified to Variety that Project Rene is not going to be a new Sims game to take the place of the Sims 4, and will rather be a new online multiplayer spin-off.
Hopefully we'll have more clarify or further updates on the state of Rene and plans for its development in the future.
The Sims 5 News
- "The Sims has always been more than a game": Maxis says its values aren't changing amid EA's buyout as it works on "the next evolution" of the series
- EA exec says The Sims 5 is "not a good idea for our community" because The Sims 4 got so much DLC: "What I wouldn't want to have happen is you to have to start from day zero"
- Project Rene definitely isn't The Sims 5, and new leaks of EA's upcoming multiplayer sim prove as much
Check out our list of all the games like The Sims that you can play today. We also have a handy guide to all the new games heading our way if you want to keep track of more upcoming titles.
