The Sims 4 To Become Free To Play, Sims 5 Coming Soon?

The Sims 4 is set to go free to play next month, almost eight years after it first launched on PC.

Credit: EA

You'll be able to download the base game for free on Mac, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S starting 18 October. If you already own the game or decide to buy it before it becomes free, you'll receive the Desert Luxe Kit, an upcoming DLC expansion that adds a host of southwestern desert-themed furniture pieces to help you design your dream patio.

The base game is currently available to purchase for US$20. It's also included among the list of games that come with an EA Play subscription.

EA, the game's publisher, does note that only the base game will become permanently free, not the dozens of expansions and add-on content packs that have since been released.

The company didn't explain why it decided to make The Sims 4 free to play, but the move does make sense financially. By making the base game free, more players are likely to try it and possibly get into its ecosystem, which could then boost the sales of those aforementioned expansions. While you can play the base game on its own, you'll be missing out on a lot of the most exciting features and content. For instance, the Get Famous expansion pack lets your Sims live out their dreams of fame and fortune, while the Cats and Dogs pack lets them adopt pets.

It's this type of post-launch support from developer Maxis that has kept the game relatively profitable for EA. And the two companies aren't done yet with The Sims 4. Maxis said it'll continue to support the game into the "foreseeable future" by developing new experiences and DLC packs.

That, however, didn't stop fans of the franchise from speculating that The Sims 5 could be coming soon. But, of course, until the game is officially announced, you'll just have to chalk it up as mere speculation.

Maxis is hosting a special stream on 18 October via The Sims YouTube and Twitch channels to reveal what's next for the franchise. Could The Sims 5 be announced there? You'll just have to wait and see.

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• The Sims 4 will be permanently free on Mac, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S starting 18 October.

• EA, the game's publisher, does note that only the base game will become permanently free, not the dozens of expansions and add-on content packs that have since been released.

• If you already own the game or decide to buy it before it becomes free, you'll receive the Desert Luxe Kit, an upcoming DLC expansion.