Electronic Arts confirms Sims 4's new pools will enable drownings

[Update: Electronic Arts has confirmed that Sims can indeed meet their watery graves at your capricious hands. Yes!]

Electronic Arts announced today that the first of three "major updates" to The Sims 4 is now live, enabling the ghosts of your dead Sims to return to the world of the living. Ghosts will have the same attributes they possessed before their unfortunate demise, as well as new behaviors that are based on how they died, and it might even be possible to resurrect them.

The update also adds new Star Wars costumes, including an X-Wing flight suit, Leia's robes (and buns, obviously), Darth Vader's armor, and a full-on Yoda get-up, as well as some small features requested by the community, like new eye colors, and a handful of minor bug fixes.

The second update, arriving in November, is the one a lot of you have been waiting for, as swimming pools will finally make their triumphant return to the game. It's unclear currently whether you'll definitely be able to do the cruel 'delete the steps' trick that leaves your Sim treading water until the inevitable happens, but we will of course keep you informed. The third update will follow in December, and will add new Career paths and rewards.

Given how much trouble EA went to explain why it couldn't include pools in The Sims 4, it's a little bit surprising to see them added so quickly post-launch. But who am I to complain about free stuff? Details on the November and December updates will be revealed closer to release, and as mentioned, all three will be entirely gratis through Origin.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.