It's not the news we wanted but it's what we expected: EA has finally admitted Project Rene is a 'mobile-first' game

Don Lothario looks very sad — (Image credit: Maxis, Electronic Arts)

I'm going to hold your hand when I say this: Project Rene is a mobile game. When EA first teased the next Sims game, we understandably thought the pretty new lighting engine shots it showed off meant we were looking at The Sims 5. After a couple agonizing years of leaks, silence, rumors, and speculation, EA has finally just admitted what we'd all figured out: Project Rene is a "social multiplayer" mobile game.

EA shared a news update about the future of The Sims series today, setting expectations for the new year. After spending a bit more time trying to calm fans down about the EA buyout we're understandably very wary of, it goes on to be, if not what I'd call transparent, then at least more clear than ever before about the relationship between The Sims 4 and Project Rene.

"Thanks to ongoing player feedback, Project Rene has evolved to focus on social multiplayer play, offering a more direct way for friends to share creativity together. It is not the successor to The Sims 4 and is a separate experience from any future deep, singleplayer life simulation experience. It introduces a new way to explore and play together within the growing Sims family of games, welcoming Simmers who want to connect directly with other players."

The Sims Labs logo on top of an image of three Sims with player names posing together in a small outdoor plaza.

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

Every time leaked images from these playtests make the rounds, fans are pretty bummed. Most of us don't really want a small mobile Sims game. Adding insult to injury, EA has ignored every leak so far and refused to give players any clarity on what we're seeing. So at least in that department, today is a relief.

What I find most interesting is that EA says "Project Rene has evolved" into this current state. It's almost an acknowledgement that we weren't out of line to believe that at one point this was The Sims 5 and got internally rebooted during development.

While Project Rene may not be what most of us wanted from a new Sims game, EA does also remind us that it's still "building a family of new Sims experiences across PC, console, and mobile," and that it's "committed to singleplayer life simulation experiences." The same blog post reveals that over half of the full Sims team is working on "The Sims 4 and the next evolution," though any transparency about what that means is coming months down the line, it says.

An official screenshot for "City Life Game with Friends" on Google Play. — "City Life Game with Friends" playtest on Google Play. (Image credit: Electronic Arts)

"In 2026 you can expect to hear more from us as we continue playtesting new ideas and experiences," it also says. Don't hold your breath though. It would be pretty in character if this is the only clear communication we get about The Sims series future for the rest of this year.

Lauren has been writing for PC Gamer since she went hunting for the cryptid Dark Souls fashion police in 2017. She joined the PCG staff in 2021, now serving as self-appointed chief cozy games and farmlife sim enjoyer. Her career originally began in game development and she remains fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long fantasy books, longer RPGs, can't stop playing co-op survival crafting games, and has spent a number of hours she refuses to count building houses in The Sims games for over 20 years.

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