Though not much is known about the mysterious Project Rene, the little information EA and Maxis have revealed about the project promises a lot of changes to The Sims franchise. With these significant changes in mind, Project Rene could distinguish itself from The Sims 4 specifically in its approach to occult-type Sims.
There are several occult types currently available in The Sims 4. Some of these Sims are available in The Sims 4 base games, like ghosts and PlantSims, but most occult types are only available through DLC. These pay-to-play occult types include aliens (Get to Work Expansion), spellcasters (Realm of Magic Game Pack), mermaids (Island Living Game Pack), vampires (Vampires Game Pack), and werewolves (Werewolves Game Pack). Ghosts were also recently expanded in The Sims 4’s most recent expansion pack, Life and Death, released back in October 2024.
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Project Rene: What Could Future Playtests Feature?
Project Rene playtests have revealed important details about the mysterious project, and naturally fans may have questions about future ones.
What is Known About Project Rene
As mentioned, EA and Maxis have promised quite a bit to players through Project Rene. The new entry into The Sims franchise will supposedly be an online multiplayer cross-platform experience. Play tests for the game have tested the game’s multiplayer capabilities, solidifying EA and Maxis’s statements.
Datamining and image leaks have also given players an inside scoop on Project Rene’s development. While all leaks should be taken with a grain of salt, alleged images of Project Rene’s version of Create-A-Sim (CAS) are representative of statements made during the announcement of the game back at the Behind the Sims Summit in 2022.
Project Rene’s CAS will allegedly allow Simmers to adjust the weight and height of their Sims and also layer their clothing. These features have been unavailable in CAS for the franchise’s previous installments. An alleged category for mobility aids, featuring items like wheelchairs, was also uncovered during the datamine. But the most interesting aspect found during this datamining session did not involve humans, but animals.
All customizable pets available in The Sims 4 are paywalled. Animals like cats, dogs, and horses, which have their own version of CAS, can only be obtained by purchasing the Horse Ranch or Cats & Dogs Expansion Packs. This datamine alleges that these pets can be directly edited in Project Rene’s base game CAS, suggesting that this gameplay feature that is paywalled in The Sims 4 will be free-to-play in Project Rene. If this leak is true, EA and Maxis should take the same approach to occult-type Sims.
Project Rene May Solve The Sims’ Pay Wall Problem
The amount of money necessary to purchase all DLC packs currently available in The Sims 4 is ludicrous. Simmers have been complaining about the franchise’s pay-to-play system practically since DLC was introduced to the franchise. Though EA and Maxis’s approach to paywalls has evolved over the franchise’s twenty-five-year history, players remain disgruntled and disgusted by The Sims’ pricing.
But Project Rene will supposedly be different. EA and Maxis have long touted that the project will be like no Sims game before it and be absolutely filled to the brim with content. If this is the case, occult-type Sims should be available in Project Rene’s base game to play from the get-go.
Project Rene Will Likely Still Be Monetized
However, EA and Maxis will still want to make money somehow. Project Rene will likely not be free-to-play on release, as was the case with The Sims 4. Even with the money made on the initial launch, it would not be unlikely for EA and Maxis to search for some other way to monetize Project Rene. Therefore, the best option for the franchise would not be to sell individual items in the case of The Sims 3 shop or release restrictive DLC packs like in The Sims 4, but to turn to releasing more Kits.
While Kits have been a divisive DLC feature in The Sims 4, as they typically feature only CAS items, Build and Buy items, or new gameplay, for $5 per Kit, this specific form of DLC might mesh well with Project Rene. Since this new title will be an online multiplayer game, it feels only fair for all players to have access to the same kinds of gameplay. However, selling new furniture and clothing items to Simmers would be a way for EA and Maxis to monetize Project Rene, while giving all Simmers the chance to play with features like occult-type Sims.
