The Sims 4 Is Going Free to Play

Electronic Arts and Maxis have announced a major change for The Sims 4. While the various release packs and so on will remain available to purchase, The Sims 4 base game is being made available for free starting on October 18th. Interested players on PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One can grab it on that date for free and start playing however they like.

Additionally, EA and Maxis have revealed that a special livestream, Behind The Sims Summit, will take place on October 18th at 1PM ET/10AM PT via the official YouTube and Twitch channels for the brand. The Sims team will share more about what's currently in the works during the livestream, though no further details on what that might be have been revealed.

"EA and Maxis have welcomed millions of The Sims players over the years, and have watched in awe as they unleashed their imaginations, discovered and connected with ideas, experiences and versions of themselves, both in-game and real life," the official press release announcing the major change for The Sims 4 reads in part. "With The Sims 4 base game going free, the team is more dedicated than ever to developing new and meaningful experiences for players, and will continue to develop and release packs, Kits and Sims Delivery Express drops into the foreseeable future."

The Sims team hasn't forgotten those folks that have already purchased The Sims 4 either. Anyone that has purchased The Sims 4 base game by October 17th will get the Desert Luxe Kit as a gift, which features a "modern oasis with luxurious indoor and outdoor furniture" that is inspired by the Southwestern desert.

As noted above, The Sims 4 base game is officially going free to play on October 18th for the PC/Mac via the EA app or Origin, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One. The various packs and kits and so on will continue to be available for purchase, however. You can check out all of our previous coverage of The Sims 4 right here.

What do you think about Electronic Arts and Maxis making The Sims 4 base game free to all? Are you interested in picking it up once it becomes free on October 18th? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop in order to talk about all things gaming!