{"id":971717,"date":"2026-01-04T15:22:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T15:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/23905\/the-sims-5-project-rene-overview"},"modified":"2026-01-04T15:22:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T15:22:20","slug":"everything-to-know-about-the-sims-project-rene-which-is-not-the-sims-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/everything-to-know-about-the-sims-project-rene-which-is-not-the-sims-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything to know about The Sims\u2019 Project Rene, which is not The Sims 5"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Though The Sims 4<\/em> is still thriving<\/a> <\/strong>10 years after it was originally released, developer Maxis and publisher Electronic Arts are in active development on Project Rene, the codename for what will become the next iteration of The Sims. Maxis is \u201cvery early on in development\u201d of it, but is slowly starting to share more about the project. Perhaps most notably, Project Rene is not The Sims 5<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But the game is far enough along that Maxis was able to host small playtests focusing on interior design and furniture as early as 2022 \u2014 the same year the company announced it was developing the game. Maxis and Electronic Arts intend to keep that up, hosting small playtests throughout the course of development. The next playtest, part of what Maxis is calling The Sims Labs, will focus on Project Rene\u2019s multiplayer components later this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is how the best games are made, working hand-in-hand with players,\u201d game director Grant Rodiek wrote in 2023<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s such a valuable tool that will help us make Project Rene truly special. But!<\/em> \u2014 it is a long, involved process.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, the developer has published four separate videos<\/a> that go over the latest in Project Rene. The broadcasts are an unexpected and transparent way for Maxis to keep players invested in the next generation of The Sims. There\u2019s still a lot to learn about Project Rene, including the ever-important release date, but we do know a lot. Most recently, Electronic Arts\u2019 The Sims franchise vice president Kate Gorman Revelli told Polygon that there won\u2019t necessarily be a The Sims 5<\/em><\/a> \u2014 Maxis and Electronic Arts are moving away from linear games.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get caught up.<\/p>\n

Why is it called Project Rene?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Project Rene is the codename for the next Sims game. Whatever the name, it won\u2019t stay Project Rene; <\/em>codenames are standard in the industry. But the team chose this codename specifically because it\u2019s a reflection of words like \u201crenewal, renaissance, rebirth,\u201d said Lyndsay Pearson, who leads The Sims franchise, in a Behind the Sims broadcast<\/a>. \u201cIt represents our renewed commitment to The Sims,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

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