Although The Sims 4 continues to be thriving 10 years after it was initially launched, developer Maxis and writer Digital Arts are in energetic growth on Challenge Rene, the codename for what’s going to turn out to be the subsequent iteration of The Sims. Maxis is “very early on in growth” of it, however is slowly beginning to share extra concerning the mission. Maybe most notably, Challenge Rene isn’t The Sims 5.
However the recreation is much sufficient alongside that Maxis was in a position to host small playtests specializing in inside design and furnishings as early as 2022 — the identical yr the corporate introduced it was creating the sport. Maxis and Digital Arts intend to maintain that up, internet hosting small playtests all through the course of growth. The following playtest, a part of what Maxis is asking The Sims Labs, will deal with Challenge Rene’s multiplayer elements later this yr.
“That is how the perfect video games are made, working hand-in-hand with gamers,” recreation director Grant Rodiek wrote in 2023. “It’s such a worthwhile instrument that can assist us make Challenge Rene actually particular. However! — it’s a lengthy, concerned course of.”
To this point, the developer has revealed 4 separate movies that go over the newest in Challenge Rene. The broadcasts are an surprising and clear method for Maxis to maintain gamers invested within the subsequent era of The Sims. There’s nonetheless quite a bit to study Challenge Rene, together with the ever-important launch date, however we do know quite a bit. Most lately, Digital Arts’ The Sims franchise vice chairman Kate Gorman Revelli informed Polygon that there received’t essentially be a The Sims 5 — Maxis and Digital Arts are transferring away from linear video games.
Why is it known as Challenge Rene?
Challenge Rene is the codename for the subsequent Sims recreation. Regardless of the identify, it received’t keep Challenge Rene; codenames are customary within the trade. However the crew selected this codename particularly as a result of it’s a mirrored image of phrases like “renewal, renaissance, rebirth,” stated Lyndsay Pearson, who leads The Sims franchise, in a Behind the Sims broadcast. “It represents our renewed dedication to The Sims,” she added.
When will Challenge Rene be launched?
Maxis and Digital Arts haven’t given a launch window for Challenge Rene — they’ve solely stated that it’s very early in growth. You shouldn’t count on the sport to be launched for a pair years nonetheless, however there could also be alternatives for early entry intervals, the newest of which is scheduled for this yr.
“There may be a lot work remaining for Challenge Rene, although,” Grant stated in a weblog put up from 2023. “We nonetheless haven’t shared our Simulation experiences or character and clothes customization — to not point out new variations of condo customization and extra social play experiences. All of this might be slowly stood up, shared, examined, tweaked, enhanced, decreased. And we intend to develop it hand-in-hand alongside our gamers.”
Is Challenge Rene free to play?
Maxis made The Sims 4 free to play in 2022, nicely into the sport’s lifespan; The Sims 4 was launched in 2014. Challenge Rene might be free to obtain from the beginning, Pearson stated in an episode of Behind The Sims from September 2023.
“That implies that when it’s prepared and absolutely open to our gamers, you’ll have the ability to be part of, and play, and discover Challenge Rene with out a subscription, with out a core recreation buy or power mechanics,” Pearson stated. Challenge Rene, like The Sims 4, could have paid content material, however Pearson stated the brand new recreation’s content material distribution might be barely completely different. Her instance was climate — in The Sims 4, you wanted the $40 Seasons enlargement move to have any climate in any respect. However the subsequent iteration of the sport would include primary climate, and the paid content material would broaden on that — so if snow was within the base recreation, the enlargement would allow you to ice skate or construct a snowman, she stated.
Pearson stated Maxis desires to “decrease these boundaries to play” to present gamers entry to the broadest shared techniques. Gorman Revelli informed Polygon in September that the linear mannequin is vital to letting gamers grasp on to every thing they’ve already bought with The Sims 4. That’s a part of the rationale why Challenge Rene isn’t The Sims 5 — Maxis doesn’t need to erase progress prefer it has previously.
Does Challenge Rene have multiplayer?
Challenge Rene could have multiplayer, however Rodiek tempered expectations in a Behind The Sims episode from January 2023. “Now, one factor to remember is that Challenge Rene isn’t an MMO,” Rodiek stated. “It isn’t this public, shared house the place every thing you do is at all times with different individuals. You possibly can play by yourself, in your phrases, after which once more, once you need in your phrases, you may invite others to come back and play with you.”
We’ll possible be taught extra about what the sport’s multiplayer will appear to be after the upcoming playtest.
The place can I play Challenge Rene?
Maxis and Digital Arts haven’t confirmed precisely the place you’ll have the ability to play Challenge Rene, simply that it’s coming to Home windows PC and cellular. Not solely that, however there’ll be cross-save between the 2 choices: “With Challenge Rene, you’ll have the ability to play on a PC, put it down, and choose up proper the place you left off on a cellular system,” reads a weblog put up on the Digital Arts web site. The developer continues to be engaged on the best way to “tailor the experiences per platform,” that means how the sport adjustments between PC and cellular, if in any respect, on account of efficiency on the platforms.
How will the gameplay change in comparison with The Sims 4?
Maxis and Digital Arts stated within the third Behind The Sims video from September 2022 that Challenge Rene will really feel “Simsy,” with gamers managing what their Sims do, “whereas additionally presenting gameplay selections in another way.” There hasn’t been a ton of knowledge on what that truly means, however some areas the place you may count on to see adjustments are animation, visuals, socialization, and Sim routines.
“The imaginative and prescient for animation is pushed by the phrase, ‘learn the room,’ which implies we wish gamers to understand how our Sims really feel, together with what they’re pondering, simply by how they behave,” Maxis wrote on its weblog. “This implies we help a wide range of attitudes, feelings and postures that have to work throughout numerous objects and socialization options.” The developer expects this to increase to routines, bettering on how Sims “reside at residence and in a broader neighborhood.”
In relation to customization choices, you may count on extra element in every single place. The primary playtest was targeted on furnishings customization and design, and the primary Behind The Sims reveals just a little about how this works. There’s a ton of flexibility in relation to shade and design, and likewise in how objects are positioned on the planet. The clip reveals a Sim tinkering with a sofa, for instance: The participant was in a position to change the colours and patterns on the sofa, but additionally alter completely different particulars, like the form or variety of cushions. They may additionally place and transfer round pillows that sit on the sofa, too.
The Sims 4 isn’t going to die when Challenge Rene is launched. Maxis stated Challenge Rene and The Sims 4 will coexist: “We’ll proceed to help each on the similar time and can plan to carry extra thrilling content material to The Sims 4 group for the foreseeable future.”
The Sims 4 is the way forward for the franchise, too. “We additionally know that we’re not going to go to a linear mannequin, as a result of now we have a lot with The Sims 4,” Gorman Revelli stated. “What we’re actually is, how can we proceed to work with our group, work with our gamers, and never have you could have this second in time the place you’re going to reset all of your progress and lose these wonderful reminiscences, characters, and issues that you just’ve constructed inside these 10 years of your gameplay, doubtlessly?”
The Sims 4 will proceed to get higher — not changed.