The Sims 4, one of the most popular social simulation games ever made, is getting a free-to-play model starting in October 2022.

Although this game is already eight years old as of 2022, it still has a massive fan base. In fact, EA raked in over $1 billion in revenue from The Sims 4 in 2019 and garnered over 36 million players by 2021.

So, why is The Sims 4 going free? And what does it mean for The Sims community? Let's take a closer look.

Why EA Games Is Making The Sims 4 Free

In a surprise post on The Sims 4 news page, EA announced that the game is transitioning to a free-to-play model on October 18, 2022. Starting that date, players can download the game via the EA App, Origin, or Steam. It will also have no cost on the PlayStation 4/5, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

EA is following in the footsteps of Activision's Call of Duty: Warzone, released as free-to-play in 2020, and PUBG: Battlegrounds, which transitioned to the free-to-play model in January 2022.

Priced at $19.99, The Sims 4 became a massive hit for EA, raking in billions of dollars from its millions of players. And even though the game came out in 2014, Maxis continued to release free patches and paid DLCs for the game. By 2022, The Sims 4 had 12 paid expansion packs, costing around $19.99 each.

Aside from Expansion Packs, you can buy Game Packs and Stuff Packs from the in-game lobby. These packs add hairstyles, clothes, and items your Sim can interact with, priced at $13.99 and $6.99, respectively. You can also buy Kits for around $4.99 and Bundles, which are combined Expansion, Game, and Stuff Packs, for $24.99 on The Sims 4 website.

So, even if EA gives away the base game, it can still make a bank with its numerous DLCs.

How a Free-to-Play The Sims 4 May Affect Existing Players

While a free-to-play The Sims 4 is a boon for new players, existing players who paid full price for the base game might feel shortchanged. That's why EA made the Desert Luxe Kit redeemable in-game at no cost to all players until October 17—exactly the day before The Sims 4 goes free.

But aside from the free kit, what other effects will a free-to-play The Sims 4 have on its existing player base?

More Players, Bigger Community

Whenever a AAA title goes free, you can expect it to get a massive bump in active players. The combination of new players just discovering the game and returning players (who are curious about what's new or want to play again because of the news) would increase the size of The Sims 4 community.

Although The Sims 4 is designed to be a single-player game, EA is trying to build a community behind it. You could see and share The Sims 4 content you create through the Gallery. You can even filter it to show only Maxis Curated creations. And if you're looking for inspiration, you can browse the creations of millions of other players there, too.

And with a bigger community, it's also expected that more people will buy the packs and kits EA offers in the game's lobby. This is especially true when the players see an exclusive item they want their Sim to have and find that it only costs $4.99 to get it, along with a bunch of other stuff.

More Microtransactions

Since the base The Sims 4 game is already free, you can expect its developer to ramp up its packs and kits to maintain its revenue. And while the base game is already an excellent title, with numerous lots, items, and Sim characteristics, these packs and kits further enhance the experience.

However, we're hoping the EA doesn't kill the game by making essential gameplay elements, like building careers or building houses, for pay. After all, even if a game is free, it should already come polished and complete. Otherwise, it would just feel like another predatory tactic to milk free-to-play titles.

Will We Get In-Game Ads?

With Microsoft and Sony considering in-game ads for their gaming consoles, should we expect EA to do the same for The Sims 4?

While we're hoping this will not be the case, EA has previously added a full-screen advert in UFC 4. While it removed these ads soon after due to massive gamer backlash, EA might have more leeway with The Sims because it is free.

Nevertheless, only time will tell if EA will put ads in The Sims 4. Our only hope is that it won't, or even if it does, it puts the ads unobtrusively, allowing The Sims 4 players to game in peace.

It's Time to Try The Sims 4

For better or worse, October 18 will bring many new players to The Sims 4 community. You can now experience building your virtual home and person for free. And with the increased player base, you can get more inspiration to build your next Sim's mansion.

But if the base game and all its expansion packs still do not satisfy your need to customize your Sim and their home, then you should try installing mods to make your copy of The Sims 4 truly your own.