When is The Sims 5 coming out?
There is no release date, because EA has not announced a game called The Sims 5. The roadmap that EA published for 2026 does not name a sequel. It says that EA will keep working on The Sims 4.
Sims Community summarized the roadmap in January 2026. EA wrote that it will "continue to deliver content and updates to The Sims 4." EA also said that it is "committed to improving the experience." That is a plan for the present game, not for a new one.
This post lists what EA has said, where the sources disagree, and what you can play today. You read this on the LifeSim blog. We make a different life sim, and we say where it fits at the end.
What is Project Rene?
Project Rene is a separate Sims game. EA says that it is not the successor to The Sims 4.
The roadmap text, as Sims Community quotes it, says that Project Rene "has evolved to focus on social multiplayer play." The same text says that it "is not the successor to The Sims 4." Sims Community adds that the roadmap named no release date.
Many players call it The Sims 5, because it is the next Sims project that EA showed. The name is a fan name. EA does not use it.
Where do the sources disagree?
PCGamesN published a guide on November 10, 2025. It says that EA canceled The Sims 5. It says that Project Rene is a cross-platform spin-off for PC and mobile, and that it will be free to play. It also gives 2026 as the expected release year.
The January 2026 roadmap, as Sims Community reports it, does not name a date or a price model. It names no new title beyond Project Rene. It says only that EA plans "a family of new Sims experiences across PC, console, and mobile."
Treat the details that only one source gives as unconfirmed. This includes the price model and the year of release. We could not confirm either one in an EA statement that we opened. If a date matters to you, look for a post from EA itself.
What is the "next evolution" of The Sims?
EA used this phrase in the roadmap. EA gave no detail. Sims Community links the phrase to a rumored single-player game. The rumor name is Project X.
EA has not confirmed that game. A rumor is not a plan. We could not find a release date, a platform list, or a price for it in an EA source.
The safe summary has three parts:
- EA continues to support The Sims 4.
- EA describes Project Rene as a social multiplayer game, and not as the successor to The Sims 4.
- EA has made no dated announcement of a new single-player Sims game.
What should you play while you wait?
The Sims 4
It is the game that EA supports now. The EA page says that you can play it for free, with an asterisk. The base game is free. Packs and kits cost money. Steam lists them from $3.99 to $39.99.
The EA page lists the EA app, the PlayStation Store, the Xbox Store, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. Steam says that the game needs an EA account and an internet connection.
inZOI
inZOI is a paid 3D life sim in Early Access on Steam. Its Steam page lists a price of $39.99. We compared it with The Sims 4 in inZOI vs The Sims 4.
Paralives
Paralives is in Early Access on Steam for PC and Mac. The official site lists building tools, careers, relationships, and community places. Read the Paralives release date post for the price and the plan.
For a longer list, read games like The Sims.
What did EA say about replacing The Sims 4?
PCGamesN quotes the EA vice president Kate Gorman. She said: "We are not going to be working on replacements of previous projects." PCGamesN reports that EA plans to keep The Sims 4 as a live service with expansions and patches.
The EA page for The Sims 4 shows the same direction. It sells packs and kits for the game, and it lists stores for PC and console.
The same PCGamesN guide says that Project Rene is in a playtesting phase, and that the team is "still years out from the launch." We could not confirm this line in an EA source. Treat it as one report.
How do you spot a fake Sims 5 date?
Many pages claim a date for The Sims 5. Most of them do not link to EA. Use this check:
- Look for a link to an EA page, an EA post, or an EA press release.
- Check the date of the page. An old rumor stays on the web for years.
- Look for the words "rumor," "leak," or "reportedly." These words mean that the page has no confirmation.
- Check the name. EA has not named a game "The Sims 5."
A real announcement names a platform, a date or a window, and a source. A page with none of these three has no proof.
Is The Sims 4 still worth playing while you wait?
A long wait for a sequel is normal in this genre. Do not stop playing for a game that has no date. Play what exists today, and come back to the news when EA publishes a real announcement.
Steam shows The Sims 4 with 86% positive reviews from 107,234 players. The reviews of the last 30 days are 82% positive from 1,533 players. We read these numbers on October 2, 2026.
The game won the Steam Sit Back and Relax Award in 2020. An EA Play subscription gives access to extra content, including the Get to Work expansion.
The base game is free, so you can test it with no risk. Play it for a week. If you like it, buy the packs that fit your style. If you do not like it, you lose nothing.
Is there a life sim that you can play right now with no wait?
LifeSim is free and runs in a browser. You need no download, and you do not wait for a release. You start a life in a city on the real map of Earth.
LifeSim is not a Sims replacement. You do not build a house, and you do not control a family from above. You live one life, and you talk to the people around you. They answer in their own words and remember what you said.
If you miss the Sims style of building, play The Sims 4 or look at Paralives. If you want a life sim with a story that comes from the people, try LifeSim. We compare the two in LifeSim vs The Sims.
Questions
Is The Sims 5 confirmed?
No. We found no EA statement that names a game called The Sims 5.
Is Project Rene the same as The Sims 5?
No. EA says that Project Rene is not the successor to The Sims 4.
Will The Sims 4 get more content?
EA says that it will continue to deliver content for The Sims 4.
When does Project Rene come out?
We found no release date in an EA source. Sources that give a year disagree on the details.