Sims 4 players are split over the new free-to-play model

EA has announced that The Sims 4 is going free to play, which, if you've wanted to try out the life sim, can only be a good thing. However, many Sims 4 fans have shared their grievances with the decision, with several fans saying that it's unfair to now give the game away for free when others may have paid around $60 for the base game at launch. 

It's worth noting that the decision to make The Sims 4 base game (meaning none of the kits or expansions) free to play has come eight years after the game was originally released. Meaning those who did buy it at full price back in 2014 have most probably got most, if not all, of their money's worth. This is precisely why other fans have also begun telling others to stop "complaining" and to just be happy for those who will now join the fun for free. 

people complaining about the sims 4 becoming free (after almost 10 years) just because they had to pay for it must not have realised that its been free multiple times + discounted heavily a lot, bestie i bought it for $4 😭September 14, 2022

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That isn't to say that long-time fans won't be getting anything out of this new deal. EA is offering players the Desert Luxe Kit for free, compared to the usual $5 the DLC costs, until October 17. You can't please everyone though, as some players believe that this isn't enough of a fair trade for those who have been around since the beginning. 

Perhaps justly, some players are asking EA to fix The Sims 4 before making it more accessible to others. It's been well documented that The Sims 4 players have had to deal with several bugs and issues in the long-running simulation game. We recently reported on the Sims 4 glitch that takes years off your Sims' lives and the incest and ageing issues some players have been experiencing in the game.

On a more positive note, we're getting "more updates" on the Sims during an upcoming Summit Stream which is due to take place on October 18 at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST - so look forward to that, that is if you haven't completely given up with EA's game due to the free to play move. 

Looking for something similar to play? Take a look at our games like The Sims list for inspiration.