The Sims 4 might be a decade old, having first launched in 2014, but its popularity shows no signs of fading. EA recently announced that over 15 million new players joined The Sims 4 this year alone, highlighting the continued appeal of this life simulation series. For context, it took The Sims 4 six years to reach its initial 20 million players after release. However, this player base proliferated following EA’s significant shift in October 2022, when the game transitioned from paid model to free-to-play. Since then, The Sims 4’s audience has expanded fourfold, with EA reporting 85 million total players as of May 2024.
This impressive growth was highlighted in EA’s second-quarter financial report for 2025. The report attributed much of the game’s success to “increased engagement” across the player base, which led to higher-than-expected net bookings for The Sims franchise. The game’s surge in popularity is no doubt factor in EA’s announcement that The Sims 4, despite its age, will continue to serve as “a foundational Sims experience” as the franchise shifts to new forms and releases.
EA’s renewed commitment to The Sims 4 includes a stronger focus on addressing the game’s technical issues, many of which have frustrated players for years. The company pledged to roll out bug fixes in May more frequently, improving the game’s stability and playability. In addition, EA is expanding the game’s in-game content with live-service events and new downloadable content (DLC) options. For example, The Sims 4 recently introduced a new live-service event called the Reaper’s Rewards, adding unique items and objectives for players to engage with.
Alongside these improvements, The Sims 4 has received steady content updates and expansions. The latest addition to its expansion lineup, The Life & Death Expansion, will be available on Thursday, October 31st. This highly anticipated expansion introduces a darker, more macabre tone to the game, allowing players to explore unique gameplay involving Death and the afterlife. Preceding this expansion, EA released a base game update that expanded ghost gameplay, making it possible for Sims to interact with Death in new and humorous ways.
Looking ahead, The Sims 4 will also feature creator-designed DLC packs, allowing players to access content developed by community creators and potentially drawing in even more fans. EA’s strategic shift to free-to-play, consistent updates and active community engagement has revitalized the game and cemented The Sims 4 as a pivotal entry in the series, one that continues to grow even as the franchise evolves.