EA has confirmed that the base game of The Sims 4 will be going completely free-to-play from October 18th, both on consoles and PC."Beginning on October 18, 2022, The Sims 4 base game will be available to all new players to download for free on PC via EA app or Origin, Mac via Origin, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One systems.", reads the official statement on EA's website.The announcement has taken fans by surprise, but that's not all EA and Maxis have in store. A special "Behind The Sims Summit" live stream will be held on October 18th at 10AM PT. The developers will be sharing more details about what's in the works during the special showcase.According to EA, the developers will "continue to develop and release packs, kits and Sims Delivery Express drops into the foreseeable future", with more details to come next month.If you're an EA Play or EA Play Pro members, you'll receive an upgraded experience when member-only bundles of The Sims 4 go into The Play List on October 18th. Plus, anybody who purchases The Sims 4 between now and October 17th will receive the Desert Luxe Kit as a free gift."With the Desert Luxe Kit, Sims can relax in their modern oasis with luxurious indoor and outdoor furniture, inspired by the natural landscape of the Southwestern desert and materials like stone and wood". In order to claim the free pack, EA states that players simply need to log into the game and it will be made available to them from the main menu.
Although the base game of The Sims 4 will be going free-to-play, all of the expansions previously released (and the ones still to be released) will need to be purchased by players if they want to get their hands on the extra content. With expansion packs and kits being a key-part of The Sims 4 experience, it's no surprise that they've decided to go the free-to-play route for the base game.