Nearly two years after its announcement, major details about the mysterious Project Rene, dubbed the “next generation Sims game,” have leaked online after a group of avid dataminers unearthed the latest playtest build.
Multiple gameplay features and design principles believed to be part of the new Sims title have been revealed, including images now circulating online.
Reddit user DzXAnt22 shared new information from the Sims datamining community, including details about the Create a Sim (CAS) mode. While it wasn’t available in the playtest, it was referenced in the codebase.
Among the many features, players can fine-tune their Sim’s body frame and height, layer clothing, and participate in a clothing workshop.
Tweens are also confirmed, along with the inclusion of mobility aids like wheelchairs.
“Fat Controls” have been introduced to make body weight more realistic, with various body types and customizable garments like bags, bracelets, socks, scarves, and watches.
Different career paths, such as Student, Poet, Gardener, and Chef, are available. Facial hair, hair loss, and various hairstyles have also been added.
Moreover, CAS mode allows players to edit horses and even turn them into unicorns in Project Rene, with a specific unicorn accessory model for horses included.
For screenshots of the leaked files and more detailed descriptions, everything is uploaded on Imgur.
DzXAnt22 also shared other core mechanics from the Project Rene leak. Notably, this includes The Hub, a public area recently playtested, which is intended to be a central part of the game’s multiplayer features and User-Generated Content (UGC) elements.
The Hub includes sections like “For You,” “Marketplace” (dedicated to DLC), “Multiplayer,” and “UGC” folders.
Additionally, The Hub offers promotions, such as a season pass, weekly events, and new purchases.
Moreover, a Live Mode is featured, containing files that showcase what appears to be concept art of the city and various menus, including “Play Neighborhood,” “Matchmaking,” “Find a Game,” “Create a Game,” and “Create a Sim.”
“The Live Mode in this build is rather fleshed out in the files compared to what we saw in the playtest,” the Redditor wrote. “Most of the core sims mechanics are present, such as sim aging and being able to control multiple sims in a household.”
What is Project Rene about?
Project Rene is the working title of the next Sims game. While many speculated that it would be The Sims 5, it was recently announced during the September 17 Investors Day that a fifth installment of the franchise is not being developed.
It was officially unveiled during Electronic Arts’ “Behind the Sims Summit” in October 2022.
The name was chosen to evoke words like “renaissance” and “rebirth,” symbolizing the video game company’s renewed commitment to the franchise and its promising future.
Project Rene will feature both single-player and online multiplayer capabilities. It is also planned for release across multiple platforms, though no release date has been announced.
In fact, at the time of its announcement, it was noted to be in its “very early” stages of development, which is expected to continue “over the next couple of years.”
Fans have been reacting to the Project Rene leak, with many assuming it's a mobile game. Since its true nature remains unclear, we'll have to wait a little longer for Electronic Arts to confirm the details.