The next ‘Sims’ game will have multiplayer but is “not an MMO”

The Sims developer Maxis has clarified that although the next Sims title will feature multiplayer, it’s not a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game.

Back in January, Maxis confirmed that the next Sims game – code-named Project Rene – will have multiplayer functionality. While the studio is yet to share much on what the multiplayer will involve, game director Grant Rodiek appeared on the latest Behind The Sims video to shed light on how it will work.

“Project Rene can be both [single-player and multiplayer],” shared Rodiek. “We know that our players want to have that intimate personal experience where they’re exploring stories and ideas in single-player, but there are also really cool things you could do with others, where you could share and create with your friends – the people that you want [to play with].”

Rodiek added that “Project Rene is not an MMO”, specifying that the game’s single-player and multiplayer offerings will be kept separate.

“It is not this public shared space where everything you do is always with other people,” explained Rodiek, who added that “You could play on your own, on your terms, and then again when you want, you can invite others to come and play with you. That’s the structure that we’re pursuing and we think that’s really cool and perfect for The Sims.”

Currently, Rodiek says Project Rene is in the early playtesting stage. In terms of a release date, the director said that it was still “years out” from being released on mobile and PC platforms.

Project Rene was announced back in October 2022 and to mark the occasion, Maxis made The Sims 4 permanently free-to-play.

In other gaming news, the release date for EA’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has been delayed by six weeks.