/
EA pauses Sims spin-off Project Rene to focus on Project Evergreen, reported rework of The Sims 4
EA has paused Project Rene, the online-focused Sims spin-off announced in 2022, to concentrate on Project Evergreen, per an internal email reported on 21 October. Evergreen is reported to be a reworked, single-player-leaning Sims project. A 2027 release target is an unconfirmed insider claim.
S
2 min
Electronic Arts has paused development of Project Rene, an experimental Sims project built around online play, so that the team can focus on a different project called Project Evergreen. The decision was reported on 21 October, based on an internal email. Reports say that email called the paused project Project Lotus, and the official wording was a pause, not a cancellation, although at least one outlet described it as cancelled.
What the email said
In the email, the company said: 'We're going to prioritize our efforts on Project Evergreen for The Sims to give the team more time to reach the full potential and vision for the game, and to help make this possible, we're pausing development on Project Lotus.' The pause came at a time of layoffs across EA, and reports linked Maxis, the studio behind The Sims, to the cuts.
Project Rene was announced on 18 October 2022, with early demonstrations that centred on collaborative building and cross-device play. It had a heavy online focus and was described as a mobile-leaning, multiplayer concept for the next phase of the franchise. The pause ends roughly four years of development. It was also one of the items on EA's roadmap for The Sims in January 2026.
Project Evergreen was previously known as Project X. Rumours about it were first reported in November 2025, and it was said to focus on single-player play rather than online multiplayer. It is now the team's long-term focus and is reported to have been heavily reworked, though one report describes it as a rework of The Sims 4 rather than a traditional sequel. EA has given no date for an official announcement. A release target of September 2027 comes from insider reports and is unconfirmed, as are rumours that a game pack or expansion for The Sims 4 could arrive while the next major title is built.
The Sims 4 is the only Sims game receiving regular content. Its most recent expansion pack, Royalty & Legacy, came out in February 2026, and since then EA has released smaller kits and creator-made Maker Packs through the in-game marketplace. A free patch with elder-focused create-a-sim and build and buy items was released on 27 October. Other Sims projects have also been wound down: The Sims Mobile was discontinued in 2025 and its servers closed in January 2026, and a mobile spin-off was reportedly cancelled earlier this year.
S
2 min
What did you think?
