A video purportedly taken from the next iteration of The Sims has surfaced online, sparking concern among fans about the future direction of the beloved series. Known as Project Rene, this project is sometimes referred to as The Sims 5, though EA insists it is actually a spin-off. Interest in Project Rene has been growing over the past few years, and the recent leak of early access footage from a game called "City Life Game With Friends" has led many to believe it might be the next installment in The Sims franchise.

The leaked video, which runs for 20 minutes, shows the player navigating through various text prompts to customize their avatar's outfit, hair, watch, and activities. The player then enters a sunlit Plaza de Poupon, where they engage in activities such as buying food and socializing with other characters. The gameplay later shifts to the player working at an outdoor café.

Throughout the video, characters are referred to as Sims, communicate in Simlish, and are marked with the iconic Plumbob, further fueling speculation about its connection to The Sims series.

"EA clearly wants to kill off normal Sims games and push people toward the mobile-style experience. So in their mind, a reboot literally means this — at least that’s what I THINK," the player continued.

"This is not going to be for me, I can tell already," another fan remarked. "It just seems so basic and I don't want to play The Sims on my phone."

"The funny thing is, making a PC/mobile cross-compatible Sims game isn't a bad idea," suggested another fan. "EA just believes that mobile games HAVE to be ugly for some reason. They're chasing all of the design trends of the past decade, but it means that this thing already looks dated and it's not even out yet."

"The way The Sims was a literally [sic] satire about capitalist suburban consumption-as-happiness... And this is where the Sims ended up. Endless consumption-as-happiness," another fan commented.

Project Rene, initially thought to be The Sims 5 until EA clarified otherwise, was first teased in 2022 during a Behind the Sims Summit. It's described as a free-to-play game with multiplayer elements inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. Although it hasn't been officially revealed or given a release date, EA has been conducting small, invite-only playtests since its announcement, with the latest test likely being the source of the recent leaks.

The name "Rene" was chosen to reflect themes of "renewal, renaissance, and rebirth," symbolizing the developers' renewed commitment to The Sims' future.

Last October, images of Project Rene leaked from a closed online test, leading to complaints about the game's art style, limited features, and the inclusion of microtransactions. The addition of a café drew particular skepticism due to its similarities to 2018's The Sims Mobile. Following the leak, EA clarified that Project Rene is not The Sims 5 but rather a different "cosy, social game" under The Sims franchise.

In other news, fans of the older Sims games were delighted to see the return of The Burglar in the latest update for The Sims 4.