EA confirms that The Sims 5 will be free to download

Pearson assured that Project Rene won't follow the same path, but it won't be entirely different either. They plan to gradually introduce more content over time to ensure players have new experiences. From the looks of it, unlike Sims 4, they aim to strike a balance, providing sufficient content for free-to-play (F2P) gamers while maintaining incentives for microtransactions.

She also gave a theoretical example of the weather system. Before we get into the example, it is worth knowing that in Sims 4, weather is not a core gameplay mechanic but an optional DLC pack that you must buy to experience all seasons.

However, in Project Rene, Pearson hinted at the possibility of including basic weather as part of the core game for free, which makes sense as the weather is a dynamic natural event. When it comes to microtransactions, Pearson mentioned the idea of packs for purchase, possibly focused on winter sports, including activities like "ice dancing or snowman-building competitions."

This implies that the core systems like the weather system in Project Rene will be free, but additional features or activities related to it might be available as purchasable packs.

EA also confirmed that the game is still in the early development stages but promised to invite players for early access testing. Pearson added that Maxis Studios will share details on the multiplayer mode in the upcoming year.