Maxis teases an official Sims 5 game, confirms Project Rene is a mobile title

The Sims 4s development team has released its first major infodrop for 2026, revealing Project Rene's status as a mobile game and potentially teasing The Sims 5 in the process. There has been a lot of speculation about both of these projects as the development team at Maxis continues to expand The Sims 4s lifeline with continued updates, but much has become clearer with the new announcement.

Launched in September 2014, The Sims 4 has received consistent updates from its development team which, while expensive when added together, has kept a steady stream of new content and experiences flowing in for more than 11 years. Early January, news about The Sims 4The next expansion, Royalty and Legacy, leaked after being rated by the Game Content Classification Committee in South Korea, showing Maxis and EA's commitment to keeping the game going, even as some fans anticipate what's next for the life simulator series.

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The Sims Team reveals Project Rene will be a mobile game

The development team has recently released a ton of information, including plans for the rest of 2026 and a big reveal about Project Rene. Announced in October 2022, many fans thought that Project Rene could be it The Sims 5s codename, but the developers eventually put that rumor to rest. Now, a new blog post on the game's official website contains the unexpected revelation that Project Rene will actually be a “social, collaborative, mobile-first life-sim game,” which will give players new ways to play together, explore the in-game world, and connect with each other. That information doesn't offer a ton of insight into what the gameplay will look like, but a pre-alpha shot featuring The Sims Labs logo is included in this section of the post, showing some characters standing around a common outdoor area, potentially giving players their first look at the game Project Rene will be.

Sims Labs image possibly depicts Project Rene mobile game

The final launch of Project Rene will not kill The Sims 4as the blog post states that it was never meant to be a replacement for the franchise's current flagship game. Maxis had already made that clear in messages to fans as early as 2024. However, the game players get may differ greatly from what the development team originally intended to create, as the blog post noted that it has “evolved” into its current form. Additionally, the “mobile-first” language suggests it may be playable on other platforms, with PC being a likely candidate.

The Sims 5 potentially teased by Maxis

The post also states that Maxis is currently creating a “family of new Sims experiences” across multiple platforms, including PC and consoles, with a continued focus on single-player life simulation. That comment may point to even more being released Sims 4 expansion packs, gadget packs and creator kits throughout the year. However, part of the message to fans also mentions “The Sims 4 and the next evolution”, which some fans are interpreting as an entirely new game on the way. According to the post, more than half of the global development team is dedicated to these initiatives. Given that Maxis has not released a non-Simsseries game since the 2013 remake of Sim Citywhich could indicate that either Project Rene is getting a lot of the company's resources or something completely unexpected is coming.

While the blog post had been forecast since late December and was intended to dispel misinformation about The Sims 4s continued development, it still leaves much room for interpretation. Maxis and EA plan to release more information as the year progresses, and they invite fans to ask additional questions via their social media channels. Additionally, the post states that The Sims Labs is preparing to provide players with new testing opportunities for early builds and project prototypes throughout the year, but fans should remember that just because they see something in the testing initiative doesn't mean it will make it to The Sims 4 or Project Rene.