Rumor: EA Is Reportedly Making 'The Sims 4 Remastered' to Finally Kill Those Loading Screens

If I have to buy Seasons again for a "new" version of a decade-old game, I am going to remove the ladder from the pool and just wait for the end.

It has been 11 years. In video game time, The Sims 4 is practically a fossil. We have been begging, pleading, and screaming for a sequel, but EA recently confirmed that The Sims 5 isn't happening.

I thought that was the nail in the coffin for my hopes of a modern simulation engine. But the internet, as it always does, has dug up something interesting.

New rumors are circulating that EA is working on a "Remastered" version of The Sims 4. It sounds like they are trying to drag this ancient game into the modern era by ripping out its guts and replacing them with something that actually works.

The "Sims 4 HD" Project

According to reports from Sims Community, insiders are chatting about a project that isn't quite a sequel, but is definitely more than a patch.

Twitter user @thesimmerdan claims that Maxis is working on a separate base game that will replace the current one. They are calling it something like "The Sims 4 HD."

The idea is that they are taking the improved tech from "Project Rene"—that multiplayer thing we were all worried about—and back-porting it into The Sims 4. This means reworked graphics, better lighting, and an engine that isn't held together by duct tape and prayers.

Open Neighborhoods Might Actually Happen

This is the big one. This is the feature that has made The Sims 3 loyalists refuse to upgrade for a decade.

According to leaks, this remaster is finally going to introduce open neighborhoods. User @GlitchGuard90 (linked via the report) mentioned that open neighborhoods are part of the plan.

Loading screens have been the bane of my existence since 2014. The idea that I could walk next door to visit a neighbor without staring at a spinning Plumbob for thirty seconds sounds like a dream. It’s sad that "walking next door" is a revolutionary feature in 2025, but here we are.

Seasons in the Base Game?

If the technical upgrades aren't enough to sell you, the content leaks might be. Reliable sources like @lunar_britney are suggesting that this new base game will include Seasons by default.

They also claim that the "Memories" and "Milestones" systems from the Growing Together expansion will be baked right in.

This makes a lot of sense. The Sims 4 base game has always felt like a hollow shell. Giving players weather and a memory system right out of the gate would make the free-to-play experience actually worth playing.

A "Curtain Call" for the Old Engine

These rumors line up with some weird activity we've seen lately. AlalaSims posted tweets recently showing off improved graphics that weren't for FreePlay, and followed up with images hinting at higher Sim counts on lots.

Plus, other users like @SimMattically pointed out that the upcoming "Adventure Awaits" expansion is being treated like a "curtain call."

It feels like EA realized they can't keep piling DLC onto a broken foundation. Instead of building a new house (Sims 5), they're just going to lift the old house up and pour a new concrete slab underneath it.

I'm skeptical, of course. This is EA we're talking about. But if they can actually deliver open neighborhoods and a stable engine, I might just be willing to sink another thousand hours into this virtual dollhouse.

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