Nearly two years ago, EA began teasing Project Rene, a new installment in the Sims series that most players assumed would end up becoming The Sims 5. However, in the wake of EA announcing that it did not have plans for The Sims 5 last month, a new set of screenshots from Project Rene have leaked, and the community is upset over some pretty big presumed changes that have been made since the game's reveal.
Over the past week, several apparent images from a recent playtest of Project Rene have leaked online, showing off some of the game's new features for the first time. While Project Rene is still in development, quite a few players have taken to the internet to criticize its altered art style, limited scope, and apparent use of microtransactions.
Several fans have shared comparisons between earlier images of Project Rene and these apparent leaks, with many assuming that the studio must have shifted development plans to make the game more mobile-friendly, in turn downscaling its art style.
i can’t believe my eyes that Project Rene has switched its course from being a promising successor of the Sims 4 to some ugly ass mobile game that will be another cash grab full of ads pic.twitter.com/55zBbi4vJI
— tom (@simshive) September 29, 2024
These leaked images also show off its gameplay, which seems to include a to-do list, a chat box, and a small neighborhood to explore. Most notably, the game features the ability to work at a cafe, which has caused players to draw comparisons to The Sims Mobile, EA's 2018 game that also featured a cafe (and stopped receiving new updates earlier this year).
New images from "Project Rene" (which is NOT The Sims 5) pic.twitter.com/hSkPSkokuk
— The Sims Nostalgia (@Sims_Nostalgia) September 29, 2024
Quite a few players have also noticed that the apparently leaked images feature a mobile-style coin tab. These coins are apparently rewards from completing quests and can be used to purchase new outfits. However, because of the game's mobile format, quite a few players have assumed that the game will feature microtransactions.
? LEAKS ?
— Like Life Sim (@LikeLifeSim) September 29, 2024
The new screenshots for The Sims: Project Rene have been published, which is not '5', this time it is The Sims: Project Rene for Mobile.
? @darrel840901#TheSims#TheSimsProjectRene pic.twitter.com/OESP3Q3iC4
Y’all have to understand. The Sims team said that project Renee will be free to play. There is going to be a multiple micro transactions and this little icon specifically right here tells us everything we need to know about what their plans are for this game. pic.twitter.com/mTDOvUiiqJ
— TheSimYin (@TheSimYin) September 30, 2024
Because of comparisons to the initial Project Rene reveal, which showed off a detailed furniture customization system that led players to believe the game would become The Sims 5, quite a few players have suggested that Project Rene could have been internally downscaled or even scrapped entirely and replaced.
Teased in 2022, Project Rene is a free-to-play Sims game that features multiplayer inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. It hasn't yet been formally revealed or received a release date, but EA has been holding small, invite-only playtests for the game since its announcement, with the game's latest playtest presumably spawning these recent leaks.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they've contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and they recently released a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
