EA announced a sweeping round of layoffs on October 21, and Maxis, the studio behind The Sims, is among those affected. The restructuring also includes the complete closure of BioWare, with over 400 employees losing their jobs at that studio alone.
The full extent of the cuts at Maxis is still unknown, but at least one high-profile departure has been confirmed. Anna Huerta, who spent five years as Senior Creative Director on The Sims franchise, shared on LinkedIn that her role was eliminated in the restructuring.
"I'm incredibly sad that I won't get to continue working alongside such talented people on projects we care so deeply about," Huerta wrote, adding that she is open to new opportunities.
Project Rene is paused, possibly cancelled
In a public memo from EA leadership, the company said it would "pause development on 'Project Lotus,'" which is the internal codename for Project Rene, the multiplayer, mobile-first Sims spinoff that EA has shown off at multiple events over the past few years.
EA's official language says "paused," but Sims Community reports that at least one LinkedIn post from an affected employee frames it as a cancellation. Variety also initially reported the project as cancelled before EA's memo went live. Whether "paused" means the project could resurface later or is simply a softer way of saying it is done remains an open question.
According to Sims Community's separate reporting on the restructuring, Project Rene was reportedly close to being ready to ship, but EA had doubts about how well it aligned with The Sims 4 brand.
Project Evergreen takes the spotlight
EA's memo states the company will "prioritize our efforts on 'Project Evergreen' for The Sims to give the team more time to reach the full potential and vision for the game." Project Evergreen has been rumored to be the same project previously referred to as "Project X," and Sims Community's reporting describes it as a new single-player Sims title that Maxis is now fully focused on.
Some insider details from that reporting are worth noting with caution: the project is said to carry an internal nickname of "TS42" (a nod to its positioning as more of a Sims 4 follow-up than a fresh start), with a reported gold deadline of September 1, 2027. Rumored features include portable hardware support for Steam Deck and ROG Ally, an encrypted DLC marketplace, and AI-based mod conflict detection. None of these details have been confirmed by EA.
What this means for The Sims 4
EA's memo does not specifically address ongoing Sims 4 support. The Sims 4 development team held a Discord Q&A just yesterday discussing the upcoming October 27 patch and even teased a Seasons update for next year, which suggests that at least some Sims 4 work continues in the short term.
Still, with staff cuts at Maxis and the studio's attention being redirected toward Project Evergreen, the pace and scope of future Sims 4 content is a real concern. EA has said it will hold a Global Town Hall in November where more details about the restructuring may surface.
For now, the Sims community is left watching LinkedIn posts and parsing corporate memos for clarity on a situation that, by all accounts, blindsided developers and press alike.
Source: Sims Community via Google News - The Sims