The Sims 5's Multiplayer Shouldn't Shy Away From Competition

The Sims is a game generally associated with relaxed, single-player content, but The Sims 5 will possibly feature a multiplayer component. It's not clear what exactly this multiplayer component could look like, but developer Maxis shouldn't be afraid to infuse the potentially revolutionary Sims 5 with a competitive edge.

There's reason to believe that EA has high hopes for the next The Sims game. It's been nearly a decade since the release of The Sims 4, and a number of other life simulation games have released in its wake. While The Sims 4 is still successful thanks to its vast assortment of post-launch content and enthusiastic fanbase, it is starting to feel a bit dated in some ways. It seems like the developers of The Sims are aware of this, going on record that the theme of the game's development is "rebirth"; even the game's development codename Project Rene is believed to connect to this ambitious approach, as "Rene" could be referring to words like "renaissance".

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The Sims 5 Can Strengthen Its Multiplayer Through Competitive Options

While The Sims 4 players can't access any multiplayer options without the use of mods, comments from producer Grant Rodiek suggest that the team at Maxis is at least considering the inclusion of a multiplayer option. Very little information has been made available about how the team would approach this hypothetical multiplayer component, but Rodiek has expressed that Maxis isn't interested in making The Sims 5 an MMO.

Multiplayer could be a good way for The Sims 5 to compete with other upcoming life sims like Life By You, but it needs to be handled effectively. The function could wind up feeling lackluster if it only allows players to enter the game world of another player, with little to no agency within that world. Even if outside players can affect change within the world of the host player, some direction or objective would go a long way toward making multiplayer feel more like a worthwhile, enriching inclusion than a gimmick.

One way that The Sims 5 could bolster its multiplayer component would be through in-game competition, which could further help the game stand apart from The Sims 4. There's plenty of potential in this concept, as players could perhaps race to complete a particular build, or even engage in a Jackbox-style competition wherein other players can judge creations and vote on which is best. Scenarios could also offer multiplayer options, as players could attempt to find an object or complete a non-building goal. One could argue that The Sims format offers a good stage for a lighthearted asymmetrical multiplayer mystery game similar to Among Us. If Maxis wanted to push the envelope even further, The Sims 5 could even let players customize their own challenges, offering a more relaxed version of a game like Mario Maker.

This approach could help convince The Sims 4 players to switch to The Sims 5, as it would be a significant distinguishing factor. Long-running franchises, including some from EA itself, have faced criticism for recycling old content with new releases, but the expectations are arguably much higher for The Sims due to its popularity and the fact that it has been so long since its last full entry. On top of helping to set The Sims 5 apart from its predecessors, a competitive multiplayer feature would help the game distinguish itself from other life-sim games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, which have co-op multiplayer that lacks a competitive side.

The Sims 5 is in development.

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