By 
The Sims, the life simulation franchise, is undoubtedly EA’s most popular IP. Nevertheless, the company has good reason to hold out on release of Sims 5 even though it has been over 5 years since the release of The Sims 4.
The Sims 5: Reasons for holding out
Speculations regarding The Sims 5 release have surfaced every now and then over the internet. Fans estimate a release date based on the previous patterns pertaining to gaps between releases of 2 titles. While on an average, a 5-year gap seems to be the norm, EA might take more time before releasing The Sims 5.
EA stressed out in its latest earnings call that “TS4” is one of its best-performing titles. To quote Blake Jorgensen, EA’s chief operating offer, it “continues to be the title that just doesn’t stop.”
What kind of timeline would y’all want to see in #Sims5 ? I’d prefer if it was after Sims 2 or a completely alternative universe for example, Mortimer & Bella never married, or they’re divorced etc. I’d want to see iconic Sim family’s return with new scenarios #TheSims #TheSims5 pic.twitter.com/PxDzOifHvX
— SIMOTION (@simotional) April 19, 2020
The consistent performance of “TS4” might just be the reason that developers have chosen not to rush the release of The Sims 5. EA CEO Andrew Wilson commented during the financial briefing that the complexity of game development is rising. On account of this complexity, the entertainment quotient of the title is amplified. The result is that players now stick to a title “for much, much longer.”
The Sims 5: Release Date and Expectations
Wilson went on to say that life sim will continue to be an EA franchise that gets new installments on a multiyear basis. “‘The Sims’ which launched the game over five years ago and continues to grow every year through extra content live services would be an example of that,” explained Andrew.
EA employees after releasing a misleading Sims’ pack trailer: #EAListen #Sims5 pic.twitter.com/zgIRDsDKnk
— POP CULTURE ENTHUSIAST (@northernlawd) February 26, 2020
Even though Wilson suggested a 5 to 6-year development cycle for fresh titles, other factors currently suggest that The Sims 5 is unlikely to release in 2020. “TS4” cycle has been previously mentioned to continue up to 2021.
The Sims 5 release date is hard to predict since EA has made no revelations about its current development stage. Nevertheless, all updates suggest that the release will take a couple of more years.
