The Sims "Project X" First Look Appears Online, Fans Are Hyped

We may have just gotten our first look at The Sims Project X, according to an alleged leak that popped up online over the weekend. Project X is rumored to be the next mainline Sims game, and although nothing has been confirmed by EA just yet, leaks may have just provided a first look.

Sims Community recently published what many believe is a set of leaked character designs for Project X. It's a single image showing images of four different characters. Style-wise, the character models appear to be pretty similar to those of The Sims 4, just more detailed, with complex facial expressions, varied accessories, and realistically textured clothes.

What Is The Sims Project X?

Everything We Know (& Everything We Don't)

Project X is believed by many fans of the series to be an internal code name for the next mainline, single-player entry in The Sims series. Again, EA hasn't publicly announced anything of the sort, but recently did post a job listing that included "Project-X" in the URL, further fueling speculation.

Project X is separate from Project Rene, a free-to-play multiplayer project that EA has proposed as "the next evolution of The Sims." Rene received a lukewarm reception when screenshots from a playtest were leaked online in October 2024, with fans critiquing its "outdated" appearance and potential for microtransactions.

It's also worth noting that Project X is likely not The Sims 5, at least not exactly; EA announced in 2024 that it had no plans to release a game under that title, instead taking the franchise in a new direction. In other words, Project X might be more of a total reboot or a Sims 4 remake than a direct successor.

Other than that, though, we know almost nothing about what Project X actually looks like, or when it could come out. Project X being in development, though, does seem to corroborate rumors reported by Sims Community claiming that The Sims 4 will get its final expansion pack this year, after which the development team will move on to a new mainline game.

Sims publisher EA is currently in the process of going private, having announced its purchase by Silver Lake Partners, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners for $55 billion last September.

It's unknown whether the buyout has affected the development of Project X, but some EA employees have objected to the acquisition, claiming they were not represented in negotiations and expressing concerns about potential layoffs (via EuroGamer).

Fans Are Split On Project X Leaks

Just Right Or Not Enough?

In a Reddit thread discussing the leaks, player responses are largely positive, at least when it comes to the new art style. User nin90ety describes it as "an ever so slightly polished Sims 4," a sentiment echoed throughout the thread.

Others, however, are disappointed at the character designs' similarity to The Sims 4; as tinyalienperson put it, "Go on EA, give us nothing!" Still others potential lack of a realistic visual style in the next Sims game, citing competitor inZOI's more lifelike graphics.

The recent EA job posting that invoked Project X has also raised some eyebrows, since it repeatedly implies that generative AI is being employed in the development of The Sims successor. One commenter, OpeningConnect54, said of the technology, "[I'd] just rather not have it in any of my games."

Ultimately, though, it's best to take leaks like these with a grain of salt. With lots of internal changes going on at EA generally and with The Sims specifically, this is all subject to change, not to mention the very real possibility that these leaks are totally false. If the rumors are true, though, we should learn more about Project X in the coming months.