The first 2023 roadmap for The Sims 4 has finally been released, and it teases many promising new things for the game. Developers previously announced at the Behind The Sims Summit presentation that 2023 would be a year full of updates and DLC for the game, but this is the first time more concrete details have been shared about what’s to come in the next few months. 2022 was a mixed-bag of releases for The Sims 4, but this first roadmap of the year has inspired hope that better things are to come for the franchise.
Although players have been given some idea of what they can expect from The Sims 4 in 2023, until now there has never really been a clear timeline presented by developers. Fans have known that 2023 will have a big update that adds infants to the game as well as two full Expansion Packs, the biggest form of DLC. There’s been a lot of speculation about what these EPs could have based on brief concept art that was shared last year, and this new roadmap seems to confirm many of the theories players had about one of them, and in turn reignited the excitement of many players.
The Sims 4 Roadmap Shows Great Potential
A new post from The Sims‘ Twitter account has shown off a roadmap for the game that has very promising implications for players. The short trailer shows a child sitting beneath a tree with four frames on it – the first frame says “One Big Update!” – which is presumably referring to The Sims 4 making babies more than furniture – then another that reads “Two Unique Kits!” followed by “One Expansion Pack!” and finally one that announces an upcoming community stream on January 31. Two more intriguing statements then close out the trailer: “It’s All Relative!” and “The Michaelson Reunion San Sequoia 2023,” which both seem to tease family-oriented gameplay.
The Sims 4 Could Bring Back A Fan-Favorite DLC
From the family-tree style imagery to the slogan, developers seem to be teasing new family mechanics through every part of this short trailer. Much of it feels reminiscent of a fan-favorite Expansion Pack from The Sims 3 era, Generations, which added depth to every life stage in the game. It would make sense for a new Expansion Pack in this style to come on the heels of the infants update for a true family-focus, and the trailer may also be hinting at fixes to the in-game family tree, where relationships like aunt and uncle currently don’t exist.
The Behind The Sims Summit presentation’s hints are beginning to add up with this new trailer. It’s likely the new world will be the aforementioned San Sequoia, which fits right in with the previous San Francisco-style art. While it’s possible the Kits won’t be family-oriented, some find the toothpaste artwork used as a callback to the dentures shown at the presentation, perhaps hinting at an elder-centric DLC. While there’s still a lot to learn about these releases, the Expansion Pack’s potential Generations inspiration is incredibly exciting news for veteran fans, and could mean a great start to 2023 for The Sims 4.
Source: The Sims/Twitter
