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The Sims community is exploding amid Project Rene leaks that suggest big changes are coming

Almost two years ago, EA began announcing Project Rene, a new installment in the Sims series that most gamers assumed would eventually become The Sims 5. However, after EA announced last month that it had no plans for The Sims 5, a number of new Project Rene screenshots have leaked and the community is upset about some pretty big alleged changes that have been made since the game's release.

Over the last week, several apparent images from a recent Project Rene playtest have leaked online, showing off some of the game's new features for the first time. While Project Rene is still in development, a number of players have taken to the internet to criticize the game's changed art style, limited scope and blatant use of microtransactions.

Several fans have shared comparisons between previous images of Project Rene and these apparent leaks, with many assuming that the studio must have changed its development plans to make the game more mobile-friendly and thereby scaled down its art style.

These leaked images also show gameplay, which appears to include a to-do list, a chat box, and a small neighborhood to explore. Most notably, the game offers the ability to work in a cafe, which has drawn comparisons from players to The Sims Mobile, EA's 2018 game, which also featured a cafe (and none earlier this year received more new updates).

Quite a few players have also noticed that the apparently leaked images feature a cell phone-style coin tab. These coins are apparently rewards for completing quests and can be used to purchase new outfits. However, due to the game's mobile format, a number of players assume that the game will include microtransactions.

Due to comparisons to the initial Project Rene reveal, which introduced a detailed furniture customization system that led players to believe that the game would become The Sims 5, some players have suspected that Project Rene has been scaled down internally or even scrapped entirely could be replaced.

Announced in 2022, Project Rene is a free-to-play Sims game with multiplayer features inspired by Animal Crossing and Among Us. It hasn't been officially revealed yet and no release date has been announced, but EA has been conducting small, invite-only playtests for the game since its announcement, with the game's most recent playtest believed to be the cause of these recent leaks.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they have contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and recently released a game called Flea market. Find her on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

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