The Sims 4 News

Major Updates, Packs, and Expansions

The following is intended to document the major updates The Sims Studio have made to The Sims 4. News on upcoming major patches with improvements and game/expansion packs will be featured and archived here. Reviews of the game will likely be dated, so this will help players who may want to transition to Sims 4 know how the game has been improved.

As of May 27, 2019 I intend to fix this woefully out of date page, but for now check this video for a rundown of every major improvement made to the base game. I'll add these along with chronological info on expansions and other packs.

A History of Patches and Game Updates in The Sims 4

A history of improvements made to The Sims 4 via patches from launch to May 2019. Gives you a rundown of every new feature in the order they came.

The Sims Get Together Expansion Pack
Release Date: 12/8/15
Major Highlights: A new town will be introduced to the game - Windenberg. Sims will get to lead clubs (think dance clubs) or even simpler clubs for hanging out, and decide the types of activities those who participate in the clubs will be doing, as well as where they'll gather for meetings/parties. Teens and children can also make and lead their own clubs, so it will greatly expand on the activities available to those age groups. As the name suggests, this Expansion will be all about Sims hanging out with one another and utilizing the neighborhoods. There are new DJ and Dancing skills to level up to compliment these features. If you'd like to learn more and see screenshots, visit our official thread for discussion. As more information is released, we'll update the site.

Previous Updates and Releases

If you'd like to see only the currently released Expansion and Game Packs, click here for a list. To know as many details as possible about upcoming releases, see our EA Announcements board on the Forum.

Spooky Stuff
Release Date: 9/29/15
Major Highlights: Dress your Sims in spooky costumes, while also being able to carve pumpkins. You will also find new halloween-themed decor for your Sims' homes.

Cool Kitchen Stuff
Release Date: 8/11/15
Major Highlights: This stuff pack is all about desserts and sleek new appliances for your Sim's kitchen. Sims will get to use the new ice cream maker, as well as top it with a variety of toppings. Thankfully, the dishwashers released below will let Sims take care of the dishes that will pile up as a result of all this indulgence.

Dishwasher Patch
Release Date: 8/6/2015
Major Highlights: Dishwashers were added to the game, and Sims properly receive mail when they are not on the home lot.

Spa Day Game Pack
Release Date: 7/14/2015
Major Highlights: The Wellness skill will allow players to pursue meditation and yoga, and also give massages. Spas will be a new type of venue, which players can place in their towns. Saunas, massage chairs, and aquariums are confirmed. Learn more about the Spa Day Pack here.

Door Locks and Half Walls
Release Date: 7/9/2015
Major Highlights: With this patch, players are able to lock doors, preventing Sims of certain types from entering. For businesses (Get to Work Expansion), this may mean keeping customers out of the back room. At home, you might restrict your bedroom to only your Sim. Boy/girl restrooms are possible as well. Half walls are also included, which give builders more decorative options for separators between rooms. Five different style are included, along with trim and coloring to customize the look. Players no longer need a mod to lock doors, and the Sims team continues to provide new features for builders who are eager to get creative!

Perfect Patio Stuff Pack
Release Date: 6/16/2015
Major Highlights: Adds Hot Tubs, along with loads of outdoor objects which can be used to entertain your guets. Learn more about Perfect Patio Stuff here.

Newcrest Patch
Release Date: 6/11/2015
Major Highlights: Newcrest, a free neighborhood, is released. This brings the total in the base game to 3. Additionally, the Custom Room tool becomes available in build mode. This lets you have more power over what the game engine considers a 'Room'.

Luxury Party Stuff Pack
Release Date: 5/19/2015
Major Highlights: The Luxury Party Stuff Pack adds buffet tables, the fountain of mirth, and many new objecs, hair, and clothing styles to the game. Learn more about Luxury Party Stuff here.

Events Patch
Release Date: 5/14/2015
Major Highlights: Sims will now invite others over for parties, which makes the game world feel more alive. This includes playdates for kids, and romantic dates for couples.

Baby Gender Patch
Release Date: 5/4/2015
Major Highlights: Baby gender can be influenced by Sim activities. Strawberries and Pop music lead to girls, Carrots and Alternative lead to boys. Aliens can be created in Create-a-Sim for those who own Get to Work.

Get to Work Expansion
Release Date: 3/31/2015
Major Highlights: Open-for-business style retail stores are added to the game, along with the Doctor, Detective, and Scientist Active Careers. Aliens and the planet Sixam are additional features. Learn more about Get to Work here.

Basements Patch
Release Date: 3/26/2015
Major Highlights: Basements were added to the game, allowing players to construct them up to 2 levels deep. Houses can be 6 floors at this point. Pools in basements are possible. Sims can now paint from reference to paint anything in view. The notebook was added as well, which tracks progress in the game's skills, such as gardening plant combinations and the bait required for fishing. Careers can now go beyond level 10, to allow players to make more and more money.

Sims 4 for Mac
Release Date: 2/17/2015
Major Highlights: The Sims 4 was released for Mac, and players who already owned it did not need a new copy thanks to EA Origin's cross-platform functionality.

Family Tree Patch
Release Date: 2/3/2015
Major Highlights: Genealogy was added in this patch, allowing players to see their family trees from the simology tab. Up to 10 generations of Sims and their relationships can be tracked. Whims were updated to allow them to be cancelled, which makes completing them much easier.

Outdoor Retreat Game Pack
Release Date: Jan 13, 2015
Major Highlights: The Herbalism Skill, insect collecting, and camping in Granite Falls are the primary additions of this game pack. Learn more about Outdoor Retreat here.

Gallery App
Release Date: 1/8/2015
Major Highlights: The Gallery app is available for the App store and Google Play. This app connects to your Origin account, and allows players to mark gallery assets for download when they next use the game.

Careers Patch
Release Date: 12/16/2014
Major Highlights: The Business and Athletic Careers were added to The Sims 4. Additionally, paid time off and family leave were added to the game. Aspiration and Career objectives were tuned to make the game's goals more realistic. Careers were simplified to require levels in skills, along with performance from attending work.

Pools Patch
Release Date: Nov 4, 2014
Major Highlights: Pools were added to the game with this patch. They can be built on any level of the home, and creativity allows for indoor/outdoor pools to exist. Additionally, swimwear was added to allow players to customize the look of their Sims when swimming.

Ghosts Patch
Release Date: Oct 1, 2014
Major Highlights: Ghosts for each type of death were introduced, as well as the Ambrosia recipe to allow Ghosts to be returned to life. Several new types of eye colors were also added, along with a spooky radio station and a buydebug cheat, bb.showhiddenobjects.

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Carl

This is a first for me. I've never put up much news on the site, but it's relevant to the guide. I definitely have no intention of competing with the dedicated Sims news sites, just know there are plenty of readers who don't know about what's next for the franchise and think I can help to inform them. Those who want more info can seek it on our EA Announcements Board, where people share the little tidbits of info found around the web.

In listing the patches that had already been released, I find it impressive to see all the improvements they have made to the base game for every player. It's obvious the Sims Studio wants to recover some of the goodwill that was lost with some of us because of the many features missing, and they've worked admirably to make the game better.

The Sims 4 News

Major Updates, Packs, and Expansions

A History of Patches and Game Updates in The Sims 4

Previous Updates and Releases

How You Can Support The Site and Channel

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