The Sims 5 gameplay has appeared online early

Gameplay for The Sims 5 has leaked online, giving us a first-look at EA’s next life-simulation game.

EA has kept very quiet about the next game in arguably its most successful franchise, so quiet in fact that we don’t even know if it’s called The Sims 5. The title of the game is yet to be officially revealed, though in all likelihood it will be a continuation of the previous game, The Sims 4, one of the publisher’s most successful games of all time.

Take a look at The Sims 4 below

We now know a little bit more though, as leaked in-game screenshots have been circulated online.

Apparently The Sims 5 will move away from the Frostbite engine and fully embrace the future with Unreal Engine, which is reflected in the visuals. It’s unclear whether the game is using Unreal Engine 5 or if the older Unreal Engine 4.

Nevertheless the screenshots look promising, and we’ll know more when the official gameplay trailer drops. It’s said The Sims 5 will be a free-to-play game as well, meaning there’ll be plenty of expansions on the way once the game launches, whenever that may be.

A standout feature teased by EA will be far more advanced AI for the Sims themselves. In previous games the Sims could exhibit a range of preferences and emotions, somewhat thinking for themselves but occasionally needing a gentle push from the player to get them back on track. The next game will reportedly make them smarter, which will hopefully enhance the simulation appeal and gameplay loop.

The release date for The Sims 5 hasn’t been shared at the time of writing, though it’s believed the game’s launch is scheduled for some time in 2025.