The Sims 5 will be playable this week

Last week, Electronic Arts announced The Sims 5 and now we've got even better news for Simmers - some of you will be granted the chance to play the new game soon.

Of course, it's currently not called The Sims 5. Maxis and Electronic Arts said that the title "Project Rene" reflected the team's "renewed commitment" to the life simulation series, suggesting a "renaissance" or "rebirth." Self-referential stuff. The developer and publisher deliberately disclosed that the game is in its "very early stages of development" and that more would come in the next couple of years.

While you were deleting the pool ladder, this player was recreating the entire Dunder Mifflin offices in The Sims 4. Check it out!

It's lucky then that The Sims 4 went free to play and is getting even more packs and kits if we've got that long to wait for its successor. The reveal for Project Rene showed off significant customisation options for the furniture of a house so players are agog with the possibilities for the Sims themselves.

Obviously, some of you have scrolled as fast as you possibly can to find out how to enter this playtesting opportunity. Insider Gaming claims that emails have been sent to players and that their pre-alpha tests will unlock today. Players will have access to the build mode, or "Workshop," and there is a private Discord server where fans will be able to proffer their feedback on what they've seen.

Insider Gaming continues to state that these select playtesters will also have the opportunity to try the multiplayer mode for Project Rene. As per this report, it's advised you scour your emails for an invite, and if you haven't got one, you've missed out this time. And, it's worth being cautious because the game is in its "very early" stage of its development and might not be ready for playtesting outside of Maxis itself. Stay frosty, folks.