Electronic Arts’ Sims developer Maxim released a statement yesterday, announcing the latest SIMS 4 DLC won’t be released in Russia. This is because the DLC, called the My Wedding Stories Game Pack, includes a same-sex couple as part of its story. Federal laws in Russia require adult ratings for any media with LGBTQ content, so rather than make changes, the DLC won’t be released at all.
Related: The Sims Honors LGBTQ+ Players with Virtual Pride Parade
This announcement was made via an official blog post titled, “Our Commitment to You.” In the post, the Sims team states that “The ability to tell stories – any story – is at the core of what we do at The Sims. Holding back Cam and Dom’s story meant compromising the values we live by. We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell.”
The Sims 4 was already launched with an 18+ rating in Russia, so it seems like My Wedding Stories would’ve somehow impacted the game further in some way. It’s unclear, as the post doesn’t go into legal details. Regardless, this shows not only that the development team is sticking to its guns, but that EA is willing to eat a financial loss to support it.
Published: Feb 10, 2022 05:57 pm