EA held Q3 FY20 earnings call held yesterday.

CEO Andrew Wilson responded to questions regarding The Sims franchise.

The title features single-player and multiplayer components.

The Sims 5 is one of those games that’s an inevitability. It’s not a question of if, but rather, when. Yet, Electronic Arts (EA) has not formally confirmed its plans for the next entry in the franchise.

During EA’s Q3 FY20 earnings call, CEO Andrew Wilson offered the closest thing to a confirmation that The Sims 5 is indeed on the cards.

Single-Player and Multiplayer

When asked about the possibility of relaunching an online version of The Sims given its current popularity, Wilson hinted that the next entry in the franchise could incorporate both single-player and multiplayer components.

He explains;

Typically, what The Sims has done is really focus on fulfilling the motivations of inspiration, escape, creation, self-improvement, and not necessarily focus as much on social interaction and competition.

Wilson then goes on to recognize the growing competition between players. He clarifies that he is not referring to competition in the traditional sense. He points to how players compare and contrast their creations.

Indeed, a quick visit to The Sims 4 subreddit will reveal a trove of community-created content. Players proudly showcase their latest house builds, interior design efforts, and take part in challenges such as redecorating a disused school bus into a tiny home [Reddit].

The Sims 5 In Pre-Production

As he wrapped up his response, Wilson offered a hint at what shape the next game could take. He explains;

As Maxis continues to think about The Sims for a new generation across platforms and a cloud-enabled world, you should imagine that while we will always stay true to our inspiration, escape, creation, self-improvement motivation, that this notion of social interaction and competition – like the kind of things that were actually present in The Sims Online many years ago – will start to become part of the ongoing The Sims experience in the years to come.

Going by Wilson’s wording, The Sims 5 is still in the conceptual, pre-production phase. As Maxis continues to pump out a steady flow of The Sims 4 content – most recently with the Tiny Living Stuff Pack – we shouldn’t expect the next entry anytime soon. Nevertheless, the wheels are in motion and that should please eager fans.