Project Rene definitely isn’t The Sims 5, and new leaks of EA’s upcoming multiplayer sim prove as much

As The Sims 4 community prepares for the spooktacular Life and Death expansion pack this fall, another one of EA’s future projects has leaked – and the work-in-progress is not exactly what fans had in mind.

Project Rene isn’t The Sims 5. EA recently clarified, in fact, that there would be no Sims 5 at all. Instead, The Sims 4 will live on as the series’ go-to game with new expansion packs and even fan-created paid DLC. Project Rene, on the other hand, is set to be a spin-off boasting fresh features like the multiplayer capabilities the community has awaited for years. Recent leaks of the mysterious title have left Simmers worried, though – and it’s not hard to see why.

As shared on Reddit, Project Rene could end up being different than fans initially envisioned – and as a longtime Sims stan myself, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad bit concerned by the leaks. It’s important to note that every screenshot, if real, is taken from a very early version of the game as it’s still climbing through its alpha stages. The images come as a shock, however, especially as EA previously showcased some of Project Rene’s environment prototypes.

The leaked screenshots don’t look like the ones shared publicly by the developers in the past, and the Sims themselves feel like watered-down mobile shells of those present within the main series’ titles. As one fan comments, “They’ve somehow styled the characters worse and more bland than TS4.” There’s no telling just yet how Create-A-Sim works in Project Rene, though – the leaker explains that it’s “coming in a future playtest.”

It’s not just the visuals that are worrying, either. While many of these can be excused by the fact that the supposed screenshots have been taken from an early build, the gameplay so far leaves much to be desired – or at the least, doesn’t feel very Sims-y. There are rotating daily quests to complete and jobs to perform for Simoleons. Right now, the only job available sees Sims running a Parisian cafe alongside fellow players.

The playtest leaker calls the experience “very repetitive and grindy after a while,” with little reward. Any Simoleons that are earned can apparently be spent on cosmetics – a fact that is understandably sparking microtransaction-related fears in fans’ hearts, including my own. “Project Rene is a multiplayer microtransaction fest,” presumes one commenter – and boy, I sure hope it isn’t. I’d like to think the final build will feature various money-making jobs.

After all, there’s more to worry about when it comes to accumulating in-game currency than just Simoleons. According to the leaks, players will also have XP to snag. This can be earned “from wishing at the fountain, talking to sims, completing quests, or working at the cafe.” It’s not very Sims-like, at least not in my opinion – but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun. A little RPG flair can’t hurt, unlike microtransactions and poor visuals.

Unsurprisingly, the leaked Project Rene information is going viral on social media right now. As EA has no plans for The Sims 5, The Sims 4 and Project Rene are all we have from here on out – so it’s not strange by any means that the community expects something bigger and better than ever before. While we try and remain positive about the cryptic multiplayer game, we at least have releases like the spooky new Life and Death expansion to look forward to.

Here are 10 games like The Sims 4 to explore while awaiting Project Rene.