The Sims Hits 25-Year Gaming Milestone

The legendary Sims franchise commemorates its silver anniversary with exciting in-game celebrations, an epic 25-hour livestream, and the much-anticipated return of two classic titles! Discover all the anniversary festivities below.

Happy 25th Anniversary to The Sims!

A Celebration Packed With Events and Rewards

Marking this special milestone, The Sims brings players an abundance of anniversary celebrations including exclusive in-game items, a celebrity-filled livestream showcasing top Simmers, and the triumphant return of The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 for PC.

"Our amazing community has proven that nobody celebrates life quite like The Sims players," shared Kevin Gibson, Production Director of The Sims, in an interview with Xbox Wire. "Twenty-five years ago, we debuted a revolutionary concept at E3 - look how far we've come! We've grown alongside multiple generations and impacted millions of lives." Gibson emphasized that the franchise's success stems from decades of player support since its 1999 debut.

"Every Simmer who's ever played, regardless of platform or generation, shares in this 25-year journey. This celebration is our heartfelt thank you."

The Return of Classic Titles

In perhaps the most nostalgic announcement, players can now revisit where virtual life simulation began. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, both The Sims and The Sims 2 - complete with all original expansion packs - are now available digitally on Steam and EA's storefront as either a Birthday Bundle or individual purchases.

This marks a significant moment for longtime fans, as obtaining legal copies of these classics had been challenging for nearly a decade. Even veteran players with original discs faced compatibility issues on modern systems. EA has finally addressed these barriers by releasing optimized versions compatible with contemporary PCs - fulfilling years of fan requests.

Special Events Across Franchise Titles

In The Sims 4, the Blast From The Past event will gradually reintroduce four weeks of nostalgic content from earlier games, including iconic furniture pieces like neon inflatable chairs retro-chic clothing, celebratory cakes, dazzling dance floors, and period-accurate rotary phones.

The Sims FreePlay's Birthday Update transports players back to the franchise's early 2000s roots with new "Coffee Shop" and "Reality Island" live events, retro velour tracksuits, 25 days of daily gifts, and an anniversary museum showcasing series highlights.

25 Hours of Non-Stop Celebration

The festivities launched spectacularly with a marathon 25-hour livestream on February 4th featuring an impressive lineup of celebrity Simmers, top content creators, and creative builders. The star-studded event included musical artists Doja Cat and Latto, drag icons Trixie Mattel and Katya, digital creators Dan & Phil and Plumbella, influencers Angelo & Lexy, VTuber Ironmouse, and numerous other special guests.

Players who missed the live celebration can catch the complete recording on The Sims' official YouTube and Twitch channels.