As reported by Variety, Maxis will not be developing The Sims 5, instead focusing its efforts on expanding The Sims 4 even further.
EA vice president and The Sims general manager Kate Gorman explained that rather than starting over from scratch again and 'replacing' past games, "You'll see there are more ways to experience The Sims on different platforms, different ways to play, transmedia, and lots of great offerings within this universe."
One such offering is Project Rene, which was up until now assumed to be the next mainline Sims game, but it turns out that this is actually a separate project that will bring multiplayer to the series. However, Variety claims that The Sims 4 will also get a multiplayer mode in a future update, so it's unclear what exactly Project Rene is and where it fits into this new world. Thankfully, EA teased that we'll find out more soon enough.
With plans for The Sims 5 scrapped, the series "will move beyond linear, sequential releases and offer more options for players than ever before," according to the official blog post. This doesn't just mean support for The Sims 4, but also "a variety of games and experiences that...