EA has stated that a new Sims game is in the works, and its structure will be presented differently from its predecessor. According to a report by Video Games Chronicle, Sims 5, which is currently going under the codename "Project Rene", will feature both single player and online multiplayer co-op. Earlier this summer, a job advertisement briefly posted a listing stating Project Rene as a "free-to-enter". Lyndsay Pearson, Sims Franchise Creative Vice President elaborates further.

“We intend for Project Rene to be free to download, and that means that when it’s ready and fully open to our players, you’ll be able to join and play and explore Project Rene without a subscription, without core game purchase or energy mechanics,” Pearson states in a Project Rene behind the scenes video.

“We want it to be easy for you to invite or join with a friend, and that means extending an open invitation for everyone to play.”

Sims will join the many games that will implement an online storefront to purchase the goods that you want. Electronic Arts have come under fire in the past for games that have made this a primary structure to how their games work, like Star Wars: Battlefront II, which early on pushed the loot boxes and microtransactions. At the very least, if you're currently playing Sims 4, it appears EA will keep it running alongside the new project.

 “Project Rene and The Sims 4 are going to continue to exist side by side. We plan to support both at the same time, and we’re going to continue to bring even more exciting content to The Sims 4 for the foreseeable future.”

Sims 4 was released back in September 2014, so it celebrated its eighth birthday a week ago as of this writing. It received middling reviews, with many citing its stripped and limited features to previous The Sims games, describing 4 as "boring". 

SOURCE: Video Games Chronicle