EA delays Sims 4 LGBT-inclusive wedding DLC as it reverses decision to skip Russian release

eurogamer.net:

Following a fierce community backlash, EA has announced it will be reversing its decision to skip the launch of The Sims 4's new wedding-themed DLC in Russia — a move it originally claimed to be making due to the country's restrictive laws around LGBT+ content — and is delaying the release of the expansion in all territories to next Wednesday, 23rd February.

EA and developer Maxis' decision to skip the Russian market rather than be forced to compromise its vision regarding the wedding expansion's heavy focus on LGBT+ couple Camille and Dominique was initially welcomed — but confusion, and then anger, quickly set in among The Sims 4's Russian player base.

Some asked why Russia had been singled out when other countries with equally prohibitive anti-LGBT+ laws had not, but the most commonly cited point of confusion was the simple fact that Russia's laws — supposedly designed to protect children from homosexual content — don't apply to games rated 18+, as is the case with The Sims 4 in the region.

The Sims 4 My Wedding Stories — Official Reveal Trailer.

With the furore showing no signs of abating — and a petition amassing over 10,000 signatures — EA has finally addressed customer concerns, confirming it has reassessed its initial decision and will now be launching My Wedding Stories in the Russian market «unaltered and unchanged».

«At the time,» it explained in a new statement, «we believed that our team could not freely share the storytelling of same-sex couple Cam and Dom in Russia and decided the best way to uphold our commitment to sharing their story was to not release this pack there.»

«Since then,» the publisher continued, «we've been listening to the outpouring of feelings from our community including both support