EA drops a Sims 5 bomb: it's free to play, will "coexist with other Sims games," but "won't start with everything you have in The Sims 4"

gamesradar.com:

EA has now confirmed that The Sims 5, or Project Rene, will be free to play, and while it will still sell content packs, the game could also launch with features traditionally locked behind Sims DLC. 

VP franchise creative Lyndsay Pearson discussed the direction of the work-in-progress game during the latest Behind the Sims video update. Right out of the gate, she affirms that "Project Rene and The Sims 4 are gonna continue to exist side-by-side. We plan to support both at the same time, and we're gonna continue to bring even more exciting content to The Sims 4 for the foreseeable future."   

Unlike The Sims 4, Pearson says "we intend for Project Rene to be free to download, and that means when it's ready and 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. We wanted it to be easy for you to invite or join a friend, and that means extending an open invitation for everyone to play." 

Even EA puts an asterisk on this point later in the video, clarifying that The Sims 5 will "be free to download* when it's ready." This follows talk of potential early access periods and paid DLC packs, and the video is overall extremely careful about that "free to download" phrasing, so don't expect a totally un-monetized ecosystem. 

"We're developing this game in a different way and we're bringing everyone along with us, and that means a lot of different phases of development which can include everything from closed invites in small public tests to large-scale early access options," Pearson says. "And yes, when Project Rene is ready, it'll be available to download for free." 

Elsewhere, Pearson reiterates that "Project Rene is not setting