Sims 4 Wedding Expansion Won't Release in Russia Because of Anti-Gay Law

gamerant.com:

The developer of The Sims 4, Maxis, has shared a statement with fans about the soon-to-be released Sims 4 expansion pack “My Wedding Stories," explaining its decision not make the expansion available for purchase in Russia.

My Wedding Stories was recently announced as the latest expansion pack for The Sims 4, releasing February 17. Expanding upon the base game's existing marriage mechanic, the expansion allows players to plan extravagant wedding ceremonies for their Sims to be held in a new location for the game, Tartosa.

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The trailer for the expansion shows off a storyline that follows two female Sims, Dom and Cam, as they get together and plan their wedding. This goes against a Russian federal law that was passed in 2013 banning any marketing campaigns that could be aimed at children from depicting homosexuality as a societal norm. This law labels any such marketing as “gay propaganda.”

Same-sex marriages already appeared in the base game ofThe Sims 4, which was released in Russia, albeit with an 18+ age rating explicitly for that reason. At the time of the game's release EA stated that it was not going to change the content of the game in the Russian release to change the age rating. EA is taking a similar stance this time again, refusing to alter the marketing of the expansion and forgoing a Russian release.

Despite the fact that only the marketing campaign is keeping the expansion from releasing unaltered in Russia, still with an 18+ rating, it would take more than just altering the trailer to bypass the Russian anti-LGBTQ+ law. Besides, The Sims developers say they are committed to the story of Cam and Dom and that altering it would mean “compromising the values we