The Sims 4 wedding expansion won't release in Russia because of anti-gay law
Yesterday, Electronic Arts announced a new Sims 4 expansion called My Wedding Stories that, as the title suggests, is all about getting hitched: You can run away and elope at City Hall, or you can go all-in with planning, parties, and everything else leading up to the big day. The expansion will be fully revealed on February 17, and in the meantime there's a teaser site for the upcoming virtual nuptials of Dominique and Camille.
Shortly after revealing My Wedding Stories, Electronic Arts announced that the expansion will not be released in Russia. Dom and Cam, the focal point of EA's promotional efforts, are both women, and a Russian law passed in 2013 forbids materials that promote «non-traditional sexual relationships,» and allows for penalties of up to ₽1 million ($13,400) for businesses that violate the guidelines.
Electronic Arts acknowledged that putting a same-sex couple front and center meant the expansion «would not be something we could freely share around the world,» but said it wasn't willing to make changes in order to accommodate countries with anti-LGBTQ laws.
«The ability to tell stories—any story—is at the core of what we do at The Sims. Holding back Cam and Dom’s story meant compromising the values we live by,» EA said. «We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell.
»So what does that mean for you, our players? We are steadfast in upholding that commitment by shining a light on and celebrating stories like Dom and Cam’s, so we have made the decision to forgo the release of My Wedding Stories where our storytelling would be subject to changes because of federal laws. Regrettably, this means that members of The Sims community in Russia will
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