The Sims Mobile is Shutting Down

The Sims Mobile, the spin-off specifically designed for Android and iOS devices, has reached the end of its story. The product has already been removed from its respective Stores and in-game microtransactions have also been deactivated.

The announcement came via the game's official website just two days before its removal: currently, only those who already own the game in their library can re-download and play it; for now, all in-game functionalities are still active.

The next deadline is January 6, 2026, when Electronic Arts and Maxis will unlock the Create a Sim and Build Mode for all remaining users without level restrictions: this is a kind of nice farewell gift for fans who have remained loyal until the end, with the possibility of creating their own characters and dream homes, before the servers are decommissioned on the 20th of the month. As it is an entirely online title with saves exclusively on Cloud, the closure of support decrees its total disappearance from the face of the earth.

The Sims Mobile: Another Game Disappears

The Sims Mobile debuted in 2018 with the trailer we've included below. At launch, it received excellent public reception, grossing over $35 million in its first six months; subsequently, it received frequent and continuous updates, over 50, managed by three different studios. The last of these updates arrived in January 2024, as announced by the company, and now, inevitably, the closure.

"From the entire Sims Mobile team, thank you for sharing this incredible journey with us - the developer writes in the announcement - We hope you enjoy the final update and that these last few months allow you to finish projects, build memories, and celebrate The Sims."

In this regard, user comments have been mixed: for some, the gaming experience had run its course and the product was a dead man walking since the last official update, but others complained that the announcement came so suddenly, or in general that there is, once again, no possibility to continue enjoying - perhaps in offline mode - a game regularly purchased and paid for - although, of course, we are talking about licenses and not ownership. "What am I supposed to do at this point? - asks a user on Reddit - I feel robbed by EA. I had no warning until the Instagram page announced it."

The issue of video game preservation is an increasingly hot topic since the first online-only or digital-only titles inevitably began to close their doors once their commercial life cycle ended. For software houses, video games are obviously a business that must generate revenue, and when revenue dries up, they have no reason to keep servers running that obviously have costs. We discussed this topic in a dedicated Special and also in our Podcast Just Play, and some companies like GoG and Microsoft have made investments to preserve games even after their cycles end.

Not everyone, however, has such a deep ethical approach to the medium, and for EA, evidently, bygones are bygones...