EA Says Sims 4 Modders Can Still Run Early Access Period For Custom Content

While many creators of The Sims 4 custom content were concerned that EA’s new policies would prevent them from monetizing their creations during early access periods, the company has confirmed that this is not the case. In an email to GameSpot, an EA representative said early access periods aren’t prohibited by the company’s new monetization policies.

“The Sims team has just updated the Sims 4 Mods FAQ to clarify that all users should be able to access all Mods for free,” an EA representative told GameSpot. “However, creators can still run a reasonable early access period for their content.”

The new statement adds clarity to the recent Sims 4 policy update, which was shared on July 21 and stated that The Sims 4 custom content creators are no longer allowed to promote mods “from in a way that suggests they are endorsed by or affiliated with The Sims”. , Maxis, or Electronic Arts,” or use features that support “currency transactions of any type.” Many creators suspected this included running early access periods on Patreon, which places custom content behind a paywall for a short time before opening it up to all players.

In recent years, some Sims 4 modders have been criticized for “abusing” these early access periods and keeping paid content for an unreasonable period of time. The Sims 4 community largely believed that these methods were the reason for EA’s policy update.

However, as of now, EA allows modders to continue monetizing their custom content through “reasonable” early access periods, donations, and ads. EA has encouraged players of The Sims 4 to report creators who violate these terms to the company, as well as any creators who create obscene content.