The early years – no black skin tones at all
When The Sims 4 launched on September 2, 2014, it was missing a lot of features—pools, basements, family trees, toddlers—but it also had a much deeper, fundamental issue: there were no true Black skin tones in the game. The darker tones that did exist were ashy, washed out, and virtually unusable for realistic representation. For years, EA added back missing gameplay elements, but the skin tone issue remained untouched. In that time, many non-Black creators continued producing Let’s Plays without Black Sims, often citing the poor quality of the tones as a reason, but largely avoiding the topic altogether.
Modders step in where EA didn’t
In 2016, creator Xmiramira released a custom content skin tone pack specifically to add realistic, richer tones for Black Sims. She followed up with a second pack in 2017, adding even more swatches. On her Tumblr, she made it clear: “Now popular Simmers have no damn excuse to not make Black Sims,” calling out the lack of representation from major creators. For years, Black Simmers like her had been pushing for this change—without support from EA or the broader Sims Community.
2020 – tragedy sparks change
The turning point didn’t come from years of player requests—it came after the public killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The pandemic meant much of the world was at home, watching events unfold in real time. For once, conversations about racial injustice broke out beyond directly affected communities. White people—and therefore white-majority gaming audiences—were finally paying attention. EA released a public statement on June 3, 2020, denouncing racism, expressing solidarity with the Black community, and pledging $1 million to Black Lives Matter. But this also made the absence of proper Black skin tones in The Sims 4 stand out even more.
Mainstream creator involvement – and erasure
By August 2020, a petition to fix skin tones began circulating widely. Large white creators like Lilsimsie and Plumbella posted videos on the topic on August 7th and 8th. Just three days later, on August 10th, Lindsay Pearson, VP of The Sims, issued an apology and promised to fix the problem. Their comment sections were flooded with praise for “pioneering” representation—while the years of advocacy from Black creators went largely unacknowledged. Lilsimsie herself pointed out in her statement: “This isn’t a new concept, and it shouldn’t take a bunch of white people finally making videos 6 years later for you to actually be heard.”
EA’s statement and the role of Black creators
Between October and December 2020, EA said they were working with consultants, including Game Changers MiaZaf, EbonixSims, Ryo, Xmiramira, and CatherineGames, to improve skin tones. Whether earlier feedback from Black creators had been ignored, delayed, or sidelined is unknown—but the timing raised questions. The fix came only after the issue reached a white audience that could impact EA’s bottom line.
The deeper problem – selective caring
For Black players, the message was clear: it took a global tragedy and mainstream white acknowledgment for EA to act on an issue they’d ignored for six years. The player base wasn’t blameless either—many had been vocally demanding features like weather or naming cowplants, yet stayed silent on accurate skin tones. As simsigga puts it, Black Simmers weren’t asking for an African-themed pack or cultural content at that moment—they were simply asking to make their families in-game without them looking ashy or inaccurate.
Why remembering this matters
The updated skin tones came not because EA suddenly decided it was the right thing to do, but because public pressure from white audiences made ignoring it financially risky. Black creators had been the afterthought all along. As simsigga points out, players saying the Soul Food Legacy Challenge was “something they didn’t know they needed” underscores this—people didn’t consider they needed it because they’d never had to think about not being represented.
The bottom line
The Sims 4 skin tone overhaul is often framed as an example of EA listening to its community—but the timeline shows who they were really listening to, and when. Black players and creators fought for this from day one. The industry, the company, and the wider player base only took action when white people cared, and that fact is critical to remember.
Source: simsigga
Frequently asked questions
When did EA add improved skin tones?
The overhaul arrived in late 2020 after years of requests from Black creators, following a public pledge in August that year.
Who first created better skin tones for The Sims 4?
Modder Xmiramira released custom skin tone packs in 2016 and 2017, long before EA addressed the issue.
Why was 2020 the turning point?
The killing of George Floyd and global conversations about racial injustice brought mainstream attention—including from large white creators—to the lack of representation in The Sims 4.
Did EA work with Black creators on the fix?
Yes, but only after the public outcry reached a tipping point. Before then, feedback from Black Game Changers may have been overlooked.
Why is this still important to talk about?
Because the fix was reactive, not proactive. It highlights systemic issues in whose voices are heard—and whose are ignored—in gaming communities.
