The Sims 4 survey asks why players stopped playing – is it losing its audience? ⇒ Sims4Life

The new one-question survey

EA has sent out a surprisingly short survey to The Sims 4 players, asking a single main question: Why did you stop playing or take a break from the game? While the follow-up demographic page is optional, the primary question offers a long list of possible answers and allows respondents to select multiple reasons.

The reasons listed in the survey

Some of the notable options include:

Too many gameplay performance issues, bugs, or technical problems (listed first)
Hardware or technical situation changes
Storylines or gameplay don’t reflect my values or lifestyle
Couldn’t create a Sim that felt like me
The game feels outdated
Unable to play the storylines I wanted
Ran out of ideas or felt I’d done everything
Didn’t enjoy the graphics or art style
Mods I like stopped working or weren’t updated
Game lacks options reflecting my culture or background
Content updates ignored communities I cared about
Simply didn’t have time to play
Played too much and needed a break
Content was irrelevant
Preferred other games
Diversity lacked the details I wanted
CC/mod management became too difficult
Frustrated by the number of DLC and not enough free updates

Erin notes that she could personally tick several boxes, with bugs and performance issues being an obvious choice for many players. While her own game isn’t especially buggy, she recognises it’s a major problem for others. She also points to a lack of complexity in traits, personalities, aspirations, and autonomy as reasons players may feel disengaged.

Outdated – but in what way?

The survey’s “game feels outdated” option is vague. Outdated how? Erin suggests the art style has aged better than The Sims 3, but admits some players feel the graphics and animations are showing their age. Past surveys have also hinted at EA re-evaluating art direction and animation, which could connect to this question.

DLC fatigue and survey limitations

Another interesting option is frustration over the sheer number of DLC and perceived lack of free updates. While slowing down releases could help, Erin points out that EA isn’t going to reverse course on DLC—it’s part of their core model.

The brevity of the survey is another limitation. Even with the ability to choose multiple options, one question doesn’t allow for the nuance needed to fully understand why players stop playing.

Is The Sims 4 actually losing players?

Looking at the Steam Charts for some context, Erin notes that player numbers over the past year have been relatively stable, with the usual ups and downs. Currently, numbers are trending downward—but August is typically slow for gaming as many people return to school or have family obligations.

A longer view shows the game’s all-time peak occurred around the time it went free-to-play, suggesting a spike of new players. The question now is whether EA has retained them. While the chart shows a slight long-term decline, Erin sees this as normal for a nearly decade-old title—not necessarily a mass exodus, but perhaps slower growth than EA wants.

Why the survey matters

Even if The Sims 4 isn’t in crisis, this survey could be a warning sign for EA to pay closer attention to player concerns. Whether it leads to changes is another matter, but Erin hopes it prompts improvements.

Still, she believes the game’s limitations mean some issues can’t be fully resolved without moving on to a new entry: