After a long silence, the Sims 4 team has released a new update on one of the game’s most notorious problems: save corruption. Unlike smaller bugs, save corruption is a wide-reaching issue with multiple causes and devastating effects for players who encounter it.
What’s causing save corruption?
The team has previously stated that there are many possible triggers, but some of the biggest risk factors include:
- Large, bloated save files
- Multi-generation families
- Rental units created with For Rent or downloaded from the Gallery
Because of this, many players (including Simmer Erin) recommend avoiding For Rent entirely, not downloading rentals from the Gallery, clearing out household inventories, and always keeping backups of saves.
What progress has been made?
According to EA’s update:
- 29 community-reported issues related to For Rent have already been fixed
- 37 more issues are under investigation
- Of those, 11 require more player info
- Two issues tied directly to save corruption have a combined 222 community votes
- A partial fix has been identified for the most-voted issue, though more work is still needed
Beyond For Rent, the team acknowledges six broader save corruption problems. They stress that the issue is complex and influenced by device setups, packs installed, and player habits.
How players can help
The Sims team has provided reporting guidelines to collect consistent data. When reporting, players are asked to clarify:
- Does the game launch at all?
- Do you see an error message, endless loading, or crashes?
- Are specific saves affected, or all saves?
- Are lots, worlds, or Sims missing?
- Are mods or custom content installed?
It’s important to test the game in vanilla (no mods or CC) by removing the mods folder, clearing the cache, and repairing the game. Endless loading screens can often be caused by broken mods, which are fixable, whereas true save corruption is much harder to resolve.
Why players are frustrated
While EA is communicating more openly and sharing metrics on reported issues, many players remain upset that For Rent is still being sold despite its association with corruption bugs. Simmer Erin argues that at minimum, there should be a disclaimer to warn buyers.
Final thoughts
This update doesn’t solve everything, but it does confirm that the team is actively working on fixes. If you’re facing issues, consider filing a detailed report to help improve investigations. And in the meantime, keep backups of your saves to avoid losing progress.
What do you think – should EA pause sales of For Rent until the worst issues are fixed?
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FULc6hsLOU&ab_channel=SimmerErin
Frequently Asked Questions
What is save corruption in The Sims 4?
Save corruption is a serious bug where game saves become unusable, often causing missing Sims, worlds, or endless loading screens.
What causes save corruption?
Large save files, multiple generations, and especially rental units created with or downloaded through For Rent are major risk factors.
Has EA fixed the problem?
They’ve fixed 29 issues, with 37 more under investigation. A partial fix is identified for the most-voted problem, but work continues.
What should I do if my saves won’t load?
First, remove mods and CC, clear your cache, and repair the game. Broken mods can mimic corruption issues but are usually fixable.
How can I report my issue?
Follow EA’s reporting guidelines: share if your game launches, whether errors or missing content appear, and if mods are installed.
Should I avoid For Rent?
Many players recommend avoiding For Rent and not downloading rental lots from the Gallery until stability improves.
