The Sims 4 Is Adding Sexual Orientation Option In Next Update

The Sims 4 is adding a sexual orientation option in its next update.

The team behind the popular game has said that there is a commitment from the game to continue to improve its 'representation of the LGBTQIA+ community'.

As well as the recent pronouns update, players will now be able to assign a series of attraction parameters for their Sim.

The three parameters are:

1. My Sim is attracted to - a statement of who your Sim is attracted to
2. My Sim is exploring romantically - controls whether or not your Sim’s sexual orientation can shift through gameplay
3. My Sim is exploring romantically - determines who your Sim can sleep with

EA

SimGuruJessica, the design lead on The Sims 4 High School Years Expansion Pack, said: "As a team, we hold creativity, discovery, inclusivity and play as core values and strive every day to celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion for our people and community.

"With that in mind, we’re delighted to bring the Sexual Orientation feature to all Simmers.

"Between this update and the recent pronouns update, we’re taking several strides forward into being a game that respects and celebrates the nuance and color of everyday life.

"It is important to acknowledge that these are steps in a journey that we are still mapping out.

EA

"There is much further to go, and while I can’t get into the details of where exactly we go next, please know that we are committed to continuing to improve our representation of the LGBTQIA+ community.

"Authenticity is a point that often comes up in regards to features like this, and rightly so.

"As such I’ll try to peel the curtain back a bit and speak to our efforts in making sure we got this right. Many members of the team, myself included, are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

"That said, each one of us on the team represents only a narrow slice of lived experiences.

"As such we’ve worked extensively with GLAAD and the It Gets Better Project to ensure that we’ve captured the widest possible range of viewpoints on how to approach this feature in a manner that respects and elevates the community."

EA

The design lead admitted that there will only be two gender options for now, due to 'technical limitations'.

SimGuruJessica explained: "TS4 is 8 years old at this point, and reliant on systems that were originally architected with a gender binary in mind. In the intervening years, we’ve taken important steps such as Gender Customization, Pronouns and now Sexual Orientation.

"It’s a journey still in progress, with many more steps to go. Proper mechanical systems to fully support non binary Sims is another step in that journey."

What's even better about this new feature is that it can't be switched off; a decision which SimGuruJessica explains: “While we try to give players the option to toggle certain gameplay features, LGBTQIA+ identities are a fact of life and not a toggle to be switched on and off.”

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]