The Sims Officially Pulls Game From Sale Without Warning

The Sims is one of those franchises you don’t always think about, but it has had a major impact on the gaming industry since its release. It’s been around since the year 2000, and its success completely transformed Maxis, which had diversified previously with numerous SimCity games, including spinoffs that dealt with topics as different as ants and towers.

The Sims 4 is the real crown jewel, having operated in a live-service capacity of sorts since 2014. There have been countless expansions released for it in the past 12 years, including packs that add fantasy elements into the mix, as well as historical content and a ton of extra mechanics, like family dynasties.

However, despite all this success, that hasn’t stopped EA from pulling a game from sale. As we learned recently, a release from The Sims series has officially been pulled [via Sims Community].

Based on new info, it seems like the official landing page for The Sims Medieval has been shut down entirely. Previously, the store boasted that the standalone game was available on platforms like Windows, the EA App, and Apple, but it now lists it as “not available.” The game was delisted on Steam years ago, but now The Sims Medieval has seemingly been erased from Sims history.

Released in 2011, The Sims Medieval was a spinoff of the core series, set in a kingdom and featuring a storyline and RPG elements that differed from the mainline entries. Much like the rest of the series, you can choose a core profession, and from there, it is up to you to live among the kingdom and complete a core task. It received modest reviews at the time and even received an expansion titled Pirates & Nobles.

Right now, fan speculation has given several potential reasons for the removal of The Sims Medieval. Given that the most recent release for The Sims 4, titled Royalty & Legacy, came out this past February, it’s possible EA wants to funnel as many people as possible into that ecosystem, especially since it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Set in a new world called Ondarion, it explores noble bloodlines and dynastic implications, similar to The Sims Medieval.

Of course, EA has proven time and time again that they have no problem delisting games wholesale, even from longstanding and respected franchises that are still active. Others suggest that we could see a remaster or remake of The Sims Medieval at some point in the future, possibly revealed this summer. While that may not be as likely, the gaming industry works in mysterious ways, and so does The Sims series.