Electronic Arts revealed as part of their earnings report today that The Sims 4 has reached 20 million unique players worldwide.
The life simulation game launched in 2014 for PC. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions launched in 2017. Sony is offering The Sims 4 as one of the free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers in February, so that should increase its player count further.
The Sims 4 has had major expansions and several other updates since release. This gives EA a way to monetize after launch, so it’s important for the title to keep current players engaged while attracting new ones. The latest expansion, Discover University, released in November.
It’s worth noting that 20 million unique players doesn’t equal copies sold. Still, it is a good sign that a lot of people are playing The Sims 4. And The Sims is a major driver in digital sales with all of its DLC. EA noted in its earnings for the last year that that digital net bookings reached $4.128 billion, up 15% from the last year. Digital now represents $77 of total net bookings for EA.
And now that it’s free on PS Plus, EA might find that folks spend even more in The Sims 4.