It was back in May 2021 when a plan about customizable pronouns was coming to The Sims 4. For those wondering whatever happened to it, there’s good news. Work on this feature has started and once done, it’s going to allow players even more freedom of expression.
In a post, the development team revealed that gender neutrality plays a significant role when it comes to building a fully inclusive society. This is one of the reasons why the team is working on it, in partnership with It Gets Better, a nonprofit organization empowering and connecting the LGBTQ+ community.
While having customizable pronouns is indeed a good addition for greater inclusivity, the team reminded players that it’s not going to ensure that the game is indeed 100% gender-neutral. The team went on to say that this will be an ongoing learning and development process for them and that they’ll continue to update this feature over time.
One of the difficulties the team is facing is how pronouns exist in the 18 languages available in the game. Since there’s no one solution for everything, the team shared that they’re going to “be mindful of the grammatical rules of each of those languages.” When this feature is initially launched, the focus is on English. Other languages are to be added and supported as the game is updated and improved over time.
The team concluded that research and design continue until the feature can be launched. That said, there’s no date given yet as to when it is coming out.
Sneak Peek
In addition to the customizable pronouns, the development team also gave a peek as to what’s coming in the game. One of these is the Power Couple Scenario. This one has players take on the role of a married couple working in business. Players get to have a friendly bet to see who can rise in the ranks and become CEO first.
Learn more about what’s being planned here.
The Sims 4 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
