The Sims 4’s Attempt At Allyship Has Excluded Many LGBTQ+ Players

On February 8, The Sims team revealed a first look at the next amorous addition to The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories. As the name implies, the upcoming game pack is centered entirely around love, romance, and the celebration of both through marriage–with special emphasis on showcasing the stories all too often forgotten by mainstream media; stories like Dom and Cam’s.

Dom and Cam are the names of two new female characters in The Sims 4 who discover their feelings for one another are far stronger than friendship, a realization that arises shortly before one of the women is set to marry a man. After calling off the wedding, the two women get together, creating a union that spans across decades and overcomes all obstacles. Their touching story, accompanied by a Simlish version of Etta James “At Last,” unfolds throughout the pack’s trailer, setting the tone for the newest add-on and acting as a show of solidarity for the game’s many LGBTQ+ players. However, just a day after the trailer dropped, The Sims team announced that some The Sims 4 players will not be able to join in on Dom and Cam’s marital bliss.

On February 9, an open letter was shared on The Sims 4’s official blog stating that, due to federal laws, The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories will not be sold in Russia. In the letter, The Sims team explained their choice, stating they are “steadfast in upholding that commitment by shining a light on and celebrating stories like Dom and Cam’s” and therefore have made the decision to “forgo the release of My Wedding Stories where our storytelling would be subject to changes because of federal laws.”