Sims 4 ‘anti-DEI’ mod has EA angry and its community shocked

It’s not unusual for the usually closed-off world of gaming to make its way into mainstream headlines on occasion. Sometimes it’s because of a notable anniversary, or certain milestone that’s broken through the usual quiet around gaming. But in the case of what we so often cover a Sims 4 ‘anti-DEI’ mod has EA angry and the community shocked

The world of Sims modding is arguably what has kept the series so relevant over the past few decades. And it means that even EA, who aren’t exactly famous for their generous treatment of mods, have had use a light touch when it comes to handling community-made content.

But while that’s led to a myriad of sites like The Sims Resources, mods, and suites of content that can tailor the experience for Sims fans in any way they so choose, some people seem eager to take advantage of that leniency.

A number of outlets, in particular Wired, have picked up news of a so-called ‘DEI remover’ mod that has come to the attention of many community members. This mod does everything from changing same-sex couples to siblings, changing the skin colours of Sims to white and even changing dyed hair to ‘natural’ colours.

Unsurprisingly this wasn’t received well by the broader Sims community, and EA seem to have been swift in demanding the mod be taken down.

But other examples have reportedly already begun cropping up, suggesting that this incident may not be the end of what looks to be a pretty unpleasant episode in the history of Sims modding.

If you want to take a look at how mods can effect the popularity and longevity of a series, you only need to look as far as Krafton’s top competitor Inzoi, and how its introduction of official support for user-created content may be what it needs to take on the juggernaut that is The Sims.