The release of a new statement by EA addressing its mods and custom content policies over the last few days has caused division in the Sims 4 community.
Following the news, several inquiries about Early Access and whether authors may still benefit from this feature have been addressed.
EA recently published a blog article on The Sims 4 mods and game upgrades.
The article explains that content providers are no longer permitted to promote their work using official symbols, logos, or artwork.
It also goes beyond its previous rule prohibiting bespoke content providers from charging fees. EA consistently maintains that paying for modifications and other custom material is not permitted.
By offering guidelines for reporting artists who violate this policy, it continues to press this point home.
Many artists and simmers who utilize membership services like Patreon were confused about how this regulation might impact the utilization of Early Access once the article was published.
While others looked for exceptions to the restrictions while awaiting additional confirmation from EA and the Sims team, some developers temporarily disabled Early Access to be safe.
Thankfully, a spokesman clarified the rules on Twitter and verified that although Everyone must freely use the Sims 4 modifications and other fan-made material, Early Access is still permitted within a reasonable time frame.
The tweet also included a link to the policy’s original article, which had been modified to provide further details regarding Early Access.
For the numerous creators who rely on Patreon’s funding mechanisms to be able to create the volume and kind of material they do, this is fantastic news.
Given that EA is expressly taking them down and some creators are obliterating all of their Sims material in protest of the policy, PermaPayWall users will still be angry.
Many simmer, however, don’t feel sorry for individuals who insist on modding for profit since it’s free and has long been seen as a method to improve favorite titles in other gaming communities.
Indeed, some gamers have created blocklists that denounce these authors. Many creators will be able to continue as they are, and people who want to continue supporting their favorite artists may do so by taking advantage of their early access periods or joining their Patreons.
