Sims 4's Cover Art Featuring An LGBTQ+ Couple Praised By GLAAD

TheGamer

By Patrick Tierney

Published Jul 18, 2019

EA revealed a redesign for the cover of The Sims 4 featuring two girlfriends; the move was praised by GLAAD.

This week, Electronic Arts revealed a redesigned cover for The Sims 4, its bestselling edition to the popular Sims series. The new box art features the first LGBTQ+ couple on the cover of a Sims game, or any game by a major studio.

The featured Sims in question are the characters Dela Ostrow, the Sim with the pink hair, and Mia Hayes, the Sim with the blue beanie. The two Sims’ individual sexualities are not specified, but they are described as girlfriends in the game. The fact that this couple appears on the cover art is an amazing step forward in LGBTQ+ representation in video games.

LGBTQ+ media organization GLAAD praised the move.“This recognition and visibility is important and well-deserved,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, the President and CEO of GLAAD. She also praised The Sims’ long history of LGBTQ+ representation, as the game has given players the ability to make same-gender relationships since the original Sims game. Transgender options for Sims were also added to The Sims 4 in 2016.

This is not the first time that The Sims series has received praise from GLAAD. This year, Sims Mobile was among the nominees for the Outstanding Video Game category in the 30^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, with 2019 being the first year that GLAAD has included a category for video games. While Sims Mobile did not win – that distinction went to The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset for its featured questline with a trans narrative – the nomination is a testament to The Sims franchise's dedication to inclusivity.

This is a sign of increasing diversity and representation in video games as a whole. Many games with roleplaying elements, like Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, have begun to include options for same-sex relationships. Some games, including Overwatch and the upcoming The Last of Us Part II, have included LGBTQ+ characters on their box art.

Still, same-sex relationships in games like Overwatch are often limited to at least one offscreen character, so the fact that The Sims 4 included an LGBTQ+ couple on the cover of the game is a huge step.