It’s an unfortunate fact of life that developers sometimes must censor their games to release them in certain countries. Sometimes, this leads to relatively minor adjustments, likecensoring the name of a single character, item, or enemy. Other times, however, local laws force developers to withhold sizable chunks of content.
Until now, this appeared to be the case for RussianThe Sims 4players. EA previously announced it wouldnot release theMy Wedding Storiesexpansion in the country, citing the country’s restrictions on LGBTQ content in media. However, the company reversed course earlier today, saying the publisher “realized we can do more than we initially believed.”
RELATED:The Sims 4 Player Builds House from Encanto
My Wedding Storiesis an upcomingThe Sims 4expansion revolving around weddings and courtship. It lets players plan elaborate marriage ceremonies, with the marketing revolving around the romance between two women named Dominique and Camille. However, Publisher Electronic Arts and Developer Maxis initially announced the expansion wasn’t coming to Russia due to the country’s federal anti-gay laws.
EA never specified which law it believedthe upcomingSims 4content packmight violate. However, the decision was most likely about a 2013 law limiting depictions of LGBTQ relationships in children’s media. Specifically, the law states that media targeting people under 18 cannot depict homosexual relationships as normal, with the Russian government calling such content “propaganda.” The passage of which coincided with a significant uptick in anti-LGBTQ violence in the Eastern European country.
It’s unclear whether EA withheld the DLC to protest the restrictions or if the publisher feared legal consequences from the add-on or its marketing. However, it appears that Maxis was under the impression it would need to alter the pack’s content before releasing it in Russia. This is something EA previously expressed refusal to do. According to Maxis, censoring gay relationships in this way would have been unacceptable. The developers recently told fans, “We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell.”
However, EA reversed the decision after a fan campaign using the hashtag #weddingsforrussia. Many fans pointed out thatThe Sims 4already contains same-sex relationships and is available in the country with an 18+ age rating. Thus, it’s unclear why EA believed it could not releasetheMy Wedding Storiesadd-onin Russia without significant changes. Electronic Arts announced its plans to release the expansion in Russia earlier today. According to the publisher’s official statement, “It’s equally important for us to stand by our values, including standing against homophobia, and to share stories like this with those who want and need it most.”
RussianSims 4players will thus have access to the full and completely unalteredSims 4: My Wedding Storiescontent pack. The only downside is that EA and Maxis will need extra time to prepare forMy Wedding Stories’launch in Russia. EA thus decided to delay the pack’s global release until February 23rd. However,The Sims 4’sRussian fans are undoubtedly relieved to be getting the content pack at all.
The Sims 4is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
