What’s next in the life of The Sims 4? More death, perhaps? Funeral Pack rumors are making the rounds!
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With The Sims 4 Lovestruck releasing in just a few days, we’re coming up on the end of the Summer 2024 Roadmap and Season of Love theming. This means that we can expect an autumn 2024 Roadmap soon (probably within the next month) but in the meantime, there are already stipulations on what the next big DLC is going to be. Believe it or not, Funeral Pack rumors have started making the mounds rounds! Where did they come from, and what should we expect? Here’s what we’ve heard so far.
SimGurus’ Teases Spark Funeral Pack Rumors
Believe it or not, the Funeral Pack rumors started because of actual Sim Gurus! They seem to be enjoying leaving simmers little clues to get us excited on what could be coming next without giving away too much.
SimGuruNinja Gets Cryptic In Twitch Chat
The catalyst that really set off these rumors came during a Twitch livestream of lilsimsie while she was playing Lovestruck in early access. At 01:31:10 in the video, she remarked on a Buy Mode object called Motivational Fitness Advertisement Posters: Series 2 which depicts an Elder using a treadmill. She exclaimed how dangerous it is for Elders to use exercise equipment because they can die of Overexertion by working out (or Woohooing) too much and SimGuruNinja, who was watching the stream, made this very cryptic comment in chat:
This could only possibly mean one thing, right? At least one new death, or a reworking of Elder deaths, has got to be coming, doesn’t it? Needless to say, Funeral Pack rumors began gaining traction because of this mysterious message.
SimGuruNova Vague-tweets Possible Pack Clues
Back in May 2024 SimGuruNova made a series of tweets that might be alluding to upcoming packs, but she kept things very vague as to not give anything away:
This series of tweets began with her mentioning that she was working on a 20×30 lot full of objects from the Base Game and prior DLC with a teaser of an image titled Very Cursed To-Do List and stating, “I have my work cut out for me😵💫” and after that, followed up the tweet with another talking about new features but intentionally censoring everything so we can’t actually see what she’s saying. She later clarified that this had nothing to do with Lovestruck (which hadn’t been announced yet), so it’s not content that we would be getting before/with that EP.
Since SimGuruNova is working on preexisting objects (with an emphasis on wall objects) it’s safe to assume that they are being updated for a new gameplay mechanic/system/element. What could this system possibly be? Possession by ghosts, perhaps? A way to bind meaningful objects to spirits? Updating the coding so they could be used in a new lot type? It’s anybody’s guess, though she states it’s “foundational work stuff” so we imagine it’s not anything game-changing in itself, but necessary for a bigger project.
What We Want From A Funeral Pack
Let’s assume the Funeral Pack rumors are true and we’ll be getting one next Roadmap season. What will that look like? It’s doubtful they would make a whole EP about it but a Game Pack would fit perfectly, especially with how pretty much all other Occult-type content in the game is doled out in Game Pack form. Redditors have been discussing it for a while, and we have our own thoughts to add to these stipulations.
Dedicated Graveyard/Funerary Lots
While Urns and Gravestones are currently placeable almost anywhere in the world, there isn’t a dedicated space for them. Your sims might keep the Urns of their loved ones at home, or you might have a community lot where you’ve built your own Graveyard; without mods though, it doesn’t really mean that much. It would be nice to have a Graveyard lot where we can send our sims who have passed, allowing them to stay within the world as it ages and grows and maybe even protecting their spirits from fading away.
Additionally, allowing the lot to function as a Funeral or Memorial space will give sims the chance to send off their loved ones and experience the loss together, offering comfort to others.
Mourning Events
As mentioned above, Funeral and Memorial services would be a nice addition to this type of Pack but it can be so much more than that. Different societies mourn their dead in different ways, and having a system where you could plan such an Event in Create-An-Event style like Weddings (with My Wedding Stories) and Dates (with Lovestruck) gives players the chance to mourn their lost sims in a manner that feels right to them. For you it might be a sad and somber Event, but for the next player it might be a happy celebration of a sim’s life.
This could also be tied into a more broad Memorial Celebration like Día de Muertos, where sims gather and honor their departed loved ones along with others who have passed in general. There could be an Event where sims visit the Graveyard to clean and decorate graves, leave offerings, converse with Ghosts, etc. EA could really use this opportunity to educate players on what death looks like in different cultures and do it in a way that makes it less scary and more educational.
Mourning Attire
Just as different cultures mourn in different ways, their attire also varies. For most of the Western world black is the mourning color of choice, but for East Asia the mourning color is usually white, in South Africa it’s typically red, and in Thailand along with South America they usually go with purple. Funeral goers may be asked to wear the decedent’s favorite color in their honor, or be asked to dress up in bright colors as a celebration of life. It would be another great way for players to see how things are done differently in different parts of the world.
More Bereavement Objects
While it’s unreasonable to expect The Sims 4 to cover every mourning object from every world culture, there are certain pieces they can bring to the game that can be used by everyone. Some examples:
- Candles, lanterns, and other lighting objects used in bereavement ceremonies
- Lecterns of varying styles that sims can use to make speeches or eulogies about the deceased
- Additional memorial objects like more Gravestone styles, Urn designs, Mausoleums, Tombs, special Caskets and Coffins designed to display the dead during a mourning period, an Ofrenda, etc.
- New items that sims can interact with to connect to or further understand death, such as books, statues, or even toys
More on SNOOTYSIMS: Beat death Foodie-style by mastering the Ambrosia recipe!
Special Interactions With The Occult
If the Funeral Pack rumors or true, one thing that could make or break this type of DLC is whether it’s cross-compatible with the Occults of other Packs. It would be really cool to see how the different characters in the game interact with the dead, and how they behave in Graveyards and at Mourning Ceremonies!
For example, maybe Vampires like to skulk around the Graveyard at night, or they avoid it completely since the dead don’t have plasma to be drained. Werewolves can howl sadly when mourning or visiting the grave of someone they cared about, and even do a group howl during Funerals. Spellcasters could use their magic to summon Ghosts from their graves, rid them of negative feelings associated with their deaths, or even enter the Ghost realm to gather magic materials! Aliens could be confused by the whole thing, depending on how they view and experience death on SIXAM.
And of course Grim would have to get some extra attention! Maybe you can find him hanging out at the Graveyard more often or having special ways to comfort other sims (especially Children) when a loved one has passed. His appearance could be an optional element for a Funeral Event, and there could be new ways to negotiate with him to spare a sim from an early demise. Perhaps it’s time to make him romanceable? Take him on a date and if it goes well, instead of roses he leaves a bouquet of Death Flowers? That sure could come in handy!
Social Interactions For All Sims
In addition to special interactions for Occult sims, there are multiple interactions and behaviors that could be coded in for regular sims as well. During a Funeral or other Mourning Event there could be a group option to “reminisce about the deceased” or “offer condolences and comfort.” Neighbors could swing by after a death and bring meals or mail condolence cards, and even send flowers or gifts to the Funeral home for the decedent. Not to mention lots of things for them to do at a Graveyard, especially if there’s an Event about honoring the dead.
With photos being a more important thing in Lovestruck, perhaps portraits of a deceased sim can stir sad feelings or allow the viewing sim to recall a good memory about the sim in the photo. Gloomy sims and those with high Medium Skill (from Paranormal Stuff) could have extra options, like Speaking to the Dead via their Gravestone/Urn and even asking them for special favors.
More Lore!
EA could have a lot of fun making lore up for a Funeral-focused Pack. There could be a whole backstory added for Grim, and a creepy new townie who acts as a Funeral Director that maybe has a history with the otherworldly entity. Not to mention, it’s the perfect time to officially bring Olive Specter into the world of The Sims 4—she could even be said creepy townie!
Conclusion
Although Funeral Pack rumors are still just rumors, we have a few reasons to strongly suspect that a Death DLC is in the cards. An autumn Roadmap is a great time to tease a pack focused on Death, with Halloween and Día de Muertos both taking place during this time of year. SimGuruNinja’s comment, while vague, can only be interpreted in so many ways! Besides, in the world of The Sims 4 something like a Death Pack makes a lot of sense, since the afterlife is much more prominent in their world than in ours.
Have you heard about any of these Funeral Pack rumors? Is that a Pack you’d be interested in, and if so, what would you want to see included in it? Let us know in the comments, we’re dying to hear your thoughts!🪦