It's a very happy 25th birthday, or Hoople Borpna as they would say in Simlish, for The Sims as the games that started it all are set for re-release. New and old players alike now have the chance to relive the games that started the life simulation genre.

On Friday, Sims publisher Electronic Arts announced The Sims 25th Birthday Bundle, which collects The Sims and The Sims 2 together for the first time. The original Sims game was released on February 4th, 2000, and the landscape of video games was changed for good. With millions of copies sold since then, The Sims has grown into a pillar of gaming culture and spawned four entries into the main series. The announcement was accompanied by a trailer that captures the nostalgia for the original days of the Sims by showing off some of its most iconic characters in live-action.

The Sims & Sims 2 Are Releasing Today On PC

Fans Can Re-Experience The Start Of The Sims Without Delay

The community around The Sims is huge and just as active today, if not more so than during Y2K. Recognizing this, EA is selling The Sims: Legacy Collection and The Sims 2: Legacy Collection separately as well. So, players can choose which title to go back to if they don't want to spend $39.99 on the 25th birthday bundle. The games are available on Windows 10 and 11 starting today via the EA app, Epic Games Store, and Steam. Rumors of The Sims 1 remastered were floating around and are now confirmed with this new re-release.

In a press release announcing the release of the 25th Birthday Bundle, Vice President and General Manager of The Sims, Kate Gorman Revelli, described the Sims birthday as the perfect moment to re-release the first two games in the series. Revelli was hopeful for another 25 years of The Sims and was excited to say how players would, "reimagine all the different ways they play with life." The original Sims is notoriously hard compared to the more polished Sims 4, which may result in a barrier to entry for fans only familiar with The Sims 4. However, the chance to experience iconic characters could persuade hesitant players.

The Sims Legacy Collection Comes With A Bundle Of Goodies

Everything You From The Sims And The Sims 2 Is Back

For those fans wondering if burglars will return to The Sims, look no further because there's plenty in the legacy collection. Burglars were a fun addition to the early Sims games that made the early installments in the franchise so unpredictable. The trailer made sure to highlight them alongside some of the more bizarre editions of the series, such as Dracula and Sunny the Tragic Clown.

There's also, of course, The Grim Reaper, who's been a staple of the series since the first expansion of the original game. The Grim Reaper has always been a romance option and those players who started a family with death itself in The Sims 4 can see where this character's journey in The Sims began. EA also announced that the MySims: Cozy Bundle will be released on March 18, 2025, and can be pre-ordered now.

Sources: The Sims, YouTube