Customizable Pronoun Options Are Coming to 'The Sims!'

The Sims has always had a lot going on to make it a fave among the LGBTQ+ community, but a new update is going to make it even more inclusive. Soon, we’ll be able to customize characters’ pronouns.

According to a recent livestream from the developers of the fourth iteration of the main game, the Create-A-Sim screen will now include a prompt that says “Hello, my name and pronouns are,” and provide the option to choose from he/him/his, she/her/hers, or they/them/their. If none of those are correct, the game will allow the user to enter custom pronouns — and yes, they’re working on a filter to prevent bad actors from opting for something offensive in that space.

The Sims games have provided a customizable virtual world for players to escape into for ages now, and the fact that it has allowed for same-sex relationships in various forms among Sims from the very first version of the game has made it a popular choice for gamers who didn’t experience the same sort of options in early iterations of other games.

So it’s only logical that pronoun choice would be the next step for The Sims — and the fact that the developers are working with GLAAD and It Gets Better to make sure they get things right is particularly reassuring.

“I just know that giving people a space to play in The Sims and play with pronouns and be who they want to just give them so much room to explore and find themselves and be their true authentic selves, especially in a society where they might not be able to in real life,” It Gets Better education coordinator Rae Sweet said during the livestream.

Sims designer Rachel Gilbert shared an anecdote that will probably resonate with a number of players excited about the change, noting, “I’ve played The Sims for years before I came out. I’ve used The Sims to play around with my gender identity because I wasn’t sure, as I didn’t know for a really long time.”

“I just think adding pronouns to the game are gonna make that game feel even more welcoming and kind and it’s really validating to see your pronouns,” they said.