EA Confirms The Sims Mobile Shutdown: Final Update, Events, and Closure Date Revealed

In a nostalgic turn that’s stirring memories among long-time fans, Electronic Arts (EA) and Maxis have confirmed The Sims Mobile shutdown, announcing that the handheld version of their iconic life simulation series will officially go offline on January 20, 2026, marking the end of an eight-year run since its launch in 2018.

The mobile game, which brought the charm of building dream homes, nurturing relationships, and crafting virtual lives to smartphones, will soon disappear from digital shelves. EA has already disabled in-app purchases and plans to remove the title from the App Store and Google Play on October 21. Players can still enjoy their Sims until January, but once EA’s servers go offline, all saved progress will vanish, signaling the final sunset for this chapter of the franchise.

In a heartfelt message to fans, EA thanked the community for its creativity and support over the years:

The Sims Mobile and The Sims community as a whole are full of creativity, kindness, and imagination. You’ve amazed us with your stories, builds, and Sims.

EA added that the final chapter will include a farewell series of in-game events, 14 in total, including limited-time quests, treasure hunts, and surprise unlocks as a tribute to players who’ve kept the mobile world alive since 2018.

A Final Celebration Before the Curtain Falls

To make the last months more memorable, EA is turning off monetization and removing gameplay restrictions. Players now have unlimited energy to finish projects, redecorate their virtual homes, and host goodbye parties without waiting timers or paywalls.

On January 6, EA will unlock all Build Mode and Create-A-Sim items, giving fans full creative freedom, a kind of ultimate sandbox mode before the lights go out. It’s a symbolic gesture, letting players send their Sims off in style.

It’s our way of saying thank you for years of love, laughter, and late-night builds.

-EA wrote in its blog post announcing the shutdown

From SimCity to The Sims Mobile: A Franchise That Defined Digital Life

To understand the weight of this shutdown, it’s worth remembering just how monumental The Sims franchise has been in gaming history and how it grew from the same creative roots that gave us SimCity.

Long before players were designing dream bedrooms on their phones, SimCity, launched in 1989, changed gaming forever. Created by legendary designer Will Wright, it invited players to build and manage entire cities, balancing budgets, managing traffic, and fending off disasters, all from a bird’s-eye view. The concept of open-ended simulation was revolutionary, proving that games didn’t need villains or victory screens to captivate millions.

When The Sims arrived in 2000, it flipped the perspective from city planner to household manager, turning everyday life into gameplay. It became one of the best-selling PC franchises in history, spawning expansions, spin-offs, and mobile versions like The Sims FreePlay (2011) and The Sims Mobile (2018).

Why EA Is Pulling the Plug

While the decision stings for players, EA’s reasoning isn’t entirely surprising. In 2022, the company announced Project Rene, a new, next-generation Sims experience that will span multiple platforms, including mobile.

With resources shifting toward that ambitious cross-platform future, EA appears to be winding down its older mobile projects. As part of that transition, The Sims Mobile will quietly exit the stage to make way for what could be The Sims 5 in all but name.

Still, for players who’ve invested time, creativity, and real money in the game, the shutdown raises concerns, not just about refunds or access, but about game preservation itself. Once servers are shut down, The Sims Mobile will be gone for good, a reminder that digital games often have an expiration date.

The shutdown has also rekindled fears about the future of EA’s franchises, especially amid ongoing reports that the company is exploring a potential sale involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

A Legacy That Lives Beyond the App

For all its limitations, The Sims Mobile carried the DNA of a cultural icon, one that has spanned three decades, from SimCity’s 8-bit grids to The Sims 4’s expansive creative worlds. It represented accessibility, a way for anyone, anywhere, to build and live a story, right from their phone.

Even as the app prepares for its final sunset, The Sims brand remains strong. With Project Rene in the works and a growing emphasis on cross-platform simulation, EA and Maxis seem intent on building a new generation of digital life experiences perhaps more open, more connected, and more enduring.

While The Sims Mobile may be closing its doors, its spirit of creativity, storytelling, and control over virtual lives continues to shape how players interact with games today. Whether through The Sims 4, Project Rene, or even spiritual successors like SimCity BuildIt, the essence of Will Wright’s sandbox philosophy endures.

But for now, fans are holding onto what remains: one last chance to play, build, and dream before their virtual neighborhoods disappear.