Homophobic laws mean The Sims 4's My Wedding Stories pack won't release in Russia
Devs refuse to compromise "the values we live by"
The Sims 4's My Wedding Stories game pack will launch next week, introducing the "romantic world" of Tartosa and a suite of new wedding-themed items and events to the storytelling toybox. Today, EA Maxis announced that the pack would not be released in Russia, however, where homophobic laws would have required developers to compromise "the values we live by."
As part of the announcement, EA introduced Dominique and Camille, two sims featured in the new expansion.
"The ability to tell stories - any story - is at the core of what we do at The Sims. Holding back Cam and Dom’s story meant compromising the values we live by. We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell," said a post on The Sims 4 website.
"So what does that mean for you, our players? We are steadfast in upholding that commitment by shining a light on and celebrating stories like Dom and Cam’s, so we have made the decision to forgo the release of “My Wedding Stories” where our storytelling would be subject to changes because of federal laws."
That law was introduced in 2013 and prohibits any content accessible to people under the age of 18 from depicting LGBT relationships as normal. The law has been used to shut down websites which provide information to LGBTQ youth, to limit press freedom, and has coincided with an increase in violence against LGBTQ people in Russia.
The Sims series has always allowed same-sex relationships and The Sims 4 received an 18+ rating in Russia due to their inclusion. The greater prominence of Dominque and Camille in the Wedding Stories pack would have likely caused greater issues. "Regrettably, this means that members of The Sims community in Russia will not be able to purchase this game pack," says The Sims Team's post.
My Wedding Stories will launch on February 17th via Origin and Steam.