The Sims 4: Seasons

The Seasons expansion for The Sims 4 was developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, released in 2018. It is a major expansion that fundamentally changes the game by adding a dynamic weather and seasons system that affects gameplay across all worlds, providing a year‑round cycle of environmental conditions and calendar-driven events.

The DLC introduces four seasons with changing weather patterns such as rain, thunderstorms, heatwaves and snow that influence Sims’ moods, outfits and activities, seasonal festivals and holidays with unique traditions and rewards, and new outdoor activities including ice skating, snow play, gardening changes, and seasonal interactions like stomping in puddles or seeking shelter during storms. It also expands gardening with seasonal crops, a flowering gardening career path, and tools for players to control climate options and custom holidays to tailor the yearly rhythm of their game.

Promotion for Seasons used Electronic Arts’ and Maxis’ typical marketing channels, featuring trailers, developer blogs, social media reveals and store listings that showcased weather effects, holiday events and gardening gameplay. Community creators, livestreams and build/play showcases were encouraged to demonstrate how seasons reshape storytelling, influence daily routines and enable new challenges such as seasonal festivals and weather-dependent careers.

Reception was broadly positive, with praise for how seasons added depth, immersion and emergent storytelling by making weather a meaningful factor in gameplay, while some criticism targeted occasional bugs at launch, the learning curve for holiday management and limits in long-term content variety. Overall Seasons is widely regarded as one of the most impactful expansions for The Sims 4, appreciated for transforming the game’s pace and giving players new tools for seasonal storytelling.