The life simulation video game “The Sims 4” just released a free update that includes multiple customization options aimed at players who wish to appear transgender.
This new patch adds to the array of body customization options to include breast removal surgery scars along with garments such as chest binders, “packing” underwear, and other medical wearables, per Mashable.
The publication noted that the “Create a Sim” character creator now offers users a “Top Surgery Scar” in the “Body” category’s new “Body Scars” subcategory. These scars can be added to any male Sims character “aged Teen or older,” according to the report, regardless of their base body model’s gender. The “Top Surgery Scar” distinction was made to show that a character had breast removal surgery.
Also in the “Create a Sim” options, under the “Tops” subcategory “Tanks,” players can opt to put on chest binders. Other shapewear like “tucking underwear” is found in the “Bottoms” section in the subcategory “underwear.”
The official Sims account celebrated these additions with a post on social media.
A base game update is here with new content including medical wearables, binders, shapewear, a light switch & more including bug fixes & console gameplay improvements 🥳💚
Read more about today’s update in the latest patch notes! https://t.co/4c4vZdfWBY pic.twitter.com/GYbQYijIIm
— The Sims (@TheSims) January 31, 2023
These additions aren’t the first time the popular video game creators adopted pro-transgender standards. The Sims players of both genders have been able to mix and match masculine and feminine traits since 2016. In 2022, an update allowed users to choose their Sims character’s sexual orientations and pronouns.
Preset pronouns include she/her, he/him, or they/them, or users can add custom entries for their Sims.
Per The Washington Post, game developer Maxis collaborated with the LGBTQ advocacy groups “It Gets Better Project” and GLAAD to determine how to add the pronoun feature. “The Sims 4” producer John Faciane called the partnership between the game and these groups “a step in the direction of a more inclusive experience for Simmers.”
“While this update isn’t the be-all end-all of representation of nonbinary and other gender diverse folks, we strongly feel that it’s important for us to approach better inclusivity over time as we figure out ways to work within the limitations of our code,” Faciane said of the pronoun update in 2022.
“Making ‘The Sims 4’ more inclusive of gender neutrality is an ongoing learning and development process for us and we will continue to update this feature over time,” game publisher Electronic Arts wrote at the time, referencing the fact that the game still included gendered language such as “mother” and “father.”