When the folks behind The Sims 4 announced we were getting some new “Hustle & Bustle” themed add-ons for the game, we were naturally excited to see what they would be. The announcement included a new stuff pack as well as our 15th expansion pack DLC for The Sims 4.
Since the initial announcement, we’ve gotten one half of the promised new content in the form of the stuff pack, Home Chef Hustle. If that’s the Hustle in Hustle & Bustle, Sims 4 fans want to know… what’s the Bustle? Here’s everything we know, and can guess, about the next expansion pack for The Sims 4.
Related: The Sims 4 Satisfaction Cheat: How & Why To Use It
When Will the New Sims 4 Expansion Pack Release?
We still don’t have a formal release date for the so-called “neighborly expansion pack” teased in the Hustle & Bustle announcement.
However, initial posts about this latest round of additions to The Sims 4 teased that updates would come in September-December. We got the promised stuff pack in September, so if this time frame holds true, we’ll likely see the new expansion before the end of the year.
What Is The 15th Sims 4 Expansion Pack?
In terms of official info, there’s still not much to be said on Expansion Pack 15. In the teaser post, EA said “Whether you’re learning to cook for the first time or rekindling your love for it, building a new home for you and yours or cultivating a local community, embrace the Hustle and Bustle.”
The cooking element is clearly a reference to the Home Chef Hustle stuff pack, which means we’re looking at some home and community aspects for the expansion pack. Given the descriptor of “neighborly” this definitely makes sense. In the video teaser released on Instagram, fans also noted a set of keys with a house-shaped keychain attached, further enforcing the idea that this new expansion pack will have something to do with home ownership or rental.
What Fans Hope to See in the Next The Sims 4 Expansion
What community and home mean can vary wildly for different styles of Sims play, which means fans are speculating in a lot of different directions about what we’ll get from the next expansion.
Many fans are hoping the homey notes mean we’ll get some more robust options for living spaces, such as more apartments and townhouses in the game. Others are wishing for the ability to own rental properties and play as a Sim landlord.
For those who miss car ownership from prior Sims games, the keys in the teaser video might be a beacon of hope that this next expansion will bring back cars. However, many Simmers think the house shape of the keychain was meant to warn us away from that assumption.
Another angle that Sims 4 players are looking at for the new expansion is additional options with neighborhood stories, with additional life events and more autonomy to make your NPC neighbors feel more real. For those wishing for deeper lore in the newest addition to the franchise, this would be a welcome step in the right direction.
While most guesses stay in the realms of home and neighborhoods, some fans have latched on to the focus on being busy. This leads to hopeful speculation that maybe we’ll get new hobbies for The Sims 4, such as the ability to form a band. Given the hobby-centric nature of the new stuff pack, this option is perhaps the least likely but until EA confirms the details of its newest expansion, anything is possible.
Hopefully, Sims 4 fans will have answers to their questions about our next expansion pack soon enough. If EA’s original proposed dates are still on track, we should get more details about the planned release in the next few months.
