The Sims 4 - Fails to load via Steam or EA app

Question

Game has previously loaded successfully, earlier in the year. I have not successfully loaded the game since July, but couldn't find a solution then. I have tried again now, and still no solution I've found works.

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What I've tried so far:

in EA app:

Cleared EA app cache
Reinstalled EA app
Repairing EA app
Closing EA services from Task Manager and reopening

in EA account:

Unlink account from Xbox Live account
- this resulted in a change: see Error message note

in Steam:

Checking file integrity through Steam
Removing additional packs and add-ons in Steam and reinstalling
Reinstalling The Sims 4 entirely, via Steam

in Explorer:

Moving game files to Desktop and trying to run from there

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Error message

My only unexplained lead would be the screenshot attached, which reads:

"This content has been removed for an unlisted reason."

This error is attributed to "The Sims 4 EA Play Edition", and "The Sims 4 Get to Work". I think I may have put these into my library on either Epic Games Launcher, or Xbox Games Pass, but I'm unsure. It is present in the library of neither service now.

The error read "Epic Subscription" previously, but changed to "Unlisted Reason" while I was troubleshooting today. Previously read "Epic Subscription" for an error attributed to 24th of July, which would be a day or two after my Xbox Games Pass subscription ended. Unsure why this would be listed as an "Epic Subscription" error though. I'm unsure whether I would have logged into Epic Launcher during this time.

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Further details

Base game and all add-ons purchased on Steam.

Game ran fine before, no other changes made to my system in this time.

I don't have Get to Work on Steam (gameplay? in my sims game? ew), so maybe this was a promotional one on Epic or Game Pass at the time?

No mods or CC installed. I tried and failed to get it running before, but turned out the mod was outdated, so didn't work. I gave up and decided it made little difference to me, so I removed all the content. Maybe I didn't do a good job of that, so feel free to recommend best practice for clearing all mod and CC data.

If you have a solution that involves deleting all my game data, I'll do it. I'm a "pick it up for 3 hours every month and restart every time" kind of Sims player.

ea_cath · Answer

Hey&nbsp;@rdkieran&nbsp;,

First of all thank you for writing such a detailed and organised message, that makes is so much easier for us to help out!

Are you launching the game from Steam or EA app when you get this error? I wonder what happens if you try to launch the game from the installation folder?

This happened right when your Xbox Game Pass subscription expired? If so, it means that you had an EA Play subscription included with the Game Pass that expired at the same time. I would say this is likely causing the issue.

rdkieran · Answer

@EA_Cath This happens when loading from Steam, EA, and from the folder. In each case it attempts to load EA App first and then the app closes immediately.

I attempted uninstalling the game again and downloading it via the EA App version, with Steam closed. Same result.

ea_cath · Answer

Thank you&nbsp;@rdkieran&nbsp;

We can try with another clean uninstallation of the game, it's possible that the EA Play/Xbox expired version is conflicting with the other version of the game.

Try uninstalling with Revo Uninstaller, it should get rid of any files and then you can start a fresh installation of the game again.

rdkieran · Answer

@EA_Cath Tried now, reinstalled, but same result.

rdkieran · Answer

@EA_Cath Xbox Game Pass version was never installed on this device, I only had it in my library.

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The Sims 4 - Fails to load via Steam or EA app

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