The Sims 3 won't launch on EA App - returns to launcher (May 2026)

Hi, I need help with The Sims 3 in the EA app.

My problem: I click "Play" in the EA app. The EA app minimizes and shows that the game is starting. After a few seconds, it returns to the EA app. The game doesn't start, and the TS3 launcher isn't even visible.

Important note: Other games in the EA app work fine. The Sims 3 was working before, but suddenly stopped launching. I have Windows 10.

I've already tried: clearing the EA app's cache, repairing the game, removing all mods, renaming/deleting the The Sims 3 folder in Documents, reinstalling DirectX 9, reinstalling Visual C++, running the game in offline mode, running as administrator, EAUpdater, and also in the task manager (I think I've found all possible solutions). Nothing helped.

I've seen other players report similar issues. Is there a known issue with the EA app and The Sims 3?

Thank you. <3