Reaper's Rewards Event was unplayable, and I still think about it a year later
Sept. 24, 2025 will be the anniversary of the Reaper's Reward Event launch, an event that eventually broke for me (and many others) on Xbox and PlayStation.
This single incident was the final straw for me, the catalyst that sparked my journey into being more vocal about bugs on the EA Forums and various social media platforms.
Before that fateful event, I was a fairly silent Sim-fanatic for 24 years, quietly buying every DLC ... but once the event became unplayable, I actually cried. Silly, but it was truly heartbreaking for me, seeing my favorite game breaking before my very eyes. The Sims 4 is my sanctuary, and it feels like so much more than just a game to me, its a passion of mine.
I tried posting about my Event issue on the EA forums back in Oct. 2024, only to be greeted with workaround instructions that didn't work, no matter how many times I repeated the steps. Eventually, there was an official announcement, stating that regardless of how much the instructions didn't work, we would not be compensated for the stress this caused or for the time lost trying to resolve it... and that we would never see those rewards in our game... all due to bugs that were out of the players' control.
I have tried to move on, accepting that I will never receive those Event rewards because I can't access mods, which feels like I'm being punished (again) for playing The Sims 4 on console. Now, every time I download something from the gallery that includes these rewards, not only I am reminded about the Reaper's Rewards Event, but I'm so annoyed that my eye twitches, reigniting a rage that was buried deep. These constant reminders make it difficult to move on and leave the past where it belongs, in the past.
Also, EA removed the ability to download item rewards from the Gallery, which I understand, but again feels like another punishment for console players exclusively. While I'm grateful Events overall have become more stable, the Reaper's Rewards Event should have never been released to the public in that buggy state and imo unacceptable for a legacy gaming company like EA. The Maxis team should have been given more time to address any issues before release, period.
WHAT HAPPENED: Reaper's Reward Event was flawed/bugged, and console players (a sizeable portion of the community) were not given equal opportunity to participate.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER...
Option #1:
Issue Reaper's Reward Event weekly rewards to the entire community as an apology.
Option #2:
Bring back previous events on their anniversary. Run them concurrently with the new event. This also addresses community concerns regarding players not having access to time-limited event rewards (including the icky feeling we all share about unique traits being locked behind events). Not only does it give the community the opportunity to participate, it also gives players the option to play events that suit their individual playstyle (not everyone likes Family/Child gameplay, etc.).
Example: Run the Reaper's Rewards Event at the same time as The Forever Friends Event.
I beg the team to please consider these options, as they would address some of the major criticisms the community still has. Plus, it shows EA is willing to improve relations overall with the community by acknowledging major (past) issues and providing long-term solutions.
Thank you for your time and consideration! 💚
