Forum Discussion

WabiWasabi's avatar
2 years ago
Solved

EA App won't Launch SIMS 4, tries to launch EPIC GAMES store instead

Since upgrading from Origin to the EA Launcher app about a month ago, I am unable to launch or play Sims 4. The EA App manages the library fine (understands licenses I've paid for and will download/update content appropriately).

The problem is that when clicking on the Sims 4 game in the EA App, the launcher attempts to launch the EPIC GAMES LAUNCHER to play Sims 4. 

  • If the Epic Launcher is not installed on my machine, I get a Windows error "Your PC doesn't have an app to open links of the type 'com.epicgames.launcher'"
  • If I install the Epic Games app, the EA App will launch the Epic Games launcher, but that's it. Sims 4 doesn't launch, and the EA app still displayes a "launching game..." progress dialog that never completes

Although I've purchased other EA games through the Epic Games store (e.g., Jedi Fallen Order), I didn't get my license for either the Sims 4 base game or any of the hundreds of $$ of Sims 4 DLC that my daughter has purchased through the Epic Games store, so no idea what's going on here. To verify that the problem is title-specific I downloaded Dragon Age II in the EA App, and that game was able to launch okay without trying to invoke the Epic Games app.

Things I've tried to fix the issue:

  • Uninstalling all locally installed games, rebooting, and reinstalling from scratch
  • Uninstalling the EA launcher app, rebooting, and reinstalling from scratch
  • Repairing installations for Sims 4 and the EA launcher app itself

Unfortunately, nothing has worked. So for over a month now the game and all the DLC for which I've paid have been completely inaccessible because of a bug in the new EA Launcher app. I've opened several tickets with EA Help, but they all get closed out right away after giving me boilerplate email responses that have nothing to do with my issue (e.g. "Has your device lost access to the internet while downloading/installing? If you're on a console, do you have the latest firmware downloaded and installed?)

  • EA_Solaire's avatar
    EA_Solaire
    2 years ago

    @WabiWasabi 

    It sounds like the live support team will need to look over your account details and game entitlements to see what's causing this for you- here on the forums we don't have access to your specific account details to check on this and investigate further.

    Please reach out to live support by submitting a help request on the site here- I'd also recommend attaching this AHQ conversation when you reach out there so the live support team does have something further to reference. If you have any issues reaching out to live support from the site, you can let me know! 

19 Replies

  • EA_Solaire's avatar
    EA_Solaire
    Icon for Community Manager rankCommunity Manager
    2 years ago

    Hi @Kenny2077,

    Please reach out to the live support team about your account so they can look over your game entitlements and check if you've got an Epic account linked there as well that may be causing this issue for you- we wouldn't have access to any of your account information to investigate this further with you here on the forums.

    You can contact live support by submitting a help request on the site here- please be sure to also attach this AHQ conversation when you contact live support so the team does have something further to reference. Let me know if you have any issues getting in contact with the team through the site! 

  • Madionette's avatar
    Madionette
    2 years ago

    Your link doesn't take me to any kind of "live chat" or place where I can send a help request. It just asks you to go look at other answers. 

    Maybe I didn't look hard enough but there's definitely no live chat

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Madionette  Change the location in your browser window to U.S. or U.K., or choose a slightly different category of issue.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @S3npai_Tuba  Use Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine) to remove Sims 4 from your computer:

    • Put aside your Sims 4 folder in Documents > Electronic Arts and rename it to something that doesn't include the words "Sims 4."
    • Download Revo Uninstaller from here.
    • Launch Revo, select Sims 4 from the list, and click Uninstall.
    • Once the game is uninstalled, select "Moderate" under "scanning modes," and click Scan.
    • Review the list, in case there's something you want to save; otherwise, click Select All, and then Delete.
    • Close Revo, and restart your computer.

    Once you've reinstalled the game, you can restore the Sims 4 folder that was previously in Documents > Electronic Arts, and your saves and other user content should be available in-game.

  • Have literally the same issue.

    Never bought a thing sims-related through epc.

    The suggested link has nothing useful, no chat, no relevant topic.

  • HarryCaneSnr's avatar
    HarryCaneSnr
    10 months ago

    @puzzlezaddict Accounts are linked, I bought Fallen Order.

    I have Sims4 in Epic (just checked).

    Can't remember how it appeared in Epic, I didn't buy it here. Anything I ever bought for Sims - I did via EA/Origin app.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    10 months ago

    @HarryCaneSnr  Do you still need help with this?  I took an unanticipated break from Sims 4 stuff for a bit and am only now catching up, but if you'd like further help, just let me know.

    Sims 4 is free on all platforms, and Epic offered a few free packs a while back, so you may have redeemed these without thinking about it.  So the Epic entitlement for the base game may be overriding the one from the EA App.

About The Sims 4 Technical Issues - PC

PC players get help with their technical issues in The Sims 4 here.50,653 PostsLatest Activity: 27 minutes ago