The Sims 4 has long been a haven for players who seek to create themselves, to see themselves represented in virtual form. Between the host of Maxis Create-A-Sim features and the talent of the Sims 4 modding community, creating a virtual version of yourself is typically straightforward – but not for everyone. EA and Maxis are looking to change that with the game’s latest addition.
In a new base game update, vitiligo will be added to the Create-A-Sim menu options, allowing those with the condition to choose from up to 61 alternative patterns and shapes for their Sims’ skin, to see themselves portrayed more effectively.
According to the Australasian College of Dermatologists, vitiligo is “a relatively common condition in which the skin is unable to produce pigment.” Approximately 1-2% of all people are affected by this condition, which “appears as white areas with sharp edges on the skin usually without any preceding inflammation occurring in the affected skin.”
An EA blog post discussing the new update stated, “Our Concept Artist and Art Director collaborated to design a diverse set of patterns across faces, torso sections, and limbs.”
“In our research, we found that depigmentation may have clear edges and some edges may be darker and irregular,” it reads. “Since vitiligo affects people of all ethnicities and skin types, our Senior Character Artist intentionally created the first assets to work with a Sim’s skin tone … As you cycle through the shades and change from warm to neutral to cool, the colour of your Sim’s Vitiligo will adjust to change with it.”
The new update comes as part of a collaboration with supermodel Winnie Barlow, a known advocate for those with vitiligo, who touched on what this representation means to her as a Sims player in the new post.
“It’s magical to see The Sims 4 team introduce this new Vitiligo feature,” said Barlow. “As a child, I spent a lot of time playing The Sims and I think it’s so beautiful to be able to represent your true self in-game. This partnership is a powerful statement encouraging players to embrace what makes them unique – both in-game and in real life.”
Mechanically, the new vitiligo options will be categorised under the same heading as birthmarks, which were introduced as part of a base game update in early 2023.
