Alright, so there’s this wild mod for The Sims 4 that decided to kick out all the LGBT and Black nonplayable characters (NPCs) from the game and automatically turned them into “straight” and “white” ones. And get this, it’s back in action despite EA trying to shut it down. WIRED dug up a bunch of other mods for popular games that are just as racist, homophobic, and antisemitic.
The Sims mod causing all the drama is called DEI Remover 1.0.0. It first popped up in March last year, but it only recently started making waves after @DanielleBuilds, a Sims creator with a massive following, shared a screenshot of it on Facebook and urged folks to report it. This mod not only booted out Black NPCs, but it also made sure NPCs were “healthy, (not fat),” changed colorful hair to “natural” colors, and turned any LGBT couples into siblings. One photo even shows NPC Celeste Michaelson, who is Black and trans, being morphed into a white woman.
An admin over at the RPGHQ video game forum spilled the beans that EA’s IP enforcement department asked them to take down the mod. The admin, who goes by “Rusty Shackleford,” called it targeted censorship and posted some screenshots of their chat with EA. EA has been radio silent about the whole situation, so who knows what’s going on behind the scenes.
So, on May 6, the mod resurfaced in a new thread with a snazzy copyright disclaimer for “Fair Use” and a guide on how to snag it. People had mixed reactions to the repost, with some cheering it on and others warning against poking the bear. The Sims has a long history of embracing diversity and LGBT representation, so this mod is definitely not in line with the franchise’s values.
The Sims community was in an uproar over this mod, and it’s clear that EA isn’t messing around when it comes to mods that cross the line. The world of video game mods is a wild one, with creators pushing boundaries and sometimes going way too far. It’s a game of Whac-A-Mole, trying to keep up with what’s out there and what’s getting banned. With everything going on in the world right now, mods like these only add fuel to the fire.
It’s a tough balance for EA to strike, allowing mods to flourish while also cracking down on ones that promote harmful messages. The modding community is a crucial part of the gaming world, but there’s a fine line between creative expression and crossing the line. So, let’s see how this all plays out in the long run.
