The Latest Version Of The Sims Breaks Down Gender Stereotypes In A Major Way

Good news for players of The Sims who don't feel like adhering to gender norms: The game is getting rid of gender boundaries in character customization.

All this means is it doesn't matter if you're making a female Sim or a male Sim, or a whatever-the-heck-you-want Sim, you're going to have access to all the hairstyles, clothing, body types and voice styles.

All this comes in a free update available Thursday for The Sims 4, according to game publisher Electronic Arts and developer Maxis. In previous versions of the game, players' choices for customizing Sims were restricted depending on the genders of the Sims.

Now, over 700 pieces of content that used to be limited to only male or female Sims will be accessible to all.

A statement from the studio said this move was intended to "make sure players can create characters they can identify with or relate to through powerful tools that give them influence over a Sim's gender, age, ethnicity, body type and more."

The Sims 4 executive producer Rachel Franklin told Associated Press this update was a year in the works.

She also said the new update will include ways to change Sims' genders at any point during game play, and the company would bring this update to fruition with the LGBT advocate group GLAAD.

Let's be clear, though. You can still make your lady Sim look as pretty and feminine as you want. You can just also make her wear a suit if you want.

You can even opt for no clothes at all, but I'm not necessarily recommending that. https://instagram.com/p/BFXJXwbpyQk/embed/

In conclusion, nothing has to change if you don't want it to, Sims players! But for the people feeling under-represented by their favorite game, this is a huge step forward.

Citations: 'The Sims' removes gender barriers in video game (Associated Press)