Maxis refuses to release Sims 4 wedding expansion in Russia due to country’s anti-LGBTQ laws

Sims 4 developer Maxis has faced a choice of either cutting a part of the content from the game’s new wedding-themed DLC or not releasing it in Russia at all. The studio chose the latter, saying that the team is “committed to the freedom to love who you love.”

Maxis made a statement on the EA official blog on February 9, explaining its decision to not sell the My Wedding Stories game pack for Sims 4 in Russia.

This DLC provides players with different tools to organize their own wedding, including decor, outfits, detailed planning, cakes, as well as bachelor and bachelorette parties. The pack’s announcement also featured a wedding of two women, Dominique and Camille, which were described as a “couple whose love knows no boundaries.”

“As we moved through our development and brand storytelling process, we became aware that the way we wanted to tell Cam and Dom’s story would not be something we could freely share around the world,” the statement reads.

Maxis noted that it would have to cut Cam and Dom’s story from the game to release the DLC in Russia without violating local federal laws regarding “gay propaganda.” So the team and EA decided to not compromise the values they live by: “We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell.”