Life by You Canceled: The Sims Competitor Called a 'Clear Failure' by Paradox Interactive

Paradox Interactive announced that Life by You, the studio's life simulation competitor to The Sims 4, has been canceled, calling it a "clear failure" on the company's part.

The announcement was made by Paradox Interactive deputy CEO Mattias Lilja and was made in a post on the publisher's forum. He said, "Sadly, we've decided to cancel the release of our long-awaited life sim Life by You."

Life by You Canceled

He added that it was an incredibly difficult decision to make, noting that the studio failed to meet both their own and the community's expectations. The game was last set to be released for early access on Steam on June 4, 2024.

However, Paradox Interactive delayed the launch indefinitely on May 20, 2024, which marked the third time that the game's release date was pushed back. The originally planned launch for Life by You was in September of last year, then Mar. 5, 2024, then finally, June 4, 2024, according to Polygon.

Lilja talked about the latest development of the game, saying that a few weeks back, they decided to hold off on an early access release. This was so that they could evaluate the game, adding that they felt it was still lacking in some key areas.

He noted that while a time extension was also an option, which had already utilized many times before, it later became clear that the road to a release they were confident in was "far too long and uncertain."

Despite the decision, the Paradox Interactive deputy CEO said that Life by You was not without its merits and was able to show promising qualities throughout the development process.

On the other hand, Paradox Interactive's website had a news release where CEO Fredrik Wester said that a version of the game that met expectations was "too far away."

Lilja stopped short of identifying the specific issues that Paradox Interactive faced leading to the decision to cancel Life by You. He simply called it a mistake that they waited until the game was this far along before pulling the plug, said GamesRadar.

A Mistake on Paradox Interactive's Part

He added that games are "difficult to get right," adding that while they are inevitable, they should not reach this magnitude. Life by You's suspension came as it was in development by internal studio Paradox Tectonic.

The project was also being led by The Sims veteran Rod Humble to produce a game in a genre that had been historically dominated by a single franchise. Life by You seemed to have been gearing up to bring a worthy competitor by giving a more open and customizable gaming experience.

The decision to cancel the project comes as disappointing to many players, particularly those who have been eagerly waiting for an alternative to The Sims 4. While there are others who are aiming to do the same, Paradox Interactive's project was set to release first.

But now, fans of the life simulation genre will have to wait for the other titles in development, including inZOI, Paralives, or even The Sims 5. What is unfortunate is that the former two are not scheduled for release anytime soon and the latter is still a mystery, according to ComicBook.