The Sims 4 received a new patch today across all platforms, delivering the season's first batch of free base game content alongside general fixes and preparation for this week's Clueless X Mean Girls Capsule Kit.
What's in the August 26 patch
This update serves a double purpose. It adds free new content to the base game that was previewed earlier this month, and it lays the groundwork for the Clueless X Mean Girls Capsule Kit arriving Thursday. General quality-of-life improvements round out the release, though detailed fix lists from the Sims Team had not been fully published at the time of writing. A larger Quality of Life Update is expected in September 2026.
The download weighs in at 586 MB on Mac, per Sims Community's reporting. File sizes on other platforms may differ slightly.
How to install
The patch is live on all supported launchers and consoles:
- PC: EA App, Origin, Steam, Epic Games
- Mac: Origin, Steam
- PlayStation: PS4 and PS5
- Xbox: Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
If you have automatic updates enabled, your client should pull the patch on its own. Otherwise, trigger a manual check through the EA App, Steam, or Epic Games launcher on desktop, or request an update from The Sims 4's entry on your console dashboard. If the EA App stalls, clearing your app cache often resolves it.
Mods and CC: expect breakage
As flagged yesterday by Sims Community, this patch will affect mods and custom content. Before you report bugs in-game, pull your Mods folder out and verify the issue persists in a clean state. Wait for your mod creators to confirm compatibility or push updated versions before re-enabling anything. There is also an official guide to mod maintenance and save backups if you want to be thorough.
If you missed the last round of Sims 4 fixes, the June 30 update added the ability to silence your Sim's phone and toggle festival notifications per pack, so make sure you are on that baseline before applying today's patch.
What comes next
The Mean Girls and Clueless crossover kit drops Thursday. Beyond that, the Sims Team has signaled another dedicated Quality of Life Update for September, so today's patch is unlikely to be the last one this season.
Source: Sims Community via Google News - The Sims