Updated at 12:40 GMT: The burglar update has since leaked on The Sims subreddit, with in-game screenshots showing a new alarm as well as Lot Challenges such as "Heist Havoc" in which "burglars visit more often".

Have you ever noticed that your house never gets robbed in The Sims 4? Nobody in a slapstick, stripey black-and-white jumper ever sneaks in through your backdoor with a domino mask and black bag, ready to stuff your TV into their pockets before they scurry away? That's because they haven't featured in the series since The Sims 3, and I hate to break it to you, but that was 16 years ago.

The Sims 4 was missing a lot at launch, most infamously toddlers and swimming pools, so it's hardly a surprise that a random encounter like burglars didn't make the cut. Jump ahead ten years and they're finally being brought to the game.

For the series' 25th anniversary, the official Sims account shared a new teaser. It's a short, nine-second video, set to the iconic burglar jingle as silhouettes of each design from across the first three games appear on-screen. Then a fourth pops up.

Here's Our First Look At The Sims 4 Burglar

That fourth silhouette is our first-ever look at burglars in The Sims 4. And while we can't make out any major details, they're still clearly wearing a bank robber beanie, so we can likely expect the black-and-white jumper to return. It's also holding the traditional, pantomime-esque pose, so it looks like a faithful recreation thus far.

How they'll work in-game, though, is another question. To answer that, it's worth considering why The Sims 4 never brought back burglars, to begin with.

Where Have Burglars Been?

As reported by Sims Community, a forum member called Tolkien claimed in 2017 that their friend, an employee at EA, told them that "somebody during design felt that, due to the nature of The Sims 4's focus on the 'home space lot', that a burglar invading said space could feel like a violation to players [...] and [possibly] trigger players who have experienced similar experiences."

If that mindset still holds true, home invasions might be toned down, or we could see a toggle to turn burglars off, accommodating those players. Or perhaps EA has changed its tune (if what Tolkien said was accurate) and they'll simply be added as a random encounter like in past games. After all, you can still die in a house fire or a tragic, ladderless pool accident.

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The Sims 4

Simulation Systems 4.0/5 10.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 70/100 Critics Rec: 26% Released September 2, 2014 ESRB T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence Developer(s) Maxis Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Engine Proprietary Engine
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