Maxis
The Sims 4 adds vitiligo skin via a free update
A new update for Maxis’ life simulator adds a detail that expands the possibilities and customization of players’ Sims.
One of the elements that developer Maxis, the studio behind The Sims 4, has sought with this release is to be able to give more detail to the wide range of possibilities of a human being and to expand the representation. On this occasion, a free update adds the Vitiligo skin to the game.
This update is coming to The Sims 4 today and will allow players to customize Sims of all ages with vitiligo skin, including different zones on the face, upper torso, lower torso, arms and legs. According to the game’s official blog, players will be able to apply these patterns through the Skin Details category and will be found just before the birthmarks that came with the base game’s Growing Together update. Several of these patterns will have more than one variant, and while there are certain details to consider, there will also be the ability to change them over time.
Important details about Vitiligo in The Sims 4
In the FAQ section, some aspects of this update are detailed, showing the basics of what this update brings to the game. The color of the patterns will depend on the color of your Sim’s skin, and of course, having Vitiligo will not affect your Sim’s gameplay in the same way that birthmarks did, but they will not be able to be combined with each other.
A well-researched update
One of the details to highlight in this type of update is the research done by the development team and artists. According to the blog post, they researched how depigmentation affects different skin types across “all ethnicities and skin types.” In total, 61 variations were developed across all ages, allowing these patterns to grow with each of The Sims’ stages.
These types of updates have helped The Sims 4 expand the ways in which one can feel represented in the game beyond tastes or traits, including aspects such as determining sexual orientation or even choosing our Sim’s pronouns. Hopefully, this will be incorporated into the next generation of The Sims, currently called Project Rene.