What is known about The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy Expansion Pack

After the release of the official trailer for "The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy", the developers shared information about the upcoming expansion. Check out the detailed trailer overview, which we already made in this article.

In this article, we'll discuss the new world, interesting mechanics, royal scheming, and much more.

The expansion release is scheduled for February 12, 2026 on platforms supporting computers and consoles. Along with two kits and digital content, which we wrote about in detail in this article!

Information from the official EA blog:

Behold Ondarion: a splendid coastal kingdom (aka world) where legacies are forged, scandals brew, and fables come to life. 

In this chapter of its storied history, Ondarion will crown a new King or Queen, as familial dynasties vie for the throne. 

The question you and your Sim now have to ask: what role will we play in this story?

In The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy Expansion Pack, Sims can craft multigenerational lore through the new Dynasty and Nobility systems, uncover and ignite shadowy Scandals, encounter enchanted Powershifts, and explore a world of intrigue, prestige, and scandal.

So, are you ready to write your own Sims’ legend?

A world of opportunities

The new expansion to The Sims 4 awaits us with picturesque Ondarion — a region divided into three unique neighborhoods. Each of them is under the rule of influential dynasties (we'll tell you more about them later — after the release of the "Meet the Sims" article on January 27, 2026 in the EA blog). Each neighborhood has its own atmosphere: here are echoes of antiquity, distinctive culture, and, of course, its own spicy secrets.

Let's peek into every corner of Ondarion:

• Dambele — paradise for connoisseurs of beauty. Art is everywhere here: from lush palace gardens to the bustling market square. The neighborhood breathes the spirit of unity and generosity — you can feel that locals value communication and beauty around them.
• Verdemar — a place where the spirit of adventure reigns. Both cunning aristocrats and legendary lawbreakers have settled here. The neighborhood's character seems to echo the mood of the stormy sea washing its shores: you never know what will happen the next moment.
• Bellacorde — an oasis of romance and prosperity. The perfect place for those who dream of dates by candlelight and an atmosphere of serene abundance.

And also in Ondarion, an unusual type of lot will appear — The Backroom Lot! These are lots with a double face: during the day they can be anything — from a quiet library to an energetic gym or educational museum. But when darkness falls, the space transforms into an exciting nightclub. You can try out such an establishment first in Dambele — it's time to explore the secret facets of nightlife!

Source: ea.com

Ondarion opens truly royal opportunities for your sims. Let's break down what's happening here and what there is to do.

Palace life and the struggle for power

Your sims can:

- settle in luxurious palaces;

- throw balls that will be remembered for a long time.

And also — attention! — the throne of Ondarion is still vacant. This means that a fairy-tale change of power could very well happen in the kingdom. Want to write your sim into history? It's time to start a royal saga. Another reason to make a beautiful family tree on our website!

Ondarion is full of wonders — here are just a few ideas for your stories:

• try to pull the legendary sword from the stone — what if your sim is worthy of the hero title?
• find your love while spinning in a dance at the ball (this will look especially spectacular in shimmering crystal slippers);
• try to charm an unusual person — for example, an aristocratic frog;
• ask the magic mirror a question — perhaps it will lift the veil of others' secrets.

Swordsmanship: a new 10-level skill

Want your sim to become a master of the blade? Time to master a new skill — Swordsmanship. It includes 10 levels, and with its help you can fight for the most diverse things: the heart of a beloved, a solid supply of simoleons, a promotion, or an honorary title. Tournaments take place in gazebos in each of the neighborhoods. Come, challenge your opponents and prove your superiority in duels — all for the sake of completing event goals.

Secret passages: shortcuts with a twist

Secret passages have become the true kings of shortcuts in the kingdom. With their help, sims can teleport through connected passages both on their own lot and on any others they've found or placed. Imagine: you can set up a secret passage to the most unexpected corner — a corridor, a hidden courtyard, a secret admirer's office, or even the house of rivals.

But stay alert! If your sim decides to break the cuckoo clock — and it's precisely these that serve as doors to secret passages — this could lead to an unexpected outcome. For example, to a tragic Death by Cuckoo Malfunction.

Source: ea.com

The price of power: the aristocrat's path in Ondarion

Imagine: your sims dive into the dizzying world of palace intrigue, brilliant receptions, and tense struggle for power. The Noble Career opens the door to this captivating labyrinth for them — from a timid newcomer at court to a rightful ruler of the kingdom. And yes, thanks to the support of other packs, your sims will be able to ascend to the throne of various kingdoms!

How do you achieve high noble rank? It's simple — and simultaneously incredibly difficult. You just need to:

- gain authority among courtiers;

- build powerful alliances;

- skillfully pull off schemes;

- arrange strategic marriages.

Good news: aristocrat status extends not only to your sim — spouses and children will also receive the desired position in society. But remember, power is a rare prize. Each kingdom can have only one ruler, so competition is inevitable.

What paths are open to your sim? They can:

- issue important decrees, changing the rules of the game;

- deliver inspiring speeches, winning hearts;

- make generous donations, strengthening reputation;

- build authority among other aristocrats.

By the way, authority is a new two-way resource. It grows when your decisions are approved by both commoners and nobility. But stay alert: the higher the title, the more envious people there are. Rival aristocrats don't sleep — they're ready to tarnish your name, undermine your reputation, and throw down challenges. How to react? It's up to you to decide. You can push a rival toward abdication, challenge them to a blade duel (the new meta for solving all problems in sims), or behave diplomatically, not giving in to chaos.

Power doesn't obey a strict schedule — it's a series of daily concerns and decisions. Your sim can become a magnanimous ruler, a charismatic regular at balls, or a cunning schemer obsessed with rumors. But in any role, it's important not to forget: power is an extremely unreliable thing.

One careless step can destroy everything. Flirting in the wrong place, a harsh insult, an overly fierce duel, or a sudden change of power — and now your brilliant career hangs by a thread. Are your sims ready to accept this challenge?

Source: ea.com

Great and unusual dynasties: building the family's fate in Ondarion

Ondarion is a stage where dynasty dramas unfold: some ascend to glory, others collapse in a moment. Here your sim can either join an already existing powerful family, or lay the foundations of their own dynasty — the system supports combinations with other packs!

What can the head of a family do? Fully shape their house's destiny:

• determine the dynasty's key values — from noble ideals to questionable principles;
• appoint heirs, laying the foundation for the future;
• create a legacy that descendants will either proudly preserve or shamefully hide.

Any sim can become head of their own family. And also — harshly manage its composition: banish the unwanted, strip status, or declare someone an outcast so they don't undermine the family's prestige.

New gameplay mechanics:

"Designate Heir" — decide who will continue the family's legacy;

"Designate Outcast" — publicly disown a sim from the dynasty;

"Usurp Family Headship" — seize power in the family;

"Expel a Sim from a Dynasty" — permanently banish a family member.

Each victory, each scandal and misstep doesn't go unnoticed: they are inscribed in the genealogy, changing the face of the legacy. This is how a dynasty lives, develops and transforms — from generation to generation, from decision to decision.

  Source: ea.com

Scandals: the spark from which flames ignite

In Ondarion, words are a weapon sharper than a blade. One careless statement, one rumor — and now it's not just reputation at stake, but an entire dynasty. The new Scandal System (compatible with other packs!) turns any shadow of suspicion into an event capable of shaking up the entire kingdom.

Sources of rumors are diverse: sometimes a minor incident is enough — let's say, an awkward episode near a monument — to launch a chain reaction of discussions. But a truly large-scale scandal arises when weighty reasons come into play: forbidden love, hidden descendants, or forging documents about ancestors can instantly turn quiet gossip into loud public discussion.

The larger the scandal, the more powerful its wave: it affects not only the culprit, but everyone nearby.

How to get out of the situation? The choice is yours!

Publicly repent — risk your pride, but save face.

Reject accusations — refute rumors on social media, proving your innocence.

Turn the scandal into business — write a tell-all book and make good money from it.

And if you want drama?

Then scandal is your best tool! Use it to:

• blackmail rivals, keeping them on the hook;
• destroy others' alliances, driving a wedge between allies;
• climb up the social ladder, clearing the path with others' mistakes.

Sometimes non-playable characters go toward conflict themselves. They can suddenly repent, beg for forgiveness, or try to hush things up — all this opens new opportunities for manipulation and plot twists. In Ondarion, scandal is not the end, but the beginning of a big game.

Source: ea.com

Collaboration with the community

What the developers write about creating the expansion's world:

«To bring the world to life, the team began close, collaborative concepting over a year ago with the * Pan African Gaming Group (PAGG)* and a group of Simmers with direct ties to West African countries and lived experiences across the Black diaspora in the UK and North America. This collaboration helped ensure that cultural inspirations were thoughtful, authentic, and deeply rooted. 

Their guidance helped shape Create a Sim, Build/Buy, the world’s lore, and the Dambele neighborhood itself. These groups also contributed to last year’s West African update, which introduced new, free Create a Sim and Build/Buy items.

Simmers were involved directly in the development of the pack too! We were thrilled to bring on talented builders Plumbob Kingdom, Eva Rotky, EmeraldStories, and Studio Gabri to create lots throughout the world, and IceMunMun and Littlbowbub to create mouthwatering dishes.

You can learn more about how The Sims work with players and PAGG in upcoming articles on January 19 and 20, 2026, in The Sims Newsroom.»

At this moment, this is all the information about the new expansion. But the story is only beginning — we're waiting for new articles and official announcements to get the complete picture of "The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy" world.