Sims 4 Developers Respond to Snowy Escape Criticism

A Problematic History

Not long after the initial unveiling of Sims 4’s newest expansion pack, Snowy Escape, Korean players quickly pointed out some insensitive elements of the pack’s imagery.

The element in question was a footage of Sim bowing to a shrine at the foot of Mt. Komorebi. Coupled with the symbol of Japan’s rising sun, this footage deeply offended many Korean players, who associate the action and symbol with Japanese imperialism.

This painful time in history, when Japan committed violent atrocities against both Korean and Chinese people during World War II, remains a wound in international relations. Koreans in particular find the rising sun symbolism as offensive as the swastika; the Japanese flew this flag while they ruled Korea with an iron fist from 1910 to 1945. During this time, the Japanese military forced Koreans to worship at their shines under brutal penalty.

Sims 4 Devs: We Aim to be Inclusive

Developers responded quickly, removing the offensive imagery from the Snowy Escape trailer and promising to remove the rising sun imagery from the expansion pack.

This is a step in the right direction as Sims 4 solidifies its commitment to cultural representation, and we can only hope that this continues in the near future.