Your Sim’s throne era has entered the chat. 👑

EA and Maxis have officially revealed The Sims 4: Royalty & Legacy, a new Expansion Pack built around dynasties, court politics, scandals, and storybook chaos. If you missed the reveal, start here: Official Reveal Trailer.

This is your royal roundup: what’s confirmed, what the trailer showed, and what we’re still waiting to learn.

Release date, bundle window, and what you get

Launch date: February 12, 2026.
Grand Bundle window: January 15 to March 15, 2026 (limited-time).
Price shown: $39.99 USD for the Grand Bundle.

The big headline: at reveal, EA is pushing a Grand Bundle that includes the expansion plus bonus content and two kits.

three regions, one empty throne

Royalty & Legacy introduces the Ondarion world, a coastal kingdom where multiple families are vying for an empty throne. The official features summary confirms three distinct neighborhoods.

Here’s what we know so far:

• Dambele: warm, community-forward, artsy, open spaces and markets.
• Verdemar: coastal, unpredictable, outlaws and cunning nobles energy.
• Bellacorde: opulence, romance, candlelit corners, and “meet me in the hallway” scandal vibes.

🎭 The dynasty system

Royalty & Legacy adds a dynasty system that turns family gameplay into something with actual weight. It’s not just “raise kids,” it’s “manage power.”

Confirmed dynasty-style options include:

• Designating an Heir

• Naming Outcasts (exile, but make it personal)

• Family power interactions that push long-term storytelling forward

Translation: your legacy save finally gets plot twists that feel earned, not accidental.

Creating with Community (PAGG + West African inspiration)

One thing I really love about this reveal is how Ondarion got built. The Sims team shared that they collaborated with the Pan African Gaming Group (PAGG) and Simmers with direct ties to West African countries and lived experiences across the Black diaspora while concepting the world, so the cultural inspiration would feel thoughtful, authentic, and actually rooted.

That guidance helped shape Create a Sim, Build/Buy, the world’s lore, and Dambele specifically, and honestly? Finally seeing a clearly Afro-inspired neighborhood with West African influence is such a win for representation in The Sims universe. It also feels like a natural continuation of the free West African-inspired base game update they worked on with PAGG and community creators.

And it wasn’t just consultation. The Sims team also brought in community talent to bring this royal vision to life, including EbonixSims, SpringSims, Nardvillian, Creativelyanzy, and Oshinsims.

To build and flavor the world, The Sims team brought in builders including Plumbob Kingdom, Eva Rotky, EmeraldStories, and Studio Gabri, plus food creators IceMunMun and Littlbowbub for new dishes, per the same official “Creating With Community” notes.

Psst… now that we’ve got Dambele, I’m just saying: we need a full African world someday. Let’s get PAGG and more Simmers back in the studio again and expand the map. The Sims team also teased that more details on this collaboration are coming in The Sims Newsroom on January 19 and January 20, 2026 (again, mentioned in that same official intro recap), and I’ll be watching like a hawk. 💗🌿

👑 Nobility career, ranks, and court Favor

The pack introduces a Nobility career where your rise depends on court influence, duties, and political choices, not a typical clock-in shift.

One of the juiciest mechanics teased so far is Favor, framed like a balancing act between pleasing the people vs pleasing the nobility. And yes, the endgame is the title everyone wants: Monarch. Only one crown per kingdom, so make allies, make enemies, or do both and call it efficient.

🤫 The scandal system

If your Sim is climbing, the scandal system is waiting with a clipboard and receipts. Scandals can damage relationships, sink prestige, and throw your whole court trajectory off the balcony.

What it looks like in practice:

• rumors escalate into real consequences

• reputation hits can ripple through your dynasty

• rivals can weaponize gossip to take you down

Basically: rule carefully, or get humbled in public.

📖  Powershifts: fairy-tale opportunities

Royalty & Legacy also sprinkles in storybook chaos with Powershifts, which feel like legendary encounters and magical twists you can weave into your dynasty story. Think fairy tale moments that can boost your Sim, expose secrets, or just cause beautifully dramatic problems.

🤺 Swordsmanship and duels

Confirmed: Swordsmanship as a skill, plus dueling and tournament-style gameplay.

If your Sim is a lover, they duel for honor.
If your Sim is a menace, they duel because the vibes were off.

🚪 Secret passageways (plus a brand new death)

Secret passageways are in, and they’re not just decorative. They’re built for sneaking, secret meetings, and dramatic exits, and early coverage also points to a new cuckoo-clock-related death tied to this system. If you want the details that were teased so far, the clearest rundown is in the Royalty & Legacy feature list

😈 New lot type: Backroom

One of the most useful “even outside the pack” features might be the Backroom lot type, a venue that can shift vibes depending on time of day.

Respectable in public. Unhinged after dark. Very Ondarion.

What the reveal trailer made VERY obvious

If you watch the reveal trailer with detective goggles on, it’s clearly selling these story lanes:

• Grand balls: formal dancing, networking, romance opportunities

• Coronation moments: the crown feels like an event, not a menu click

• Forbidden romance: getting caught looks inevitable

• Rivalries + duels: settling beefs the dramatic way

• Secret passage energy: sneaking, rendezvous, and “this stays between us” gameplay

It’s giving period drama, but with Sims chaos baked in. As it should.

Grand Bundle extras (what’s included)

EA’s Grand Bundle listing confirms the limited-time bundle includes the expansion plus bonus content and two kits.

What’s included (as listed so far):

• Regal Treasures Digital Content

• Silver Screen Style Kit

• Tea Time Solarium Kit

If you want a quick kit-focused breakdown (especially for CAS/build lovers), SimsVIP’s kit post has a clean summary.

One thing still not clearly answered: whether those kits will be sold separately later.

If you’re buying any Sims 4 content or the Royalty & Legacy EP during the promo window, use my EA Creator Code:

SARAHSIMMERXO for 5% off
Valid: January 15, 2026 through February 17, 2026

Royalty & Legacy FAQ

When is The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy release date?
February 12, 2026, per the official EA Grand Bundle listing.

What is the Ondarion world?
A new coastal kingdom world with three regions: Dambele, Verdemar, and Bellacorde.

Can my Sim actually become a king or queen?
Yes. The pack’s rise-to-power loop centers on court rank and becoming Monarch.

What is the dynasty system?
A legacy-focused system for prestige and family power decisions (heirs, outcasts, generational consequences).

What is the scandal system?
A reputation and consequence layer that can impact relationships and status while you climb the ranks.