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A new and free update for The Sims 4, EA’s uber-popular life sim, has added cosmetic options to the game that let you give your Sims vitiligo skin patches and patterns. To help celebrate this awesome addition, EA has brought in the world-famous model Winnie Harlow.
Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder that often causes some areas of a person’s skin to lose pigmentation. This leads to the recognizable, lighter skin patches and blotches often seen on folks with vitiligo. The patches can appear anywhere on the body, including the face and hands. While in the past people with this condition were shunned or treated poorly, more recently attitudes have thankfully changed, so folks with vitiligo are more likely to find acceptance. And a new Sims 4 update should help even more people learn about the condition and allow those with it to better represent themselves in the game.
In a blog post on February 13, EA announced that its latest update for The Sims 4—which is live now—has added a suite of vitiligo skin options. Impressively, the devs and artists have added a ton of possible options that players can choose from for different parts of their digital character’s body, letting them potentially match (or at least get pretty close to) their own skin patterns.
“When it came to Vitiligo in The Sims, we knew we wanted to start with providing a range of patterns showing different levels of coverage and symmetry,” EA explained in its blog post. “In our research, we found that depigmentation may have clear edges and some edges may be darker and irregular. Affected skin can be absolutely white, or can be pink or varying shades lighter than the surrounding skin.”
EA also made sure that, because vitiligo affects people of all ethnicities and skin types, its patterns and options would work with every skin tone available in The Sims 4. The end result is that more people will be able to more accurately see themselves represented in one of the most popular games in the world, which is awesome.
To help celebrate the launch of this update and its new skin options, EA partnered with Winnie Harlow, a model who has vitiligo. She’s an avid Sims player, too.
“It’s magical to see The Sims 4 team introduce this new Vitiligo feature,” said Harlow. “As a child, I spent a lot of time playing The Sims and I think it’s so beautiful to be able to represent your true self in-game. This partnership is a powerful statement encouraging players to embrace what makes them unique – both in-game and in real life.”
Here’s an FAQ from EA with even more information about this new update and how its skins options work in-game:
Can I choose the color of my Sim’s Vitiligo?
Not quite. Although all patterns contrast greatly with your Sim’s skin, the exact color of the Vitiligo patches depends on the hue and tone of the skin color you choose. If you change a warm skin tone to a cool one, the color of the Vitiligo reflects this.
Can I change my Sim’s Vitiligo pattern? Or, can I add or remove it later?
Yes, you can change, add, or remove any of the Vitiligo patterns by returning to Create-A-Sim and doing so in the Skin Details section.
Can the shape of the Sim’s pattern change based on their body?
Yes. Skin Details will adjust some depending on where you stretch or move their skin or body parts. If you widen a Sim’s nose, and they have a patch of Vitiligo across it, the patch will change with it.
Will Vitiligo affect my Sim during gameplay?
No. Like the Birthmarks feature, Vitiligo patterns will not have any effects on gameplay.
Can Vitiligo layer with other Skin Details?
Vitiligo can layer with all Face and Body details except Birthmarks. You can also use Tattoos and Body Hair with them.
Why can’t Vitiligo layer with Birthmarks?
Vitiligo uses the same tech as Birthmarks, so they will act the same way. You can’t layer multiple Birthmarks, and they don’t automatically transition between frames (younger to older, feminine to masculine). Teens will keep the same Skin Details for the rest of their lives though, as long as they use the same frame.
Will Vitiligo affect my Sim’s Body Hair color?
No. We hope to address the ability of Vitiligo to affect hair color in the future, but at this time, vitiligo will only apply to skin.
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