Skin Details in The Sims 4
Skin details are an important area of focus for the dev team as we remain committed to expanding representation in The Sims 4. Birthmarks, stretch marks, scars, and freckles have empowered our players to tell diverse and authentic stories, and today's update continues with these efforts. We have known for a while we wanted to add Vitiligo to the game, and we spent a lot of time learning about it and considering how to authentically provide it to players.
Bringing Vitiligo In-Game
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. Our Concept Artist and Art Director collaborated to design a diverse set of patterns across faces, torso sections, and limbs. 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. Since vitiligo affects people of all ethnicities and skin types, our Senior Character Artist intentionally created the first assets to work with a Sim's skin tone. As you cycle through the shades and change from warm to neutral to cool, the color of your Sim’s Vitiligo will adjust to change with it.
Vitiligo can begin to appear early in infancy and as you age your patches can expand and change, so we knew we wanted to provide this feature to all ages, from infants to elder Sims. The patterns of patches could warp in shape if they were simply converted for each frame of Sim, so our Character Artist who expanded the selection ensured that they stayed consistent across bodies. In all, our artists developed 61 Vitiligo variants across all ages for this first release. Our team of developers, dedicated to The Sims 4 Base Game, is beyond grateful for the talent and time provided to us by the artists and their dedication to the quality of every asset they create.
How It Works
After you download today’s update, you’ll find the new Vitiligo assets in Create-A-Sim. Go to the Skin Details category for either the Face or Body. The new assets will show up right before the Birthmarks that were delivered with the Growing Together Base Game update. You can choose patches for your Sim’s face, upper torso, lower torso, arms, and legs. Several Vitiligo patterns will have more than one variant - you can choose whether you want to start with a less prominent part of the pattern at first or start with the full pattern. All ages will have access to the same pieces, so your choices can stay the same as they age or you can change them over time.
Winnie Harlow Partnership
The Sims 4 team is partnering with supermodel and beauty entrepreneur Winnie Harlow to introduce this new update. Winnie, who was an avid The Sims player during her youth, is excited to share styling and interior design inspiration with players through an original content piece that showcases a Simified version of the fashion model’s Hollywood home. She gives a room-by-room tour of her dream home and talks about what this level of in-game representation with the Vitiligo feature means to her. Simmers can download her home from the gallery as well as play with the Winnie-inspired Sim.
“It’s magical to see The Sims 4 team introduce this new Vitiligo feature,” Winnie said. “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.”
F.A.Q.
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.