New Staircases and Family Trees in The Sims 4: Free Update Details

Today, a free base game update for The Sims 4 became available to all players. The update brings several important changes, including revamped staircases with railing customization, reworked family trees, and new relationship designations. Some of the new features were previously shown in the official teaser, and the developers also shared their Laundry List.

Key Update Changes

The main innovation of this update is the improvement of the staircase system. Now players have gained more control over their appearance, including railing customization, which makes building more flexible and precise. Now railings won't get stuck in walls!

The developers have also updated family trees. The interface has been refined, and new designations have been added to the system, allowing for clearer display of family connections and complex family relationships. These changes are especially important for players who actively play dynasties and pay attention to their Sims' family history.

A detailed breakdown of all the innovations, including visual examples and explanations, can be found in our separate article dedicated to this update.

For Mod Users

Like any major base game update, the patch may temporarily affect the functionality of custom mods. We highly recommend not playing with mods until the creators update them. For more details on what to do when updating the game to avoid breaking anything — read this article.

After the update's release, many mod creators have reported that there were extensive changes in the code related to family relationships. Now all custom relationships simply won't be recognized by the game. So mods from Lumpinou, SonozakiSisters, and anything that modifies family relationships are broken.

Meanwhile, Deaderpool has already released a new version of Command Center with a fix for the current update. If you've downloaded the new patch, make sure to update this mod.

Lot51 reported that all their mods are working properly and are compatible with the February 3rd patch.

Basemental also posted in their Discord that their mods don't require an update.

Patch Notes

The developers have published the official list of fixes and changes following the update's release. Let's take a look at what exactly they fixed.

Family Tree Updates!

As we mentioned earlier, family trees have been updated in the game. What do the developers themselves say about this?

«The Family Tree has been updated to expand how you experience and tell Sims’ family stories. Your Sims now have relationship labels for in-laws, half siblings, great grandparents, and more! Extended family members will also be shown in the family tree. Players can also choose whether adopted Sims are labeled as such in the Family Tree.»

New relationship labels include: Mother-in-Law, Father-in-Law, Sister-in-Law, Brother-in-Law, Daughter-in-Law, Son-in-Law, Distant Relative, Distant Relative-In-Law, Half-sister, Half-brother, Stepmother, Stepfather, Stepdaughter, Stepson, Great-grandmother, Great-grandfather, Great-grandson, Great-granddaughter, Parent’s Cousin, Cousin’s Child, Grandniece, Grandnephew, Grand-aunt, Grand-uncle, Ancestor, Descendant, and Relative-In-law. Divorced has a new name: Ex-Spouse, and Deceased Spouse has a new name: Late Spouse.

Close relatives are prohibited from being romantically involved. This prevents autonomous flirting between In-Laws or Step-relatives.

Flared Staircases!

And of course, we can't help but mention the staircases again.

«Get ready to create grand looking staircases! Now, you can widen the top or bottom of a staircase (symmetrically or asymmetrically) to give your builds a touch of elegance. Additionally, stair rails can now be applied to only one side of a staircase and we’ve added a slider to change the length of the rail.»

The last time we saw staircases like these was in The Sims 2, which was almost 17 years ago.

Now in the fourth installment, players have more ways to customize their builds and bring their most unusual ideas to life.

Create a Sim

Afro-Textured and Curly Hair Filters:

Now hairstyles can be found using the "Afro Hairstyle" and "Curls" filters, which significantly simplifies creating the perfect looks for your Sims.

Africana Style Filter:

A new style filter, Africana, has been added to the game. This style filter makes it easier to sort and find African-inspired items in Create a Sim and Build Mode.

New Jewel-toned Nails:

12 new luxurious jewel-toned and metallic almond-shaped Nails have been added to Create a Sim.

Lost Legacies Event

Embark on a whirlwind adventure in the Lost Legacies Event as your Sim is swept into a royal treasure hunt, sparked by the arrival of a mysterious royal emissary. Play now through March 16th!

• Uncover Lore: From exploring the artistic legacy of the Dambele family to unraveling the romantic secrets of the Bellacorde family and decoding the legendary tales of Princess Cordelia, explore the lost legacy of the three prestigious families from The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy Expansion Pack.
• Free Limited Time Rewards: Unlock a trove of treasures each week, from collectable skeleton keys that complete quests, a cursed ring with dangerous consequences, a vengeful aspiration, new lot trait, and more. Each reward is special and brings you closer to the noble families, has a unique aesthetic, or adds a new way to play.
• Active Quests: Your Sim will dive into lively debates, master new skills and chase clues across museums, nightclubs, libraries and hidden grottos.

New Kits for your Sim’s Realm

Along with the new expansion, two new kits will be added to the game, which we covered in detail in this article.

The Sims™ 4 Silver Screen Style Kit and The Sims™ 4 Tea Time Solarium Kit will be available for purchase individually February 12, 2026 and are included for free in the Royalty & Legacy Grand Bundle through March 15, 2026.

The developers have also announced two more new kits, one of which — "The Sims™ 4 Wonderland Playroom Kit" — is dedicated to decorating kids' rooms, and the second — "The Sims™ 4 Yard Charm Kit" — was created by creator Ravasheen for decorating outdoor spaces.

Available February 26, 2026.

Bug Fixes

Base Game / Multipack

Live Mode

— [EA Forums] Resolved an issue that caused photos to turn black, discovered after the January 13th Base Game update.

— [EA Forums] Fixed additional instances of an issue where entering and exiting Build Mode during Scenarios with goals would cause the UI to disappear or the game to become unresponsive.

— [EA Forums] Book covers for Baking, Wellness, Snowboarding, Rock Climbing, Herbalism and Photography books should no longer change when placed on retail displays. Fabrication and Mixology skill books no longer have the same book cover.

— [Bug Archive] Resolved an issue where Sims' Great Grandparents incorrectly had romantic interactions available to them with extended family members.

— [Bug Archive] Resolved an issue where Sims didn’t complete the “Dance With Someone” goal at Prom, preventing a Gold Event rating.

— [Bug Archive] Upgraded vacuums now work in the "Off the Grid" Lot type.

Build Mode

— [EA Forums] Resolved an issue that could prevent room type assignments in Build Mode.

— [EA Forums] Simple Slattered and MasterCraft staircases no longer have an extra board when placing L-shaped stairs.

Create a Sim

— [EA Forums] Fixed a UI issue in Create a Sim that was preventing elements from displaying in Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs, as well as the Like and Dislike buttons.

— [EA Forums] Editing Merfolks or Aliens in Create a Sim should no longer cause a game crash.

— [EA Forums] Resolved an issue causing nail asset (yfAcc_ManiNaturalShort_SolidDirt) to cause a metallic effect to the entire body.

— [Bug Archive] Resolved an issue causing nail assets (yfAcc_ManiGP12Forest and ymAcc_ManiGP12Forest) to show lines around the upper arm on Sims.