For the first time since its launch in 2014, The Sims 4 is bringing back one of the franchise’s most infamous mechanics—burglars. With the latest free update, players can now experience the thrill (or terror) of having their Sims’ homes broken into by a sneaky thief named Robin Banks.

Longtime Sims players will remember the days when a striped-sweater-clad burglar would creep into their homes, often accompanied by a distinctive crime theme song. Burglars were an iconic feature in The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3, but for some reason, they never made their way into The Sims 4—until now.

The new burglar, Robin Banks, will sneak through your Sims’ house, looking for valuable items to steal. However, your Sims don’t have to be helpless victims. There are multiple ways to fight back, including:

Calling the police to stop the robbery.
Confronting the burglar—a well-trained Sim might win in a fight!
Installing a burglar alarm, which can be upgraded to automatically call the police, break less often, or even zap the burglar on detection.

This update is completely free for all players, requiring no expansion packs. However, if you own certain DLCs, the burglary experience becomes even richer. Pets owners will find their dogs chasing off burglars, while other Sims will have unique reactions based on their traits and experiences. Notable Sims in the game have received up to 50 different responses, while players themselves can choose from 37 unique interactions in response to a break-in.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of this update? You can actually befriend Ms. Banks and even move her into your household. Who says crime doesn’t pay?

The burglary update is live now, adding a long-awaited element of unpredictability to The Sims 4. For players looking for even more ways to spice up their game, mods and custom content creators continue to push the limits of customization.

React to this article: