The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy release countdown: Exact start time and date

The first expansion pack of 2026 is nearly here, bringing with it the regal new world of Ondarion and plenty to explore in The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy. There’s nothing else like this in The Sims 4 yet, so you may be curious to know how soon you can start playing.

As a massive The Sims Medieval fan, this is one of the packs I’ve been most excited for. We don’t have any royal or medieval-style gameplay yet, so this one is sure to implement some truly game-changing new features. If you’re as eager as I am to start playing, here’s the exact time and date when The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy will be released.

The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy release date and time

Screenshot by Destructoid

The Royalty & Legacy expansion pack for The Sims 4 is confirmed to launch on Feb. 12. We don’t usually get an official release time announcement, but luckily, all expansion packs have launched on a reliable release schedule, so we can expect this one to as well. The pack should go live at 12pm CT, since this is when Adventure Awaits, Enchanted by Nature, and all other recent packs were released.

Our countdown is set to precisely 12pm CT on launch day, so you can check back here leading up to release if you’re curious how much longer you have to wait. We’ve also translated this time across major time zones, so you know when the pack will be live in your area.

• PT: 10am on Feb. 12
• CT: 12pm on Feb. 12
• ET: 1pm on Feb. 12
• BST: 6pm on Feb. 12
• CEST: 7pm on Feb. 12
• JST: 3am on Feb. 12
• AEST: 4am on Feb. 12

The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy expansion pack features

Screenshot by Destructoid

The Royalty & Legacy expansion pack for The Sims 4 mostly focuses on adding new regal features that can be used to help your Sims leave their mark on the world, securing a long-lasting legacy. There are plenty of other additions, too, though, so here’s a full breakdown of everything it entails.

• New world – A new world named Ondarion is included in this pack. This world has three neighborhoods, including:
  • Dambele, a neighborhood where the arts and community are beloved. Here, you’ll find lots where you can spend time with and meet other Sims, like the palace gardens and communal market.
  • Verdemar, a neighborhood near the sea, where you’ll find cunning nobles and sneaky outlaws.
  • Bellacorde, a fancy and formal neighborhood where romance and regality thrive.
• New lot type – The Backroom lot is sort of a two-in-one lot location that transforms between day and night. In the day, it might be a Museum, Library, or Gym, but at night, it becomes a Nightclub.
• Powershifts – A gameplay feature called Powershifts adds all kinds of mystical mayhem waiting to be found throughout Ondarion. This includes features like the Sword In Stone you can try to pull, a Noble Frog you can attempt to woo, magical Crystal Slippers you can wear, and an intriguing Enchanted Mirror you can learn secret truths from.
• New skill – Swordsmanship is a new 10-level skill you can work on to hone your sword-wielding abilities and use them to duel for love, promotions, Simoleons, and more. There are also Swordsmanship Tournaments you can participate in, which are goaled events that you can tackle around the world.
• New career – Rise through the ranks until you become the Kingdom Leader in the new Noble Career pathway. This multi-levelled career comes with lots of choices and events, like hosting grand events, gaining Favor, choosing how to handle community concerns, and completing daily Royal Duties.

Screenshot by Destructoid

• Secret Passageways – You can now place and use Secret Passageways to travel between connected points on your lot or around the world. Secret Passageways are also a new Woohoo location and feature a Cuckoo Clock that Sims can mess with to potentially eliminate other Sims with the new death type, which is Death by Cuckoo Malfunction.
• Dynasty System – This new gameplay system allows you to shape your house’s identity by defining key values, assigning heirs, and creating lore for future generations to learn about. There are lots of new interactions to go with this system, including Designate Heir, Designate Outcast, Usurp Family Headship, and Expel a Sim from a Dynasty.
• Scandals System – Rumors are dangerous and can now spread, causing absolute mayhem thanks to the new Scandals System. Sometimes, the Scandals may be small, like vandalizing a monument, while others may be massive and completely shake everything up, like illegitimate heirs or forbidden romance woes. Scandals impact everything, and the bigger they are, the more impact you’ll see.

There’s plenty to uncover in this pack, and if you’re contemplating adding it to your collection, you may want to review all pre-order bonuses for The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy to see if they’re worth grabbing. And while you wait for the pack to be released, there’s plenty to keep you busy, like completing the Tangible Traces quest, becoming a Fairy, and catching all Gibbi Point Butterflies and Moths.