"The Sims" Fans Are Clapping Back at Haters Criticizing New, Inclusive Characters

Many people who play "The Sims" know it as the "ultimate life simulation game" — the company even describes itself that way. But thanks to the newest additions to the video game, the franchise can truly live up to the title.

In its newest upgrade on Jan. 31, users can now add hearing aids, glucose monitors, top-surgery scars (for people who have removed breast or chest tissue), and binders (for people who want to compress or flatten their breasts in an effort to conceal them) to the appearance of their Sims character.

This announcement came shortly after Sims made it possible for people to choose their Sims character's sexual orientation and pronouns last year.

Though the video game states that its newest upgrades are "purely visual and don't add new gameplay functionality," for many fans of the brand, this inclusive upgrade has made them feel more seen than ever. One user tweeted that this is the "best update yet." Another said, "omg I can put my boyfriend's glucose monitor on him in 'The Sims' now."

Despite some pushback from people on social media sharing transphobic opinions and criticism, this news is a huge milestone for the LGBTQ+ community, those who are hard of hearing, people who are diabetic, and more. Many users are even using their voices to clap back at the hate they see online.

In response to the negative comments, one Twitter user wrote, "It continues to baffle me how people can get upset over surgery scars and binders being 'inappropriate' in 'The Sims,' a game where you can literally have sex and kill people."

They're not wrong. As we know by now, creating a more inclusive and LGBTQ+-friendly environment — whether that be at school, in the workplace, or even while playing a video game — can help people immensely as they navigate their identities.

If you'd like to check out these new additions, they're easy to access. To add a hearing aid to your Sims character, you can find it in the "Accessories" option. "The Sims"'s website notes you can assign them to your right ear, left ear, or both ears. For glucose monitors, you can find this in the "Body" category and add the monitor to your right arm, left arm, lower abdomen on the right side, or lower abdomen on the left side.

For a top-surgery scar, you can do this in the "Body" category, regardless of if you've selected a masculine or feminine frame. And for a binder, you can add this to your character in the "Tops" category under tank options.

Though this addition is a step in the right direction, many fans of the video game want to continue to see improvements to "The Sims" characters — specifically with wheelchair accessibility. But for now, as the viral TikTok sound goes, "a win is a win."