The Sims 4's High School Years update has added some deeply unfortunate bugs Rock Paper Shotgun Support us Join our newsletter Visit our store Sign in / Create account If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. The Sims 4's High School Years update has added some deeply unfortunate bugs Nightmarishly rapid ageing and a desire to commit incest being the worst ones News by Rebecca Jones Guides Writer Published on July 28, 2022 1 comment The Sims 4 High School Years is launching today, but its release looks set to be overshadowed by a couple of major bugs introduced by its supporting update, Patch 132. The patch came out on Tuesday and, if you've played The Sims 4 since then, you'll have automatically downloaded it unless you've been playing offline. While the patch's release coincides with the High School Years expansion and supports a number of its features, it also added several new elements to the ever-evolving base game. These include long-time fan requests like sexual orientation customisation, body hair options, and the return of a wants and fears system in the style of The Sims 2. Watch on YouTube Unfortunately, as is often the case, some bugs reared their ugly heads not long after the patch was released; and on this occasion, the problems they cause are hard to ignore. For one thing, it seems The Sims 4's infamous "incest glitch" is back once again, almost as quickly as it was last patched out, with the new wants mechanic causing teenagers to develop a desire to date their favourite siblings. It's not a good look, although mercifully so far it seems like toddlers and children are at least being left out of the unpleasantness on this occasion. One thing younger Sims aren't immune to, however, is the rapid ageing bug which seems to have affected all save files using "short" or "long" lifespans, which are available as part of The Sims 4's gameplay modification options. Instead of their age counter ticking up once per in-game day, Sims in these saves are ageing much faster, and the unnerving result is a cradle-to-grave cycle that can last just a few real-world minutes. Luckily, there's a work-around for the ageing bug, although it's not an especially brilliant one. Players whose games are affected are recommended to hold off playing anything other than a default ("normal") lifespan save until the issue - which is already actively under investigation by the dev team - is resolved. This apparently means starting a brand new save if you don't have one handy, since it seems adjusting the affected saves' lifespan settings or even turning ageing off altogether isn't necessarily halting the problem once it begins. Hey Simmers! We are currently investigating instances involving Sims auto-aging up in saves using the Short or Long lifespan. We recommend temporarily playing in or creating new saves with the default/"normal" lifespan, as we work towards a solution.- The Sims (@TheSims) July 27, 2022 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings This isn't the first bit of Sims DLC released in recent months to be plagued by glitches early on. However, an overwhelming urge to mack on your sister is definitely more problematic than, *ahem*, rubbing your ear on your new spouse's face during the wedding reception. The Sims 4 High School Years will release later today (July 28th) for £35/$40/€40. It brings with it a franchise-first in the form of on-screen high school activities; along with other new and returning features including amusement parks, fashion preferences and thrifting, and an overhaul of in-game social media to better reflect the tastes of Generation Z. If you buy the pack before September 8th you'll also get access to the exclusive three-item Vibing Streamer Gear digital add-on… although, given what's going on, you might want to hold off playing altogether until the next patch comes through. More News Jack King-Spooner's next handcrafted game has a teaser demo out Judero brings chat and action in the Scottish Borders Alice O'Connor 17 hours ago 1 If you were hoping for any Overwatch 2 balance changes then you'll have to wait until season two The next season begins in December CJ Wheeler 18 hours ago 3 The Dead Space remake will chuck random Necromorphs at you as you wander the Ishimura In space, no one can hear you proper bricking it CJ Wheeler 18 hours ago 8 Valve register mysterious new Neon Prime trademark in the US It doesn’t seem to be for a particularly colourful Steam Deck CJ Wheeler 20 hours ago 11 Latest Articles What are we all playing this weekend? Well? Alice O'Connor an hour ago 21 Past Wordle answers Here's an archive of previous Wordle words Ollie Toms 2 hours ago 1 Wordle answer today (Saturday 15 October) Hints and the answer to today's Wordle word Rebecca Jones 9 hours ago Overwatch 2 hero tier list Which are the best heroes in Overwatch 2? Ollie Toms 16 hours ago Supporters Only You're probably better than me at One Many Nobody You go on without… uh, you? Sin Vega 17 hours ago Supporter podcast - The Nate Files episode 13: dry bones Bad science is also FUN science! Alice Bell 18 hours ago Japanese dating show Love Wagon has surprising parallels with Yakuza and Persona My new obsession Ed Thorn 2 days ago If you're hankering after Bayonetta 3, Valkyrie Elysium might be a good substitute It's not out on PC until next month, but the console demo has been a surprise charmer Katharine Castle 1 week ago 4 We've been talking, and we think that you should wear clothes Total coincidence, but we sell some clothes Buy RPS stuff here