“Gay propaganda” law keeps Sims 4 wedding expansion out of Russia

Enlarge / Artist's rendition of EA saying goodbye to Russia for this expansion pack. (credit: EA)

The "My Wedding Stories" expansion pack for The Sims 4 won't be released in Russia, publisher Electronic Arts said. That's due to a "gay-propaganda" law in the country that would have meant the pack's "storytelling would be subject to changes because of federal laws."

The pack, set to launch elsewhere on February 17, features a storyline taking players through a romantic relationship between Dominique and Camille, "a couple whose love knows no boundaries," as EA puts it (and as can be seen in the official trailer for the pack). In an announcement posted Wednesday, The Sims development team writes that "as we moved through our development and brand storytelling process, we became aware that the way we wanted to tell Cam and Dom's story would not be something we could freely share around the world."

That's an oblique reference to Russia's Article 6.13.1 law, which was passed in 2013 to prohibit "propaganda or homosexualism among minors." The law has previously been used in attempts to quiet youth protesters in the country and even to target Russians using the "same-sex kiss" emoji.

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