Honestly, if you logged into the game this week and noticed your Sims weren't hacking their lungs out every five minutes, you aren't imagining things. The Sims 4 update July 29 2025 basically saved our sanity.
Maxis finally dropped a tuning patch to address the "nuclear sickbomb" that was the Ailment system. Since the Enchanted by Nature expansion launched earlier in July, the community has been in a bit of a tailspin. Sims were catching magical and mundane illnesses at a rate that made the game nearly unplayable. We're talking about a 100% infection rate for some households. It was a mess.
What Actually Changed in the Sims 4 Update July 29 2025?
The big headline here is the 75% reduction in ailment frequency. Before this patch, the game's math was a bit aggressive. Contagions were tuned so high that a Sim would contract something new almost every single day. If you were playing a large household, it was a constant cycle of coughing, sneezing, and glowing purple.
Now, the math has been adjusted so Sims catch something every three days on average.
It's a massive relief.
The update also tackled "Balance." In the new expansion, if a Sim loses their emotional balance, they trigger an Ailment. Before the July 29th fix, seeing a Sim die or getting "Mortified" would instantly tank that balance. Now, you actually have time to react. Your Sim won't just keel over with a magical flu the second they see a ghost.
The Fairy Wing Mystery
There was a lot of confusion about why Fairy wings were disappearing. Players thought their games were broken. Maxis used this update to clarify that it's actually a "feature," not a bug. To prevent clipping—where the wings poke through solid objects—wings are intentionally hidden during certain animations.
If your Sim is:
- Riding a horse.
- Lying down in bed.
- Sitting on certain chairs.
The wings vanish. It looks a bit jarring, but apparently, it's better than seeing a wing flap through the back of a stallion.
The "Online Connection Required" Console Fix
Console players have had a rough summer. A huge chunk of the community on PlayStation and Xbox reported being locked out of the Gallery and Event Rewards. You'd open the menu and get hit with a "Connection Required" error even if your Wi-Fi was fine.
Basically, the User Agreement pop-up was failing to trigger. Without "agreeing" to the terms, the game wouldn't let you online. This patch forced that pop-up to behave, so if you've been stuck in "Library Only" mode, you should be good to go now.
Werewolves and Broken Whiteboards
Justice for the wolves! The update fixed a weird bug where werewolf nose colors were disappearing in Create-a-Sim. It sounds like a small thing, but for players who spend hours on their occult designs, it was a dealbreaker.
On the flip side, we're still seeing some issues with the "Whiteboard" from the Businesses & Hobbies pack. While this patch fixed a lot of core stability, some users are still reporting that the whiteboard vanishes or gives a "Script Call Failed" error. If that's happening to you, it's likely a mod conflict.
Moving Your Game Forward
If you're still seeing weird behavior after the Sims 4 update July 29 2025, there are a few things you need to do immediately.
First, clear your "localthumbcache.package" file. This is the golden rule of Sims patching. If you don't clear it, the game tries to run new code using old data, and that's where the "pregnant Sim" bugs and UI glitches usually come from.
Second, if you use the Naturopath career, check your calendar. The patch finally made the career respect holidays. Your Sim shouldn't be forced to go to work on Winterfest anymore.
Lastly, check your mods. This update changed how Ailments are coded, which means any "No Sick" mods or life-state overrides are probably broken. Update your XML Injector and check the SimsVIP or Scarlet's Realm lists for compatibility updates.
The game is finally stable enough to play long-term again without your whole neighborhood ending up in the hospital. Keep an eye on the "Nature's Calling" event tasks too, as those should now track properly even if you're traveling between lots.
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To get your game running smoothly post-patch, follow these steps:
- Delete the localthumbcache.package in your Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4 folder.
- Update the XML Injector to version 4.2 or higher if you use mods.
- Check the Gallery to ensure your Event Rewards are now showing up correctly.
- Verify your game files through the EA App or Steam if the "Script Call Failed" error persists on Build Mode items.