Back at this year’s Gamescom conference, EA and developer Maxis previewed a title that The Sims fans have been waiting years for. The Sims 4 was previewed in-depth, complete with a partially live-action reveal trailer for the game.

Now, with the latest expansion of The Sims 3 out today, EA and Maxis themselves are looking into the future of The Sims franchise. The publisher today announced that The Sims 4 will be launching in approximately one year, sometime in “autumn 2014.” EA is already taking pre-orders for the game, including a limited edition version that comes with “Life of the Party” in-game content.

“The Sims franchise has the best fans in the world and their passion and enthusiasm is at an all-time high,” said Rachel Franklin, general manager of Maxis’ Sims Studio. “Those millions of voices will fuel our development process, helping The Sims 4 to be the most ambitious and the best game our studio has ever made. We can’t wait to see our fans reaction when The Sims 4 comes out in autumn 2014.”

The Sims 4 will include much of the same gameplay that has gained the series a sizable fan base, but also has a few updates that should change things significantly. The sims featured in next year’s game will have emotions that players will be able to manipulate through circumstances. Maxis has also described its new sims as “intelligent, emotionally aware beings.” Customization options have also been expanded, including the ability to edit the facial structure of individual sims.