The next Sims game currently goes under the name Project Rene rather than The Sims 5, but that aside, we know a growing amount about EA Maxis’ next social simulation. During today’s latest Behind The Sims community update, they shared more, including the news that the next entry in the series would be free-to-play and without energy mechanics or a subscription.
I think this could be a good thing, like Crusader Kings 2 going free to play.
Also… there are certain tools out there that download the DLC and keep it updated for you… those probably aren’t going away. My wife hasn’t paid for Sims 4 DLC in a very long time.