Gender-specific options are now a thing of the past in 'The Sims'

There's no such thing as "men's clothes" or a "women's hairstyle" anymore -- at least, not in the world of The Sims.

The Sims 4 is dropping all gender associations with character traits in the game, meaning players can build a Sim that looks, dresses and acts in whichever ways they choose, regardless of the gender they pick for that Sim.

These changes include a Sim's physique, walk style and voice, as well cosmetic items.

"We're a diverse team making a game for a diverse audience."

"We're always talking to our fans about what they want to see in the game, and have long been focused on creating an inclusive environment where all of our players can express themselves," Lyndsay Pearson, lead producer on The Sims 4, told Mashable. "We're a diverse team making a game for a diverse audience."

Pearson said the team specifically worked with GLAAD to ensure the game was respectful to all players, including the transgender community.

"We shared early prototypes with them and made a number of design and interface choices based on their input," Pearson said.

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The update was more than a year in the making, Pearson said, as more than 700 items previously associated with just one gender were adapted to fit a range of body types.

"The core of The Sims has always been empowering players to be creative and express themselves, and this update is a natural extension of that," Pearson said. "Players can now customize their Sim's gender the same way they customize their age, skin tone, hair and more."

The Sims 4 update is available now for all PC and Mac users.

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