inZOI News

※ [inZOI Team’s Comment] Previously, Zoi’s conversations were primarily influenced by personality traits and chemistry with others. We’ve improved the system so that when a Zoi experiences one of 22 intense emotional states—such as euphoria, rage, or despair—their dialogue and behaviour now reflect that emotional context more naturally.
[Targeted Emotions] Excitement / Joy / Enthusiasm / Ecstasy / Elation / Laughter / Hysterical Laughter / Euphoria / Anger / Rage / Irritation / Discomfort / Displeasure / Humiliation / Embarrassment / Confusion / Fear / Dread / Surprise / Despair / Depression / Shock
This change reduces awkward interactions that don't match a Zoi’s emotional state. Now, when a Zoi is experiencing an intense emotion, their reactions will reflect it in a more immersive way. When emotions are less heightened, conversations will continue to flow naturally based on day-to-day chemistry between Zois.
You may also notice more intense or even aggressive behavior when Zois are overwhelmed by strong emotions. To keep things balanced, we plan to introduce systems in future updates that help Zois calm down more naturally.

※ [inZOI Team’s Comment] Psycat alerts that appeared when the city’s karma level declined will no longer be shown. This change is intended to reduce the feeling of unnecessary judgment during negative situations and help players stay immersed.

※ [inZOI Team’s Comment] We’ve revised the evaluation scale from “slightly bad or lower / normal or higher” to “bad or lower / good”. This adjustment helps prevent overly frequent negative evaluations caused by minor fluctuations.

※ [inZOI Team’s Comment] Karma-related choices were appearing too often and interrupting the natural flow of gameplay. We've reduced their frequency to allow for a smoother, less disruptive experience.

※ [inZOI Team’s Comment] Karma interactions will now consider a Zoi's emotional state and relationship dynamics, resulting in more immersive and context-aware dialogue.

※ [inZOI Team’s Comment] Karma-related interactions were occurring too frequently, sometimes triggering behaviour that felt out of place. We've decreased the selection rate by 50%, allowing karma changes to progress more gradually and in line with the game’s overall pacing.

※ [inZOI Team’s Comment] Alongside this fix, we’ve updated the way textures are sorted. All imported textures will now be added to the bottom of the list in descending order. Previously used textures will also follow this rule. For convenience, newly imported textures will now automatically scroll into view and be focused in the list. We hope this helps improve usability.

※ Default camera - improved usability for camera movement and rotation
※ Free camera - added free camera for Build Mode where players who are used to WASD control can use conveniently

※ [Official Comment from the inZOI Team] Shadow casting effects have been applied to both outdoor streetlights and indoor lights, delivering a more natural and realistic graphical experience.
We hope this update addresses long-standing feedback regarding the visual inconsistency between characters viewed in the Character Studio and those seen during gameplay.
Due to optimization limitations, this feature was not implemented during the initial development phase. However, in response to continued player feedback, we have introduced shadow casting as part of our ongoing improvements.
Further enhancements are expected with an upcoming engine update scheduled for this summer. Please note that enabling shadow casting may impact performance depending on your hardware.
We recommend referring to the detailed settings guide below to adjust the feature according to your system environment. We remain committed to carefully listening to your feedback and continuously pursuing meaningful improvements.
[previewyoutube]https://youtu.be/rTuLHqT4zgA[/previewyoutube]

1) Enable streetlight shadows
- Effect: When night falls, shadows appear beneath streetlights, making characters and surrounding environments appear more natural and realistic. All streetlight lamps placed throughout the city have shadow casting enabled by default, allowing for a more immersive nighttime experience

- How to apply: This feature is enabled by default
　ㄴYou can toggle it on or off by navigating to Options > Graphics > Custom > Streetlight Shadows

　ㄴPerformance impact: During nighttime, when streetlights are illuminated and shadows are rendered, a slight decrease in performance may occur

2) Enabling furniture lighting shadow
- Effect: Shadow casting options have been added to certain indoor lighting, including ceiling lights and floor lamps. When these lights are turned on, realistic shadows are cast beneath characters and furniture according to the light direction.
This enhancement significantly improves environmental atmosphere and immersion, allowing in-game visuals to better match the high-quality appearance seen in the Character Studio.

- How to apply: By default, this setting is disabled. You can activate shadows individually by selecting the desired ceiling or floor lamp in Build Mode
　ㄴ Build Mode (I) > Select Light > Lighting Shadows (Off) > Turn On

　ㄴ Performance impact: Enabling shadows for multiple lights placed in proximity may result in a noticeable performance drop

3) Realistic shadow option
- Effect: A new option has been added that allows players to maximize shadow quality. When enabled, shadows will appear sharper and more detailed, enhancing the overall visual realism of the game.

- How to apply: This setting is disabled by default and can be rendered through the following path
　ㄴ Option > Graphics > Preset > Custom > Realistic Shadows (Off) > On

　ㄴ Performance impact: Enabling this option may affect gameplay performance. Please adjust the setting according to your PC specifications

※ [Official Comment from the inZOI Team] An issue was identified where game progress was not properly saved under certain conditions, preventing players from resuming gameplay.

This occurred due to the ESC key failing to exit Map Mode as intended, and the transition to the lobby proceeding before the save process had fully completed—occasionally resulting in corrupted save files.

To address this, we have updated the ESC key functionality to correctly exit Map Mode and revised the transition logic to ensure it occurs only after the save has been successfully completed.

※ [Official Comment from the inZOI Team] As progress for this ambition is determined solely by the lot value—excluding the cost of furniture and buildings when relocating—the in-game text has been revised to clearly communicate this condition.

※ [Official Comment from the inZOI Team] Addressed an issue in both Dowon and Bliss Bay where experience points were not properly accumulating after the second rank

※ [Official Comment from the inZOI Team] Previously, feeding interactions with cats and pandas in the City Appearance feature were only available when a certain Karma condition was met.
This requirement has now been removed, allowing players to interact and feed animals at any time. This interaction was originally intended to serve as a “positive action” to help improve neutral Karma.

However, we have revised this design, as it did not align well with the actual gameplay patterns of inZOI players.

※ [Official Comment from the inZOI Team] The key bindings for vertical movement were changed from Q: Up / E: Down to E: Up / Q: Down to match the on-screen UI display.

※ [Official Comment from the inZOI Team] This popup notifies players of potential unexpected crashes when using Intel 13th or 14th Gen processors.

Please refer to the FAQ for more information.

1. Schedule I
2. Steam Deck
3. R.E.P.O.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2
5. Path of Exile 2
6. Baldur's Gate 3
7. Monster Hunter Wilds
8. Blue Prince
9. inZOI
10. Split Fiction

1. Schedule I
2. R.E.P.O.
3. Steam Deck
4. inZOI
5. The Last of Us™ Part II Remastered
6. Monster Hunter Wilds
7. Call of Duty®
8. Dead by Daylight
9. Split Fiction
10. Path of Exile 2

　※ This feature can be configured via [Game Options] → [Simulation], under the settings for "Aging (My Zois)" and "Aging (Other Zois)"

　※ Sleep patterns were originally designed to reflect real-life behavior, such as sleeping in when tired. However, this level of realism caused friction with the game’s time flow. Sleep duration has now been reduced for smoother gameplay.

　※ Karma changes from autonomous actions were occurring too rapidly, leading to frequent mood swings (e.g., sudden anger or aggression). We've adjusted the pace for more stable and predictable behavior. Further improvements are planned so Zois act more naturally based on context, and Karma will gradually influence more aspects of life. For now, try adjusting "Civic Consciousness" and "Karma" values in the City Edit menu for better control.

　※ Relationship progression was previously accelerated to encourage bonding. Based on your feedback, we’ve slowed progression for families under direct control. Since this may not suit all gameplay styles, you can further adjust relationship values in the City Edit menu if needed.

　※ Please note that this change only applies to newly created Zois via New Game. It does not affect existing save files or Zois already in progress.