inZOI: Everything we know so far
This upcoming Sims 4 competitor may have been delayed to 2025, but this hyper-detailed Unreal Engine 5 simulation continues to impress
InZOI has been delayed to 2025. The early access release of this captivating new Unreal Engine 5 life simulation game was expected to be in the coming weeks, although Krafton has shifted to the new year to buy some time to get things right. Not surprising, given the level of detail, customization, and gameplay options InZOI is striving to deliver.
Of all the games like The Sims which have come and gone in recent years, InZoi is perhaps the most impressive – at least since Life By You was unexpectedly cancelled by Paradox Interactive. So there's a lot of pressure on InZOI developer Krafton to deliver for this upcoming PC game, but we have faith the PUBG publisher can deliver. So while we wait for more InZOI news, keep reading to get caught up with everything we know so far.
inZOI release date delayed to March 2025
The early access InZoi release date has been delayed to March 2025. While the new life sim from Krafton has long been expected to be a new game of 2024, the studio has confirmed that the delay will allow the team to "continue working to improve any areas that need attention, striving to create a game that truly captures the essence of life simulation."
inZOI platforms
The InZOI platforms have been confirmed for PC and console. Krafton is targeting a PC release first, with the ambitious life sim set to enter into early access. From there, a console release is expected to follow although the developer is yet to confirm specific platforms – an InZOI PS5 and Xbox Series X release is likely, although we can likely rule out a Switch release due to the graphical prowess of this title.
inZOI demo
Previously, there was an inZOI character creator demo available on Steam, which is no doubt where you’ve seen countless impressive player-created character models stemming from of late. Unfortunately, as of August 26, 2024, the character creator demo is no longer available. While the demo has sadly been taken offline, all uploaded inZOI characters will still be viewable online, so your created character can still be viewed for future reference when the life sim game eventually launches on PC later this year.
InZOI Character Studio
While the InZOI character studio is no longer available for download, it did give us direct insight into what Krafton is hoping to achieve with its Unreal Engine 5-powered life sim. The character creation options within InZOI will offer over 250 options – including age, name, body type, outfit, and more – with the ability to select from a daunting range of colors, accessories, and art. It's exceptionally impressive.
inZOI trailer
Even though inZOI isn't yet out, we've still got a look at the final product thanks to trailers. Take the inZOI trailer just below, for example, which premiered at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, showing us the motions we'll be going through to take charge of various characters and help build up their surroundings, including housing, as well as managing their day-to-day lives.
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In short, the plot of inZOI has you starting out as an intern at a company, and it's your job to manage neighborhoods of virtual people called 'Zois.' Much like The Sims 4, it's essentially up to you to make their lives as smooth as possible, like managing the stress levels of individual Zois, for example.
inZOI gameplay
InZOI is a life sim that's set to directly rival The Sims. Whether you're controller your 'Zois' directly of observing them in the world you've created, this hyper-realistic simulation is designed to generate unique stories and give you the tools you need to live out the life of your dreams for the comfort of your own home.
From what we've seen of InZOI in action so far, there's a wide range of day-to-day activities to indulge in – which can include aspects like working in an office or a convenience store, or some more social aspects like hanging out at a PC cafe. There's also an in-game messaging system, where you'll be notified on your phone when someone wants to meet up and chill, or when a new family has moved into the nearby city.
And yes, since this is a life sim game, you can be sure your Zois can undertake various activities in their spare time. Krafton says this can include singing, playing a musical instrument, painting, reading, watering flowers, playing arcade games, working out, and more.
As part of the recent character creator demo, inZOI players realized that there's actually an in-game 3D printer that produces copies of objects you scan in from the real world. You simply need to take a photo that's as clear as possible of an object you want to scan into inZOI, and it'll replicate it in the game itself.
Does InZOI use AI?
InZOI developer Krafton has addressed concerns over its use of generative AI in the game. "We have seen that there are some discussions regarding the Generative AI feature used in inZOI," reads the announcement on Twitter.
"All AI features within inZOI utilize proprietary models developed by KRAFTON and are trained using solely company-owned and copyright issue-free assets and data. In addition, inZOI's AI capabilities are built in to the client as on-device solutions and therefore do not make communications online with external servers. We deeply appreciate your valuable feedback, and we will make every effort to prevent any potential issues in the future."
inZOI roadmap
InZOI might still be on the horizon, but Krafton already has a plan in place for how the game is going to expand after launch. For one, inZOI currently has a karma system in the works, which can either provide your Zois with good or bad attributes depending on your performance. These effects won't necessarily kick into gear immediately - you could face serious consequences further down the line, depending on your choices.
Additionally, there's a city-editing tool being planned for inZOI. This will let you edit various aspects of your city, like the weather, flowers, and fauna, and even how clean or dirty the streets are. A lot of elements of inZOI focus on the more social side of things, and as such, some features in the current roadmap include social activities like going for walks to the cafe, or doing karaoke with your friends.
Finally, there's driving elements planned for Inzoi at some point in the future. Again, we don't quite know when this might be implemented in the life sim, but from the sounds of the video above, you won't be able to go on GTA 6-style road rages - but car crashes are still, unfortunately, something your Zois can find themselves entangled in.
inZOI mods
Right now, modding support is planned for inZOI, as per the roadmap video above. Like the other features highlighted here though, there's no potential release date, or even release window, for modding integration, but we do know that Krafton is working to make the process as smooth as possible for potential modders. Check out our guide to the best Sims 4 mods to get an idea of some mods that could one day potentially grace inZOI.
Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.
- Jasmine Gould-WilsonStaff Writer, 12DOVE
- Josh WestEditor-in-Chief, 12DOVE
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