Featured Article
This article has been recognized for its exceptional quality and comprehensive coverage.
Overview
On December 26, 2025, Director Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim published the Fundamentals First & 2026 Roadmap letter on the official inZOI forums and Steam. A follow-up titled Beyond the Fundamentals, 2026 Roadmap Part 2 came on January 2, 2026. Together, they outline KRAFTON's plans for all of 2026. The philosophy: add new content each quarter during the first half, while shifting resources toward Fundamentals First (strengthening jobs, building, and simulation depth) during the second half. A separate internal team works on "Beyond" features (modding, multiplayer, AI NPCs, Canvastown) alongside the core team handling quarterly drops.
KRAFTON is targeting roughly seven to eight free updates throughout the year. All content is included at no extra cost for Early Access owners. The scope of each quarter narrows toward the latter half as more resources shift to fundamental improvements. All timelines and feature scopes may change depending on development progress.
v0.6.0. Lunar New Year mini update (February 12, 2026)
The first update of 2026 was a smaller patch continuing the Fundamentals First approach. Key additions:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Lunar New Year content | Themed outfits and accessories inspired by traditional celebrations. Equipping these items unlocks unique social interactions. A Horse Mask accessory was added with exclusive interactions. |
Smart Zoi improvements | Smart Zoi behavioral patterns were refined, continuing the iterative improvements to the AI system. |
New interaction | "Sit on Floor Cushion" added as a new comfort action. |
Weather adjustment | Reduced cold chance from rain, addressing community complaints about Zois getting sick too frequently in rainy weather. |
Build Mode assets | 51 new items added, including Lunar New Year decorations for Build Mode. |
Canvas and mod UI | Better content filters and a unified mod management interface in Canvas. |
A February 13, 2026 developer update from Kjun also previewed ongoing work on animation smoothing (fixing stiff walking/running transitions) and expanded baby features responding to community requests for infant strollers and more baby furniture interactions.
Q1 2026. Jobs, Rivals, and Memories
The first quarter focuses on expanding the career system, deepening social interactions, and introducing lifestyle features:
Class | Description |
|---|---|
Enhanced job system | Zois can hold multiple jobs, attend interviews, work remotely, and receive performance evaluations. New beauty-related careers use appearance customization gameplay. A police career adds patrol cars and criminal search mechanics. |
Competitive interactions | A system where interactions determine a winner and loser, adding stakes to social encounters. |
Rivals | Adversarial relationships where Zois compete toward the same goals. |
Reputation system | Local community reputation where Zois earn and lose standing based on their actions, affecting how others treat them. |
High school campus properties | Functional school lots appear in the city for the first time. |
Flower farming and arranging | A new hobby tying into the business system for potential florist shops. |
Memory system | Zois form lasting memories tied to significant life events, including trauma and milestones, influencing mood and behavior over time. |
Fate Engine and calendar | Birthday calendar system integrated with the new Fate Engine framework, plus age adjustment options. |
Architecture expansions | European architectural styles plus Hanok (traditional Korean) architecture with Hanbok outfits in Build Mode. |
Engine optimization | Graphics improvements for better frame rates and reduced system load. |
Q2 2026. Freelance careers and K-pop
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Freelance careers | Writing, game development, photography, and blogging as self-directed careers from home. |
Taxi driver and elderly careers | Career tracks for broader age ranges, including jobs for elder Zois. |
Prison properties | Functional prison lots with yard, library, workshops, cafeteria, showers, and visitation, expanding the crime system consequences. |
Voice customization | Adjustable voice parameters for Zois. |
K-pop content | New stages, themed environments, idol styling options, choreographed dance motions, and superstar events for the Idol career. |
Themed environments | Neon slum and fantasy environments. |
Q3 2026. Part-time jobs and diaries
Class | Description |
|---|---|
Part-time jobs | Teenagers can work part-time, earning Meow and building skills before entering full careers. See Part-Time Jobs. |
Event Memory and Diary | Expanded memory system with a diary where Zois record experiences with emotional context. |
Curved wall support | Build Mode gains curved walls for windows, walls, and pools. |
Value system | Deeper personality modeling affecting how Zois perceive the world. |
Q4 2026. Basements and terrain editing
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Basement construction | Underground levels beneath homes in Build Mode. |
Terrain editing | Players modify landscape around lots, raising hills, flattening ground, reshaping terrain. |
Wall decoration modules | Expanded interior and exterior wall decoration options. |
Multiplayer, inZOI Online
Multiplayer runs on a separate development track. The team calls the online frontier for life sims "largely uncharted" and is working through technical hurdles via phased testing. See Multiplayer and Canvas for details.
Item | Description |
|---|---|
January 2026 | Persistent, account-linked Zoi characters with save-and-resume for hosted sessions. |
February 2026 | Web-based Main, Plaza, and Lobby pages with chat channels. |
March 2026 | Personal house decoration with cloud saves, plus multiplayer house visits. |
June 2026 | Host tools for rules and participant management, official mod compatibility for sessions. |
October 2026 | Large-scale dedicated servers supporting hundreds to thousands of concurrent players. |
Canvastown and the Fate Engine
Canvastown is a compact world built from scratch to run on lower-spec hardware. It uses the Fate Engine, a new engine layer aiming to reduce system requirements. If the Fate Engine proves successful, KRAFTON plans to port it to Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Cahaya. The design philosophy is "shared narratives", players capture interesting life scenarios and let others enter that life.
Item | Description |
|---|---|
March 2026 | Fate Engine and Canvastown integration begins. |
May 2026 | Fate Engine ported to existing cities. Canvas update and download features added. |
June 2026 | Canvastown #1 launches, a boutique village with ~40 customizable lots. |
October 2026 | Canvastown #2, expanded to ~50 lots with a rural countryside aesthetic. |
Modding roadmap
See the Modding article for the full ModKit workflow. The 2026 modding timeline:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
January 2026 | JSON-based asset structure in the ModKit, plus native in-game mod management. |
March 2026 | Expanded CAZ Wizard (accessories, animations, facial modifications). Sound Wizard overhaul. Hot-swapping graphical assets during gameplay. |
June 2026 | Vehicle modding. Migration to Unreal Engine 5.6. Content template modding testing. Preparation for PS5 and Mac mod support. |
October 2026 | Multiplayer-compatible mods pilot testing. |
December 2026 | Full Lua script modding support for scripted behavior modifications. |
PlayStation 5 launch
KRAFTON officially confirmed inZOI for PlayStation 5 in H1 2026. The PS5 version will be fully optimized for console hardware with reworked controls. An Xbox release is under consideration but unconfirmed. Cross-play between PC and console has not been announced.
Pets
Pets are among the most requested features. The official @PlayinZOI account teased the feature with an image of a cat tree and paw prints alongside "coming soon." Pets were marked as a high priority during a February 2025 AMA on the official Discord. All updates during Early Access are free.
Community wishlist
Dogs and other animal species beyond cats
Full 1.0 release timeline
More city environments beyond Dowon, Bliss Bay, Cahaya, and Canvastown
Weather improvements (storms, snow buildup)
Larger household sizes
More detailed baby and toddler gameplay
Director Kjun has been responsive to feedback through the official forums and developer video diaries. The February 2026 developer update addressed animation smoothing and expanded baby features based on player requests.