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Overview
Divorce in inZOI ends a marriage between two Zois, splitting the household and changing the relationship status from Spouse back to a lower level. Divorce has emotional consequences for both Zois and any children in the household.
How divorce happens
A marriage can deteriorate through sustained negative interactions, arguments, neglect, or relationship-damaging actions like rumor spreading, crime, or romantic betrayal. When the romance meter between spouses drops low enough, the option to break up becomes available through social interactions. Either spouse can initiate the separation.
Certain actions accelerate the breakdown: sustained fighting, ignoring the spouse's needs, hostile text messages, and romantic involvement with other Zois. Traits affect how quickly a marriage deteriorates. Zois with the Authoritarian trait may push partners away faster, while Zois with the Charmer trait may recover from conflicts more easily.
The separation process
When the break-up interaction is completed, the marriage ends. One spouse typically remains in the current home while the other needs to find new housing. The household splits: shared Meow is divided, and each Zoi retains their personal inventory and career status.
Emotional effects
Divorce triggers strong emotional responses:
Trait | Effect |
|---|---|
Both spouses | Experience sadness, potentially depression. The emotional impact lasts for multiple in-game days, reducing productivity and social willingness. |
Children | Children in the household experience emotional distress. Their needs may decline more rapidly during the adjustment period. |
Extended network | Close friends and family of both spouses may have reactions depending on their relationships with each party. |
Children and custody
When a household with children splits, the children typically remain with one parent. The specifics depend on the household structure and living arrangements at the time of separation. The parent who leaves the home moves out without the children by default, though players can manually rearrange household members through the Manage Zois menu.
Children maintain relationships with both parents. The non-custodial parent can still visit and interact with the children, though the relationship may weaken without regular contact.
Karma implications
The act of divorce itself does not directly change karma scores. However, the behaviors that lead to divorce (fighting, cruelty, betrayal, neglect) all carry karma penalties. A Zoi who destroyed their marriage through antisocial behavior will likely have lower karma from those actions, regardless of the divorce itself.
Post-divorce life
After divorce, both Zois return to the dating pool. They can pursue new romantic relationships and eventually remarry. The emotional recovery period varies. Zois with resilient personality traits bounce back faster, while more sensitive Zois may carry the emotional weight longer.
Former spouses can develop any relationship level with each other after the divorce, from hostile to friendly, depending on subsequent interactions. There is no special "ex-spouse" relationship status. The relationship simply drops to the appropriate level based on how they treat each other going forward.