inZOI Studio

Overview

inZOI Studio is an internal development team within KRAFTON, Inc., the South Korean gaming company that also publishes PUBG: Battlegrounds, The Callisto Protocol, and other titles. The studio was formed specifically to develop inZOI as a next-generation life simulation game. It operates as a subsidiary with its own leadership structure while sharing KRAFTON's infrastructure and publishing resources.

Director: Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim

The game's development is led by Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim, who holds the combined title of Producer, Director, and CEO of inZOI Studio. Kim brings over 15 years of game development experience:

• NCSOFT: Served as Producer for AION (a major Korean MMORPG) and as Executive Director.

• KRAFTON: Worked as Associate Director for PUBG: Battlegrounds before transitioning to lead inZOI Studio.

Kim has said the idea for inZOI came from playing life simulation games with his son. He wanted to build a game in the genre with modern graphics and AI technology. His MMORPG background influenced the game's open-world city design and multiplayer ambitions. In interviews, Kim has described developing a life simulation of this scale as an "entirely new frontier" for the team. A different challenge from the competitive shooters and MMOs they had previously built.

Team and resources

The studio operates within KRAFTON's corporate structure, giving it access to the company's technical infrastructure, publishing network, and partnerships (including the NVIDIA ACE collaboration for Smart Zoi). The 2026 Roadmap revealed that inZOI Studio runs two parallel development tracks: a core team handling quarterly content updates and a separate team working on "Beyond" features (modding, multiplayer, AI NPCs, Canvastown).

Development timeline

Communication style

Kjun communicates directly with the community through the official inZOI forums and Steam, publishing personal letters under the "Brainstorm with Kjun" series. These letters are unusually detailed for game developer communications. They include quarterly feature breakdowns with specific items, honest assessments of what is and is not working, and clear acknowledgments when timelines slip.

The studio also maintains active social media accounts (@PlayinZOI), posts regular developer updates covering in-progress work (like the February 2026 animation smoothing preview), and engages in AMAs on the official Discord server. This transparent communication has been cited as one of the reasons the community remains engaged despite the typical frustrations of Early Access development.

The "Fundamentals First" philosophy

In December 2025, Kjun introduced the "Fundamentals First" philosophy as the guiding principle for 2026 development. The idea is that adding new features is less valuable than making the existing core experience (jobs, building, simulation depth) work well. The first half of 2026 focuses on new content drops each quarter, while the second half shifts resources toward strengthening fundamentals. This was a direct response to community feedback that the game needed depth before breadth.

Relationship to KRAFTON

KRAFTON, Inc. is a major South Korean gaming company headquartered in Seoul. Beyond inZOI, KRAFTON publishes PUBG: Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile, The Callisto Protocol, and other titles. The company went public on the Korean Stock Exchange in 2021. KRAFTON provides inZOI Studio with publishing, marketing, and platform partnerships (Sony for PS5, Apple for macOS) while the studio maintains creative control over the game's direction.

KRAFTON has positioned inZOI as a long-term franchise. Following the 1-million-copy first week, the company committed to sustained investment in the game through Early Access and beyond the eventual 1.0 release.