Lunar New Year Event

Overview

The Lunar New Year Event is a seasonal event introduced in the v0.6.0 Mini Update, released on February 12, 2026. The event celebrates the Year of the Horse with a large collection of themed content spanning character customization, Build Mode, and social interactions. It marks inZOI's first major holiday festival tied to a real-world cultural celebration, drawing on traditional Korean and East Asian Lunar New Year customs.

The update added 19 new character items (hairstyles, outfits, shoes, and hats) along with 55 Build Mode objects inspired by traditional architecture and decor. A follow-up hotfix in v0.6.1, released on February 24, 2026, expanded the event further with two Hanok architectural presets and refined the in-game event pop-up text.

Event Timeline

Traditional Outfits and Accessories

The v0.6.0 update introduced 19 new character customization items to the Create a Zoi system, all themed around Lunar New Year traditions. These items are available in the clothing catalog and include a mix of full outfit sets, footwear, headwear, and hairstyles inspired by traditional attire.

Equipping Lunar New Year outfits and accessories unlocks unique social interactions for your Zoi, adding festive flavor to conversations and gatherings. These exclusive interactions are only available while wearing the themed items, giving players a reason to dress up beyond visual customization.

Build Mode Assets

A total of 55 new Build Mode objects were added in v0.6.0, allowing players to decorate their homes and neighborhoods with a traditional aesthetic. The assets cover structural elements like doors, windows, and roofing as well as interior furnishings, lighting, and decorative accessories. Together, they provide enough variety to create a fully themed Lunar New Year space from the ground up.

In addition to the individual objects, v0.6.0 added a new Hanok property to the Ullim Temple area. This pre-built lot shows traditional Korean architecture and is an example of what players can achieve with the new Build Mode items. Players can visit the property to draw inspiration before constructing their own traditional homes.

Hanok Presets

The v0.6.1 hotfix, released on February 24, 2026, introduced two Hanok architectural presets. A hanok is a traditional Korean house characterized by curved tiled roofs, wooden beam structures, and an emphasis on harmony with the natural surroundings. The two presets were made available for the following property lots:

These presets give players a ready-made traditional Korean home layout that can be customized further with the Lunar New Year Build Mode assets. Before the v0.6.1 hotfix, players had reported difficulty building hanok-style structures on certain public lots near the temple area, as walls and buildings could not be placed on some public and street lots by design. The presets addressed this gap by providing pre-configured hanok homes on eligible residential lots.

Floor Cushion Interaction

Alongside the Lunar New Year content, v0.6.0 introduced a new "Sit on Floor Cushion" interaction. The two traditional floor cushions included in the Build Mode assets support this interaction, letting Zois sit on the ground in a traditional style. This small but meaningful addition brings authenticity to homes decorated with Lunar New Year furnishings and fits naturally into traditional interior layouts where floor seating is customary.

Studio Background

A new studio background with a traditional Lunar New Year theme was added to the photography system. Players can use this backdrop when taking photos of their Zois in Create a Zoi or the in-game photo studio, framing their characters against festive decorations. It pairs well with the traditional outfits for capturing holiday portraits.

Horse Mask Giveaway

To celebrate the Year of the Horse, the inZOI team hosted a special giveaway through the "Brainstorm with Kjun" segment on the official inZOI Discord server. The giveaway offered a Horse Mask accessory that comes equipped with exclusive interactions. Kjun is Producer and Director Hyungjun Kim, who regularly shares development updates and community activities through the Discord channel. The Horse Mask was a limited promotional item tied specifically to the 2026 Lunar New Year celebration.

Connection to V0.6.0

The Lunar New Year Event was the headline feature of the v0.6.0 Mini Update, which continued inZOI's "Fundamentals First" development philosophy. While the patch also included core gameplay improvements, modding tools, and Canvas search enhancements, the Lunar New Year content represented the largest single batch of new items. The 74 total additions (19 character items plus 55 Build Mode objects) made it one of the most content-rich updates during inZOI's early access period.

Other notable features in v0.6.0 included AI Build improvements for wall and floor color customization, automatic bedroom and bathroom categorization based on room dimensions, and updates to the Ullim Cafe location. The seasonal events framework established by the Lunar New Year Event set a precedent for future holiday celebrations tied to real-world cultural traditions.

Tips

• Equip Lunar New Year outfits before attending social gatherings to unlock the exclusive festive interactions that are only available while wearing the themed items.

• Visit the Hanok property at Ullim Temple for design inspiration before building your own traditional home with the new Build Mode assets.

• Use the Hanok presets on Aram Estate or Junghwa Parkville lots as a starting point, then customize further with the 55 available traditional objects.

• Place the floor cushions in your living area and try the "Sit on Floor Cushion" interaction for an authentic traditional seating experience.

• Take advantage of the Lunar New Year studio background combined with the traditional outfits to create festive character portraits.

• The 17 traditional materials and 6 lighting options provide enough variety to create distinct rooms within a single themed home.

Year of the Horse Theme

The 2026 Lunar New Year corresponds to the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. inZOI embraced this theme with horse-related items and decorations. A special Horse Mask cosmetic was offered as a giveaway item during the event period, available to all players who logged in during the celebration window.

Decorative horse motifs appeared throughout the event venues, and themed accessories tied to the zodiac animal were available in the in-game shops and through event participation.

Hanok Presets in Build Mode

One of the most notable additions from the Lunar New Year update was the introduction of Hanok presets in Build Mode. Hanok refers to traditional Korean architecture characterized by wooden frames, curved tile roofs, and open courtyard layouts. These presets gave players ready-made templates for constructing Korean-style homes without needing to build from scratch.

The Hanok presets include traditional room layouts, sliding doors, ondol-style flooring elements, and courtyard configurations. Players can customize these templates further using the full suite of Build Mode tools, adjusting materials, colors, and proportions while maintaining the traditional aesthetic.

Themed Items and Cosmetics

The event introduced a range of items reflecting Korean New Year traditions:

• Traditional clothing: Hanbok-inspired outfits available in the wardrobe. These included both formal and casual interpretations of Korean traditional dress.

• Decorative items: Themed decorations for home interiors, including lanterns, calligraphy scrolls, and festive table settings.

• Horse Mask: A limited-time cosmetic accessory tied to the Year of the Horse zodiac theme, distributed as a login reward.

• Food items: Traditional Korean New Year foods available through cooking recipes added during the event period.

Some items were permanent additions to the game catalog, while others were limited-time offerings exclusive to the event window. The Hanok presets and traditional clothing remained available after the event concluded.

Dowon Celebrations

The primary celebration took place in Dowon, the city most closely connected to Korean culture. Streets and public spaces in Dowon received festive decorations, and special activities were available at key gathering points around the city.

Traditional Korean New Year customs incorporated into the event included communal gatherings, gift-giving between Zois, and festive dining. The Dowon Subway stations and major landmarks like Nuri Plaza featured additional decorations during the event period.

Connection to the Cultural Events System

The Lunar New Year Event is part of inZOI's broader approach to cultural celebrations, which ties real-world holidays to in-game events. This system includes:

With the introduction of the calendar and birthday system in v0.7.0, seasonal festivals now operate on a permanent in-game rotation. The Lunar New Year Event predates this system and was initially delivered as a real-world timed event.

Version History