March 2026 Update
Complete patch notes for inZOI's one-year anniversary update (v0.7.0, March 26 2026) and the v0.7.1 and v0.7.2 hotfixes. Covers Flower Shops, Movie Theaters, the minimap, multitasking expansion, the 28-day calendar, new crime mechanics, three new ambitions, 10+ new cheats, and the Unreal Engine 5.6 upgrade.
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Overview
The March 2026 update (v0.7.0) is the first anniversary update for inZOI, released on March 26, 2026 at 06:00 UTC. It marks one full year since the game entered Early Access on March 28, 2025. Rather than introducing a single headline feature, the anniversary build packs roughly 60 major additions and improvements across gameplay, simulation, building, and technical systems. Director Hyungjun Kim noted that most of the key points from the "Fundamentals First" development direction have been accomplished with this release.
Headline Features
Headline additions include two new business types (flower shops and movie theaters), vehicle driving with collision systems, a minimap, a 28-day calendar with seasonal festivals, a phone calling system, the Memory and Milestones tracking systems, baby customization in Create a Zoi, over 60 new Build Mode items, expanded ModKit support, and sweeping graphics and memory optimizations. The planned Unreal Engine 5.6 upgrade was delayed to the April 2026 update after a public beta test that began on March 5.
Release Details
Detail | Value |
|---|---|
Release Date | March 26, 2026 at 06:00 UTC |
Version | v0.7.0 |
Windows PC Steam Build | 20260325.11297.W |
Mac Steam Build | 20260325.11293.M |
Mac App Store Build | 5.4.43 (0.257) / 20260325.11294.M |
Planned Updates for 2026 | 7 to 8 total |
New Businesses
Flower Shops
Flower shops are a brand-new business type that ties into the existing gardening skill. Zois can now purchase existing flower shops in the world and run them as small businesses, or they can build their own. The update introduces six new farmable flower varieties that can be planted on fertile soil plots, tended, and harvested. Once harvested, flowers can be arranged into bouquets and flower baskets through a crafting interface. High Gardening skill levels unlock the ability for flowers to gain special visual effects, adding a progression incentive for dedicated gardeners.
Bouquets and baskets can be sold directly to customers in the shop, gifted to other Zois to boost relationships, or used as decorative items. The Florist career path has been expanded from the seed-purchasing and planting basics introduced in earlier previews to include fragrance crafting, where Zois can add scents to their flowers before arranging them.
Movie Theaters
Movie theaters bring a new entertainment venue and business opportunity to Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Cahaya. Zois can visit public cinemas to watch films or open and operate their own theater business. Films are shown on large cinema screens at set showtimes, and four genres are available: Horror, Comedy, Teen Romance, and Documentary. Each genre produces different emotional responses from the audience.
Theater operators can install movie screens on their business properties, set showing schedules, and place popcorn machines for customers to use. Running a theater involves managing showtimes, keeping seats filled, and maximizing customer satisfaction. Popcorn machines are also available as standalone furniture items for home use.
General Business Improvements
Beyond the two new business types, several improvements apply to all businesses:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Tip jars | Owners can place tip jars in their establishments. Earnings from the jar depend on customer satisfaction levels. |
Massage and yoga interactions | New service interactions for massage and spa businesses, as well as yoga classes. |
Business promotion urges | Zois with business ambitions now receive urges that encourage promotional activities. |
Mission tooltips | Business missions now display tooltips explaining their objectives. |
Customer satisfaction display | A new UI element shows satisfaction information for visiting customers. |
Prioritized business actions | Business-related activities are now listed higher in the action menu for employees. |
Sales cancellation | Owners can cancel ongoing item sales. |
Vendor reactions | NPCs working as vendors now react visibly when customers complete purchases. |
Transportation and Vehicles
The March 2026 update adds the long-awaited ability for Zois to drive vehicles throughout the city. This includes a new collision-avoidance system, bicycle riding, and a vehicle crime mechanic.
Vehicle Driving
Zois can now operate cars and other vehicles located throughout the city. Vehicles automatically slow down before potential collisions, and improved vehicle-to-object collision interactions make driving feel more grounded. Family-exclusive parking spaces have been added to residential properties, while public parking lots are scattered across all three cities. A city map overlay shows red dots indicating every available vehicle, making it easy to find a ride.
Bicycles and Tricycles
Bicycles have been added as a new vehicle type. Zois can ride them solo or carry a passenger. Children can ride tricycles around the yard or venture out into the city for exploration.
Vehicle Theft
As an extension of the crime system, Zois can now steal vehicles belonging to other Zois. Attempting to break into a car may trigger an alarm, and if caught, the thief can be arrested. Crop stealing on farms also counts as theft under this update. Trial-scheduled Zois are restricted from traveling between cities, and the success rates and rewards for extortion have been rebalanced.
Minimap
An early version of an on-screen minimap is now available for navigation across Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Cahaya. The minimap can be placed anywhere on the screen and displays the locations of player-controlled Zois, family members, and property icons. Players can apply customizable filters to show or hide specific property types. The minimap can be toggled on or off through Game Options.
Calendar and Seasonal Festivals
28-Day Calendar
The update introduces a full calendar system based on 28-day months. The calendar displays seasons, upcoming holidays, Zoi birthdays, and pregnancy due dates. Players can schedule events and plan ahead as the calendar progresses with each save file.
Birthday System
Birthdays are now tied to the calendar. When a Zoi's birthday arrives, players can throw a birthday party as a social event, complete with gift-giving, cake, and candle-blowing. Blowing out candles triggers the Zoi's age advancement. Zois can also age up through a solo celebration if no party is organized.
Seasonal Festivals
Three seasonal festivals have been integrated into the calendar cycle:
Festival | Season | Description |
|---|---|---|
Spring | A celebration of the new season with themed activities and decorations across the city parks. | |
Autumn | Returns the Halloween event mechanics from v0.4.0 on a recurring annual basis, complete with costumes, trick-or-treating, and pumpkin activities. | |
Winter and Year-End Festival | Winter | A holiday celebration at year's end with festive decorations, special interactions, and gift-giving traditions. |
Recurring Holidays
Holidays can now be set to recur on specific calendar dates. They disappear and reappear as save files progress through the calendar, allowing seasonal events like the Holiday Festival to repeat annually without manual setup.
Phone and Social Features
The smartphone received a substantial upgrade with a full calling system and improved contact management.
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Calling | Zois can now make and receive phone calls. Incoming calls trigger a notification, and Zois can choose to answer or ignore them. |
Contact acquisition | Phone numbers can only be acquired by asking another Zoi directly. Success depends on the current relationship level. |
Contact management | The phone's contact list supports adding, deleting, and blocking contacts. Blocked Zois cannot call or be called. |
Unblocking | A blocked Zoi can be asked to unblock in person through a face-to-face interaction. |
Number recovery | Deleted numbers can be reacquired by asking the Zoi again. |
Multitasking
The multitasking system, first introduced in v0.5.0, receives a major expansion. Zois can now start multitasking automatically if a nearby interaction catches their interest. The most notable addition is the ability to eat food while walking and to hold conversations while carrying food items. Enhanced interaction icons make it easier to distinguish between primary and secondary activities. Zois can hold different objects in each hand and swap between items naturally.
Memory and Milestones
Memory System
The Memory system is a new simulation layer that records significant life events experienced by each Zoi. Both positive and negative interactions are logged, including traumatic events, major achievements, and meaningful social moments. Over time, these memories influence the Zoi's future behavior, decision-making, and emotional responses. The system provides a deeper sense of continuity and personal history for each character.
Milestones
Closely related to the Memory system, Milestones track important life moments from first steps through university graduation to parenthood. A dedicated UI menu displays life events and character updates, with a notification system that alerts players when new memories are recorded or milestones are reached. Milestones can also unlock additional interactions that were previously unavailable.
Simulation and Interaction Improvements
Autonomy and Behavior
Zoi autonomy received a thorough rework to make characters feel more lifelike:
Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
Trait-driven autonomy | A Zoi's traits and characteristics now directly determine which autonomous interactions they initiate. A speech box explains why a Zoi chose a particular action. |
Need-based interruptions | When any need drops below 30%, the Zoi will automatically interrupt their current activity within 30 minutes of game time to address the urgent need. |
Post-shower behavior | Zois now change into a gown after showering before selecting their outfit, adding a natural transition step. |
Cleaning tool selection | Zois select the appropriate cleaning tool for each surface type, so they will no longer vacuum grass or sweep carpet. |
Medicine without chairs | Zois can now take medicine while standing instead of requiring a chair. |
Gift display | Received gifts can now be placed and displayed in the Zoi's home. |
Group Activities
Group interactions have been significantly expanded:
Category | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Fitness activities | 12 | Various exercise routines, stretching, and workout sessions performed together. |
Instrument activities | 6 | Jam sessions and musical performances with multiple Zois. |
Critical thinking activities | 4 | Puzzle-solving and intellectual activities done as a group. |
Other | Various | Snowman building collaboration, pillow fights, lower-body soak together, picnic mat snuggling. |
Relationship scores now increase through group interaction participation. TV viewers react with visible annoyance when someone changes the channel or turns off the TV while they are watching.
Romance
Several new romance interactions have been added, including "Kiss Passionately" as a new high-romance option. Spouses can now request dates from each other. Characteristic-based buffs apply to romantic interactions, and relationship logs track romantic milestones. Teenagers can date within their age group, and the "Set the Mood" interaction's success rate now scales with the current relationship score.
Conversations
The conversation system has been reworked for more natural social dynamics:
Conversation outcomes are now influenced by the traits and characteristics of both participants.
The type of existing relationship between Zois affects dialogue options and tone.
Certain traits can trigger special interactions without requiring high relationship scores.
Outdoor conversations are now possible (except in restricted areas).
NPCs are prevented from interrupting player-initiated conversations.
Small talk no longer interferes with active interactions.
New Ambitions
Three new ambitions give Zois fresh long-term goals tied to the food and drink crafting systems:
Ambition | Description |
|---|---|
Coffee Master | Master the art of coffee preparation through the barista skill tree. |
Baking Master | Achieve mastery in baking by learning all recipes and perfecting techniques. |
Drink Mixing Master | Become an expert in Drink Mixing by mastering cocktail recipes and bar service. |
Baby Zoi Updates
Baby Zois received meaningful quality-of-life improvements and new customization options:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Appearance customization | Babies can now be edited in the Create a Zoi Edit Appearance menu. Players can change outfits and use the photo studio with baby characters. |
Teeth development | Newborn Zois are now born without teeth. Teeth gradually appear as the baby grows, adding a subtle progression detail. |
Six new baby outfits | Additional clothing options for customizing infant appearance. |
Quick cleanup | A new interaction allows Zois to quickly clean up messes created by babies. |
Needs adjustment | Baby needs have been rebalanced so they are less punishing and more manageable for parent Zois. |
Infant bathing | A dedicated inflatable baby bath has been added for bathing infants safely. |
Food and Dining
Several additions improve the cooking and eating experience:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Bento boxes | A new food item that can be prepared at home and packed for outings. |
Teatime | Zois can now drink tea as a standalone activity with dedicated animations. |
Held food consumption | Zois can eat food they are already holding without needing to sit down at a table first. |
Floor table dining | Zois can eat, drink, and socialize at the new floor tables. |
Fridge-based baking | Baking can now be initiated directly from the fridge, streamlining the workflow. |
Empty plate placement | After finishing a meal, Zois place empty plates on the table instead of leaving them in limbo. |
Enhanced baked item animations | Improved eating animations for baked goods. |
Create a Zoi Improvements
The character creation system received refinements focused on flexibility and body representation:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Selective preset application | Rather than applying an entire preset, players can now select specific parts from presets (hair, eyes, clothing, etc.) and apply them individually. |
Per-feature randomization | The randomizer can be toggled for individual features, allowing randomized hair while keeping a chosen face, for example. |
Realistic body shapes | Wider and larger Zois now have more realistic, less airbrushed body shapes based on player feedback. |
Wedding dress colors | Wedding dresses are now fully customizable with expanded color options. |
Long hairstyle clipping fix | Long hairstyles no longer clip through hoodies; instead, they tuck naturally. |
Formal dress colors | Formal dresses have expanded color customization so they can be worn more casually. |
Male swim trunks | Swim trunks can now be combined with other outfit pieces. |
Updated default underwear | Default adult underwear designs have been refreshed, with three new options added. |
Build Mode
Seven Standardized Property Sizes
All properties across Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Cahaya now follow seven standardized size formats. This change prevents build cutoff issues when downloading properties from the Canvas. When loading a save file, players receive a notification if any of their properties have been resized. Custom buildings are automatically preserved as presets before the resize, so no work is lost. Properties with reduced sizes display a preset load notification. Property prices have been adjusted accordingly, with a minimum of 1,000 Mew preserved. Players can also trigger a manual property refresh through Options, then Gameplay, then Refresh Property Manually.
New Build Features
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Expanded property editing | More world buildings are now editable in Build Mode. |
Adjustable swimming pool water levels | Pool water height and depth can be customized for different looks and functionalities. |
Adjustable-size rugs | Rugs now support size adjustment so a single rug item can cover different floor areas. |
Fence and roofing placement guidelines | New visual guides help with fence and roof placement accuracy. |
Improved snap-to-grid | Object grid snapping is more precise and consistent. |
Table height increase | Standard table height raised from 35cm to 45cm to prevent object clipping. |
TV furniture expansion | TVs can now be placed on additional furniture types. |
New Build Items (60+)
Over 60 new build items have been added across multiple categories:
Category | Count | Details |
|---|---|---|
Holiday landmarks | 3 | Decorative landmarks for seasonal celebrations. |
Festival booths | 3 | Functional booths for seasonal festival events. |
Lobbies | 4 | Fire station, villa, and apartment building lobby presets. |
Bliss Bay apartment presets | 1 | New apartment layout preset for Bliss Bay. |
Textured tiles | 22 | New floor and wall tile patterns. |
Traditional objects | 8 | Cultural and traditional decorative items. |
Floor bedding | 2 | Single and double floor beds where Zois can sleep. |
Modular roofing | 3 | Customizable roof pieces for complex roof designs. |
Hanok walls | 1 | Traditional Korean-style wall piece. |
Partition fences | 1 | Interior room divider fence. |
Floor tables and cushions | Multiple | Low tables and floor cushions for floor-level dining and socializing. |
Infant items | Multiple | Toy car race track, inflatable baby bath, and infant toys. |
Controls and Camera
Custom Keymapping
Players can now fully customize keyboard and mouse bindings through the Game Menu (Esc key). Every action can be reassigned to preferred keys, addressing one of the most requested quality-of-life features since Early Access launch.
Camera Improvements
Expanded top view angle range for a wider overhead perspective.
Adjusted zoom limits for both top and shoulder views.
Enhanced shoulder view indoor functionality for easier navigation inside buildings.
UI Improvements
Change | Description |
|---|---|
UI layout toggle | Players can switch between a new expanded layout that fills more of the screen and the classic compact layout. |
UI component resizing | Individual UI panels and components can be adjusted in size. |
UI layout presets | Save and switch between different interface arrangements. |
Photo Mode enhancement | The cheat code hidefx [true/false] removes special effects for cleaner photography shots. |
Load Game search bar | A search bar in the Load Game menu makes it easy to find specific save files. |
News feed | A new in-game news feed displays life events and world happenings for the active household. |
New Animations
Dozens of new context-sensitive animations have been added:
Smartphone use while reclining on a sofa.
Emotional state animations for Melancholy, Miserable, Angry, and Enraged moods.
Writing, bathroom, bathing, and showering animations that reflect the Zoi's current emotional state.
Toilet smartphone use animation.
Baby-specific interaction animations for feeding, cleaning, and playing.
Car selfies for children riding in vehicles.
Bathing visuals updated: censoring switched from towels to bubbles, and Zois wear bathrobes after showering.
Parenting and Household
Change | Description |
|---|---|
Reduced family death risk | The rate at which family members die from low needs has been reduced. |
Automatic lighting | Home lights now turn off automatically when all household Zois go to sleep and turn back on when someone wakes up. |
Child car seats | Child safety seats have been added to vehicles so children can ride along. |
Parent-child conflict urges | New urges specific to parent-child relationships can create realistic family tension. |
Age-specific urges | Newborns, toddlers, and children each have dedicated urge sets tailored to their life stage. |
Adolescent feedback | Adolescent and teenager Zois can now request feedback from parents and other adults. |
New Cheats
Two new cheat codes have been added, accessible through the in-game cheat GUI system:
Cheat | Effect |
|---|---|
UnlockSiteArea | Enables editing of normally locked areas in Build Mode. |
ToggleModinsight | Allows modders to view and extract selected mod properties from in-game objects. |
Canvas and Modding
Canvas Updates
The Canvas sharing platform adds a "Size" search filter for properties, making it easier to find builds that fit a specific lot size.
ModKit Expansion
The ModKit receives significant new capabilities for content creators:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Animation mods | Modders can now create and distribute custom animations. |
Accessory mods | Custom accessories can be modded into the game. |
Face mods | Face modification mods are now officially supported. |
Hot-loading | Mods can now be applied without restarting the game. |
Project manager improvements | Search and filter functionality added to the mod project manager. |
Multi-mod packaging | Multiple mods can be packaged simultaneously for faster publishing. |
Graphics and Performance Optimization
Graphics Presets
Visual quality has been improved across all graphics presets, with the biggest gains at lower settings:
Improvement | Affected Presets |
|---|---|
VSM building shadows | Very Low |
Blob shadows for Zois | Very Low |
Fake furniture shadows | All presets |
SSAO enhancement | Very Low |
Zoi material quality improvements | Very Low |
Nighttime indoor lighting | All presets |
SSGI default application | Very Low through Medium |
Indoor yellowish tone fix | High and Ultra |
City map shadows | High and Ultra |
The lower graphics settings improvements make the game significantly more accessible on budget hardware, with items and characters appearing much closer to their high-settings counterparts.
Memory Optimization
Optimization | Description |
|---|---|
PSO partitioning | Pipeline State Object data is now partitioned for more efficient memory usage. |
Memory preallocation | The game pre-allocates memory at startup to reduce runtime allocation spikes and hitching. |
Additional memory optimization fixes reduce overall RAM consumption during gameplay. | -- |
Unreal Engine 5.6 (Delayed to April)
The upgrade from Unreal Engine 5.4 to 5.6 was originally planned for this update but has been postponed to the April 2026 update. Remaining stabilization work required more testing time than initially estimated. A public beta branch opened on Steam on March 5, 2026 to test the engine upgrade before the full release.
Key improvements expected from the UE 5.6 upgrade include:
Improved rendering performance, particularly on mid-range hardware.
Better memory management with reduced RAM usage.
Faster asset streaming and improved load times.
Enhanced lighting and shadow quality.
Foundation for future features like vehicle modding and curved walls.
Targeted crash fixes and overall stability improvements.
The beta was Steam-only, had no mod support, and save files remained compatible between the beta and main branches. Players could exit the beta and return to the main branch at any time.
Bug Fixes
Over 80 bug fixes were included in this update across all game systems. Highlights include:
Gameplay Fixes
Baby interaction issues have been restored and corrected.
Consecutive childcare behavior now works properly.
Water exit with WASD keys at the Bliss Bay beach fixed.
Business properties are no longer force-sold on marriage.
Ambitions are preserved when relocating between cities.
NPC marriage procedures now follow normal flow.
Zois stop interacting with objects after they break.
Social event guests can now return home properly.
Newborn crying cancels cooking less frequently.
Boat fishing catch rates apply correctly.
Post-hacking arrest procedures work as intended.
Babysitters are now properly retained in the household system.
Multi-city moves with business ownership no longer cause issues.
Cooking recipes now check ingredient requirements properly.
Build Mode Fixes
Furniture under roofless spaces is now properly protected from rain.
Corridor floor disappearance issue resolved.
Doors and windows restored correctly after save-revert cycles.
Wall recreation after window deletion fixed.
Rattan dresser and toddler storage customization areas corrected.
CAZ and UI Fixes
Jacket color display consistency fixed.
Skin color undo now reverts properly.
Outfit clipping issues resolved.
Clothing white outline artifacts removed.
Option name overflow in UI corrected.
Job qualification requirements now display in full.
Temperature unit settings apply correctly.
Mod Fixes
Mods are now auto-disabled when the game updates to prevent crashes.
Installation crash prevention for corrupted mod files.
Translation mod text properly applies in-game.
ModKit upload functionality restored.
How to Update
The update was delivered automatically through Steam and the Mac App Store on March 26, 2026. Save files from previous versions are fully compatible. Players should ensure adequate disk space, as the game may grow to approximately 75 GB with this update. Existing mods are automatically disabled upon installation to prevent compatibility issues and should be re-enabled after confirming they work with the new version.
Developer Notes
The development team noted that most key points from the "Fundamentals First" development direction have been accomplished with this update. The team has 7 to 8 total updates planned for 2026, with the March update completing the Q1 roadmap goals. The April 2026 update will prioritize the Unreal Engine 5.6 upgrade along with bug fixing, optimization, and stability improvements. Expanded modding support will continue to be a focus throughout the year.