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Multiplayer and Online - Version 19 vs Version 20
May 24, 2026, 09:41 PM
Added May 2026 Status Update covering May 9 dev diary (June 2026 update preview), May 15 dev diary (PS5 launch revised to H1 2027), May 24 dev diary (High School confirmed for June 2026); bumped Live Build Snapshot date
Jun 8, 2026, 11:00 PM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
11Overview22inZOI launched as a single-player game in March 2025. The primary online component is Canvas, a built-in platform for sharing user-generated content. Full multiplayer is in active development under the name inZOI Online, with a phased rollout planned throughout 2026. Director Hyungjun 'Kjun' Kim has described inZOI Online as a new direction for the life-simulation genre, calling it 'largely uncharted' territory. The multiplayer system is being developed by a specialized internal task force alongside the base game. KRAFTON has emphasized that 2026 is a collaborative testing year where timelines and scope may shift based on development progress and community feedback.44As of March 2026, inZOI Online features remain in R&D validation. The March 26, 2026 update focused entirely on single-player improvements (multitasking, memories, new businesses, seasons, and over 1,300 new items), with multiplayer features continuing to progress behind the scenes according to the published roadmap.66Origins: From MMOs to Life Simulation Multiplayer88Director Kjun spent over 20 years developing Korean MMORPGs, including titles like Aion and Elyon, before transitioning to life simulation. He has described growing frustrated with MMO development's emphasis on competition and conflict. The shift to inZOI was partly inspired by his son, who asked why there were not more games like the life simulators they enjoyed playing together. That question motivated Kim to create something the two of them could cherish for years.1010Kim's extensive MMO background proved directly relevant to inZOI Online's ambitions. His experience designing vast maps, managing large concurrent player counts, and building real-time social systems informed the technical architecture behind Canvastown and the dedicated server plans for Phase 5. When discussing the multiplayer vision, Kim has noted that the challenge lies in preserving the intimate, personal nature of life simulation while enabling the shared experiences that multiplayer provides.1212The Presidential Meeting1414In a widely reported meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visited KRAFTON's studio and spent more than 25 minutes with the inZOI team. During the visit, the president pulled Director Kim aside for a private discussion. Kim recounted that the president 'suddenly sat down' and began watching the game intently, ignoring other discussions. President Lee suggested that KRAFTON add multiplayer to the virtual world and place advertisements on in-game billboards to boost revenue.1616Kim described the encounter by saying, 'It almost felt like I was getting talked to by the company's CEO.' While inZOI Online was already in development at the time of the visit, the presidential endorsement underscored the cultural significance of the project within South Korea's gaming industry. Kim confirmed that multiplayer was one of three major systems already in active production, alongside modding and AI NPCs.1818Canvas (Current Online Feature)2020Canvas is inZOI's content-sharing platform, available since launch. Players can upload and download custom Zois, outfits, room designs, and building blueprints created by the community. Canvas operates independently of the multiplayer system and does not require an inZOI Online account. See the dedicated Canvas article for details.2222How Canvas Works2525To use Canvas, players must register or log in to a KRAFTON account. This can be done using KRAFTON credentials directly or by scanning a QR code displayed on screen. Once logged in, players can browse, download, and upload creations.2727Uploading Zois: Open the Create a Zoi menu, select a Zoi Preset, Face, or Outfit, and click 'Upload to Canvas' in the top right corner. Players can choose to upload the entire Zoi, just the face, or just the outfit. Adding relevant keywords (up to 15) helps other players find the creation.2929Uploading and Downloading3131Uploading Buildings: In Build Mode, click 'Upload to Canvas' on the left side. Property, room, and furniture presets must be saved before they can be uploaded.3333Downloading Content: Click any creation to open its details page and press Download. Downloaded Zois appear under Zoi Presets in Create-a-Zoi. Downloaded lots appear under Property Presets in Build Mode. Downloaded rooms and furniture appear under their respective categories.3535Play Together Referral Event3737The Play Together event launched on March 28, 2025, and has no announced end date. It is a referral program rather than a multiplayer feature. Players generate a personal invite link through the KRAFTON website and share it with friends. When a friend accepts the invite, creates an inZOI account, and claims the reward, both players receive cosmetic items.3939Rewards: The inviter receives a Kitty Outfit and a Kitty Headset. The invited friend receives a Kitty Headset. Each Steam account can claim one reward. Items may take up to five minutes to appear in-game after claiming. The event is only available to Steam users; Mac App Store users are not eligible.4141inZOI Online: 2026 Phased Rollout4343The multiplayer rollout follows five phases throughout 2026. Each phase builds on the previous one, starting with account infrastructure and ending with large-scale dedicated servers. All phases are R&D-driven, meaning specific dates may shift based on testing results. Director Kjun has stated that 'many unresolved questions must be validated through internal and external testing' before multiplayer's value can be fully confirmed.4545PhaseTargetFeaturesPhase 1: FoundationJanuary 2026Create and save an account-linked personal Zoi; save-and-resume for hosted online sessions, allowing hosts to pause and continue from the same state laterPhase 2: Social InfrastructureFebruary 2026Web-based Online Main, Plaza, and Lobby/Waiting Room pages; online chat channels and rooms; 'My Zoi' social features for online usePhase 3: Co-op PlayMarch 2026Decorate your own house and save it to your account using cloud saves; invite other players to enter your house and play together; Fate Engine and Canvastown technical synchronizationPhase 4: Hosted SessionsJune 2026Host tools to adjust game rules and manage participants; shared play with official inZOI mods in multiplayer; Canvastown #1 release (~40 lots)Phase 5: Large-ScaleOctober 2026Large-scale multiplayer with dedicated servers; hundreds to thousands of concurrent players per server; Canvastown #2 expanded to ~50 lots with rural countryside atmosphere4747The Fate Engine4848Canvastown and inZOI Online are built on the Fate Engine, a new technical framework designed specifically for multiplayer. The Fate Engine's core philosophy is 'save and share': it lets players capture interesting life scenarios they have experienced and invite others to enter that exact moment and play it themselves. Director Kjun described the goal as preserving the genre's value while enabling players to save and share their 'good runs,' reducing the frustration of randomness-driven outcomes.5050How the Fate Engine Works5252the Fate Engine generates random 'life setups' for characters, providing structured goals and challenges within the sandbox-style gameplay. Players press a randomization button that shuffles world settings completely, producing unique starting circumstances. These might include becoming a billionaire's youngest son, discovering a paranormal family situation, or leading a large family through poverty. Kjun has described the philosophy as 'experiencing life through trials and hardships, one story at a time.'5454The system is designed to remain completely optional. Players who prefer freeform sandbox gameplay are not required to engage with Fate Engine scenarios. The development team has explored possibilities including fate-based quests, challenges, rewards (traits, items, achievements), and player-edited or pre-selected fates as alternatives to pure randomization.5656Fate Engine Integration Timeline5858MilestoneDateDetailsFate Engine + Canvastown syncMarch 2026Technical integration of the engine with the Canvastown worldCanvastown update/download featuresMay 2026Players can upload and download Canvastown contentFate Engine expansion to other citiesMay 2026Engine optimizations transfer to Dowon, Bliss Bay, and KucingkuCanvastown #1 launchJune 2026~40 lots in a small village settingCanvastown #2 expansionOctober 2026~50 lots with calm rural countryside theme6060Canvastown6161Canvastown is the primary world for inZOI Online. It is designed as a compact, performance-friendly environment built from the ground up for multiplayer. The smaller footprint compared to Dowon and Bliss Bay is intentional: it improves performance on lower-spec hardware, reduces network overhead for multiplayer synchronization, and creates a neighborhood where everything around your home is part of your playable space.6363Technical Design6565Canvastown is approximately one-eighth the size of Dowon. Director Kjun discovered that cities built entirely with Build Mode tools maintain excellent performance, which led to Canvastown's design as a Build Mode-constructed environment. The town is expected to support 40 to 80 plots while maintaining smooth framerates. Its compact layout reduces travel distances, eliminates traffic delays, and means Zois appear frequently around your home, creating a livelier atmosphere than a sprawling city might.6767The Build Mode-only construction approach does introduce some limitations. Canvastown has a relatively small scale, limited natural visual expression compared to hand-crafted environments, and restricted space for vehicle content. However, the trade-off enables reliable multiplayer synchronization and lower system requirements.6969KRAFTON has stated that the performance optimizations developed for Canvastown will eventually transfer to the existing cities (Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Kucingku), lowering system requirements and improving PC performance across the entire game.7171Canvastown Versions7373VersionReleaseLotsThemeCanvastown Canvastown #1June 2026~40Small village settingCanvastown Canvastown #2October 2026~50Calm rural countryside7575Kjun has discussed future plans to connect multiple Canvastown instances with minimal loading screens, introduce diverse architectural styles (including European and Korean traditional aesthetics), and develop terrain and underground editing tools.7676Personal Zoi7878In inZOI Online, each player creates a persistent, account-linked personal Zoi that carries over between multiplayer sessions. This Zoi is separate from your single-player save files and exists specifically for the online environment. The personal Zoi retains their appearance, personality, and progress across all multiplayer sessions. The system was introduced in Phase 1 (January 2026).8080The personal Zoi is created through the same character creation tools used in single-player, but is stored on KRAFTON's servers rather than locally. This allows the Zoi to appear consistently regardless of which session or host the player joins. The 'My Zoi' social features introduced in Phase 2 provide an online profile for the personal Zoi, visible to other players through the web-based Plaza and Lobby interfaces.8282Co-Op Housing8484Starting with Phase 3 (March 2026), players can decorate their own house within the online environment and save it to their account using cloud saves. Other players can then enter your house and play together cooperatively. This is the first truly interactive multiplayer feature, moving beyond the social infrastructure of Phases 1 and 2 into shared gameplay.8686House decoration in the online environment uses the same Build Mode tools available in single-player. The key difference is that online houses are saved to the player's KRAFTON account rather than a local save file, allowing them to persist across sessions and be accessible from any device. When a friend visits, both players can interact within the space, use furniture, and engage with each other's Zois in real time.8888Host Tools and Mod Support9090Phase 4 (June 2026) introduces session management for hosts, giving room operators granular control over their multiplayer experience:9292FeatureDescriptionGame rule adjustmentHosts can configure rules for their multiplayer session, customizing the experience for participants. This could include setting time progression speed, toggling specific gameplay systems, or restricting certain activities.Participant managementHosts can invite, remove, and manage players in their session. The community has also requested voice chat, blocking features, and granular permission systems, which KRAFTON has acknowledged.Mod supportOfficial inZOI mods can be used in multiplayer sessions. This means CurseForge mods that are compatible with multiplayer can be shared across all participants in a hosted game.9494Multiplayer Modding Roadmap9595The modding system for inZOI Online follows its own development timeline that intersects with the multiplayer phases. KRAFTON plans to gradually expand what modders can create and share in online sessions.9797DateModding FeatureJanuary 2026JSON-based asset format in ModKit; in-game mod managementMarch 2026CAZ Wizard expansion (accessories, motions, faces); Sound Wizard improvementsJune 2026Vehicle modding, Unreal Engine 5.6 migration, CLO platform integration (R&D), PS5/Mac support preparationOctober 2026Multiplayer-linked modding testing, data-modding AI wizard (R&D)December 2026Lua script modding support9999The October 2026 milestone is particularly significant for online play because it marks the first official testing of mods within the dedicated server environment. Lua script modding, arriving in December, would give modders the ability to create more sophisticated gameplay modifications that function across multiplayer sessions.100100Large-Scale Multiplayer102102The most ambitious phase targets October 2026. KRAFTON aims to introduce dedicated servers supporting hundreds to thousands of concurrent players per server. Players will explore cities, meet others, and form connections in a persistent shared world. This phase coincides with the Canvastown #2 expansion, providing the physical space for the larger player population.104104The dedicated server infrastructure represents the long-term vision for inZOI Online. If successful, it would make inZOI one of the first life-simulation games to support massively multiplayer shared worlds. Director Kjun's two decades of MMORPG experience inform this phase directly; the challenges of handling thousands of concurrent users in a shared environment, managing server loads, and preventing desynchronization are problems he has worked on throughout his career.106106Shared World Experience108108Players on dedicated servers will be able to explore the world, observe events happening around them, meet other players organically, and build social connections. The experience is designed to feel like living in a shared city rather than joining a traditional game lobby.110110AI NPCs112112AI NPC systems for the online environment remain in ongoing research and development. These would be AI-driven characters that populate the multiplayer world alongside real players, maintaining the feeling of a living city even when player counts are low. No specific release date has been announced for AI NPCs.114114The AI NPC initiative is one of three major R&D workstreams alongside multiplayer and modding. KRAFTON has indicated that AI NPCs would help address a common concern with life-simulation multiplayer: that cities might feel empty during off-peak hours. By filling the world with believable autonomous characters, the team aims to preserve the lively atmosphere that players expect from a life-simulation game regardless of how many real players are online at any given time.116116Community Reception118118The announcement of inZOI Online generated significant discussion within the player community. While many players expressed excitement about the potential for shared life-simulation experiences, several concerns have emerged on the official inZOI forums and Steam discussions.120120ConcernDetailsGraphics and performance concernsSome players worry that optimizing for hundreds or thousands of concurrent players could degrade visual quality for everyone, including single-player users. Community members have pointed to instances where post-launch updates reduced visual fidelity, with vehicles and Zois disappearing due to distance culling.Premature focusA vocal segment of the community believes multiplayer development should not be prioritized until the base game's core systems are more polished. Forum threads have argued that KRAFTON should 'have a solid foundation first' before investing heavily in online features.Resource allocationPlayers have expressed concern that multiplayer development could divert resources from single-player improvements. KRAFTON has directly addressed this by confirming the multiplayer task force is a separate internal team that operates in parallel with (not instead of) the core development team.122122Supporters of the multiplayer initiative have countered that multiplayer servers operate on separate infrastructure and should not directly impact single-player graphics. They attribute visual changes to simulation and performance balancing adjustments rather than multiplayer optimization.123123Single-Player Protection125125KRAFTON has made several explicit guarantees about how multiplayer development relates to the single-player experience:127127The multiplayer task force operates alongside (not instead of) the team working on base game improvements.inZOI Online is being developed as an optional feature. Players who prefer single-player will not be required to engage with any multiplayer systems.The Fate Engine and Canvastown are designed to benefit both online and offline play. Performance optimizations developed for Canvastown will transfer to all existing cities.Community feedback during each phase directly influences the scope of subsequent phases.129129Development Status131131All inZOI Online features are classified as R&D initiatives. KRAFTON has been transparent that:133133Timelines and scope may change depending on development progress.Schedules may be altered based on mid-stage test results and the chosen service/operations model.The multiplayer task force operates alongside (not instead of) the team working on base game improvements.Community feedback during each phase directly influences the scope of subsequent phases.Multiplayer life simulation is 'largely uncharted' territory, and KRAFTON is approaching it as a collaborative testing year with the player community.135135The development team has acknowledged that establishing the fundamentals of how multiplayer works in a life-simulation context requires extensive testing. Features that underperform during internal validation may be redesigned or delayed. Kjun has framed 2026 as a year for asking questions and testing assumptions rather than delivering a finished product, noting that the team plans to 'actively discuss multiplayer features with the community and continue shaping the mode together with players.'137137April 2026 Status Update139139Two community letters from Director Hyungjun Kim during April 2026 affected the multiplayer roadmap context, even though the multiplayer system itself remained in active R&D throughout the month. The shifts are framed below for clarity.141141April 17, 2026 Community Letter143143The full inZOI 1.0 launch was confirmed as moving to early 2027. The PlayStation 5 release is now treated as a parallel priority alongside the 1.0 launch rather than the original H1 2026 window. Multiplayer remained on its separate developer track and was not directly included in the realignment, but the longer single-player timeline gives the multiplayer team more runway to mature their phased rollout before 1.0.145145April 24, 2026 Community Letter147147May 2026 was confirmed as not a major content release. The team's priority through April and May is stabilisation and strengthening foundational systems. Multiplayer-related milestones (host tools and modding integration originally pencilled for June 2026, large-scale dedicated servers for October 2026) remain on the roadmap but were not given updated dates in the letter.149149April Hotfix Cycle151151Three small hotfixes shipped during April 2026 (v0.7.3, v0.7.4, v0.7.5). None included multiplayer features. The hotfixes focused on autonomous behaviour edge cases (v0.7.3), crash stability (v0.7.4), and Lumen Reflections tuning on lower-end GPUs (v0.7.5). The multiplayer team continued working on the dedicated R&D track in parallel, with weekly developer updates documenting progress on the account-linked Zoi system, web-based lobbies, and host tools.153153May 2026 Status Update155155Three developer diaries during May 2026 affected the multiplayer roadmap context, particularly around the platform timeline and the next major update's scope. The multiplayer task force itself remained on its phased R&D track throughout May.157157May 9, 2026 Dev Diary159159Producer Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim previewed the June 2026 update as a foundational-systems release oriented toward PlayStation 5 readiness. Confirmed June targets all carry direct or indirect implications for online play and host tools: a customizable ring menu adopted from console design and made available on PC, video and audio streaming from local PC files (with adjustable audio, playback speed, and camera angles), expanded ragdoll physics for environmental cause-and-effect (water spills causing slip, water damage to electronics, broken object impacts), and an expanded "Look At" system covering Create-a-Zoi eye tracking and walking hand-holding animations. DualSense-specific features include a birthday candle-blowing mechanic using the controller microphone and a fishing mini-game using haptic feedback.161161May 15, 2026 Dev Diary (PlayStation 5 Revision)163163Kjun officially revised the PlayStation 5 launch window from H1 2026 to the first half of 2027. The April 17, 2026 framing in this article reflects the prior schedule; as of May 15, 2026 the PS5 release is now formally aligned with the broader 1.0 launch in early 2027. The team explained that the console version is not a one-to-one port: the interface is being redesigned around the DualSense controller, the UI is being tuned for television screens viewed at greater distance, and performance is being optimized for PS5's fixed hardware while preserving the large open cities and autonomous Zois. Unlike PC's Early Access model, the team intends to deliver a polished and complete experience from day one on PlayStation 5 without a large-scale public beta. Gameplay demonstration videos will be released to gather community feedback before launch. The multiplayer roadmap dates are unchanged by this revision; the multiplayer task force runs separately from the platform team.165165May 24, 2026 Dev Diary (High School System Confirmed for June 2026)167167Kjun confirmed that the June 2026 update will headline BOTH the foundational PlayStation 5 systems previewed on May 9 AND an active High School system that replaces the v0.8.x rabbit-hole school. Players will follow children and adolescents to school, enroll them in extracurricular activities (cheerleading, American football, soccer, arcade), and attend school events (prom, graduation with stage-walking, sports games). New Create-a-Zoi assets accompany the school content: cheerleading/football/soccer uniforms, graduation caps and gowns, crime masks, new tights and stockings. School-specific social features include new couch interactions, new phone calls, chance card pop-ups, and social outings tied to school life. The active high school content has no direct multiplayer dependency, but the surrounding social infrastructure (new couch interactions, new social outings) becomes available in the same patch that the Phase 4 host tools target.169169May Hotfix Cycle171171Four hotfixes shipped during May (v0.8.2 on May 2, v0.8.3 on May 11, v0.8.4 on May 13, v0.8.5 on May 15). None included multiplayer features. The most consequential was v0.8.3, which fixed an infinite NPC spawning bug that had been bloating save files since v0.8.0, paired with a scheduled save-file cleanup on May 12 at 9:00 AM. The multiplayer team continued working on the dedicated R&D track in parallel through these hotfixes.173173Live Build Snapshot (May 25, 2026)175175ItemStatusLive multiplayer in main clientNot available. Single-player only.Account-linked Zoi system (Phase 1)Roadmap milestone January 2026; in active R&D.Web-based lobby and main menu (Phase 2)Roadmap milestone February 2026; in active R&D.Personal housing co-op (Phase 3)Roadmap milestone March 2026; in active R&D.Host tools and official mods in multiplayer (Phase 4)Roadmap milestone June 2026.Large-scale dedicated servers (Phase 5)Roadmap milestone October 2026.Canvastown integrationCanvastown #1 anchor world targeted June 2026.177177All multiplayer dates are aspirational. KRAFTON has emphasized that 2026 is a collaborative testing year where timelines and scope may shift based on development progress and community feedback. The multiplayer team is staffed separately from the core single-player team, so multiplayer slips do not directly affect single-player content cadence.
