Inzoi update: 5 main takeaways from Kjun’s open letter

      The Sims has continuously held its position as the leader in life simulation games since its debut in 2000, which may explain the significant attention Inzoi has attracted. With its impressive graphics and the unexpected depth for an early access title, Inzoi has the potential to compete with one of the most established franchises in gaming history.

      However, the relatively few updates have left many initial players feeling let down. When Inzoi first became available in early access, it had nearly 90,000 players, but that number has since fallen to around 5,000. This isn’t necessarily a sign of failure; instead, it indicates that players have largely explored the existing content and are eagerly anticipating more releases and updates that promote long-term interest.

      Much like The Sims, players can pursue careers, get married, and even start a family. You can also drive a car. In one respect, Inzoi definitely outshines The Sims: character creation. Players can spend hours customizing their Zoi to resemble themselves, to a degree that verges on the Uncanny Valley.

      Recently, director Hyungjun ‘Kjun’ Kim issued an open letter via social media, vowing to improve communication with the community.

      The developers are committed to meeting player expectations.

      In the letter's introduction, Kjun expressed gratitude to the community for their ongoing support and apologized for the more frustrating aspects. "Some of you may have encountered crashes or felt the available content was insufficient. I sincerely apologize for any frustration this may have caused," he wrote.

      "The inZOI team closely monitors the messages you send, and we are dedicated to putting in extra effort to return your kindness. While we may currently fall short, we are resolved to demonstrate that this is not just another “Early Access” game that exploits its status. We genuinely want to engage with you, collaborate on this game, and uphold that commitment."

      Inzoi will feature a dedicated Discord channel.

      Among the most exciting announcements in Kjun’s letter was the introduction of a Discord channel where players and the development team can engage in real-time discussions. "…we intend to create a dedicated channel on Discord, allowing us to actively discuss and reflect on your feedback together," Kjun mentioned. "Our aim is to grow and enhance Inzoi day by day and week by week, ensuring it provides the best possible experience for everyone."

      The Discord will enable the team to update players regularly and facilitate the discussion of changes and concerns more easily.

      The team will take a short break.

      It’s understandable that the Krafton team is feeling fatigued. Launching a game is a significant task, and they had to quickly address several major issues immediately post-launch, including the removal of DRM before early access began. "Right now, our team is a bit worn out from launch preparations, so we will take a short break to recharge," Kjun stated.

      The team plans to launch the Discord and resume work following the break. While Kjun didn’t indicate the duration of this break, the roadmap indicates an update in May and another in August. It may be a relatively slow summer for the game as the team recuperates, but the content scheduled for later in the year should make up for it.

      Stability will be a priority.

      Although the Inzoi team will concentrate on smaller, more frequent updates, they want to ensure that gameplay remains stable and that crashes are minimized. "I also understand that frequent updates can sometimes bring about unforeseen issues," Kjun mentioned. "Thus, we will prioritize stability and conduct thorough internal reviews before implementing new changes."

      The commitment to well-considered updates is reassuring, especially when routine fixes can sometimes lead to more problems than benefits. For instance, the recent update to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered disrupted its graphics settings. With a focus on stability, perhaps Inzoi players will feel less anxious about incoming updates.

      More updates are on the way, and soon.

      Although he did not provide an exact date in his letter, the Inzoi roadmap indicates an initial update in May. This will introduce an adoption system, in-game cheat codes, a mod kit, and much more. Additionally, there’s DLC titled Kucingku Cat Island set to be released on August 8 (International Cat Day), which will likely allow for pet adoption.

      Kjun’s letter came across as a heartfelt communication rather than a corporate press release and was positively received by fans. One fan even referred to it as the "most genuine post-launch message from a developer" ever. As an early access title, fans should not expect perfection from Inzoi. The game has already impressed on several fronts and is bound to improve further from here.