Hello everyone,
When I shared the “Fundamentals First & 2026 Roadmap” last Friday, I did not clearly mention that it would be released in two parts.
Part 2 will focus on our mid- to long-term direction, covering features that are actively being validated and developed through ongoing R&D. This includes modding, multiplayer, AI NPCs, and Canvas Town (along with the Fate Engine). Please note that some items may be adjusted depending on development progress. Each area is being handled by a dedicated studio team, and we’ve already expanded our teams to support this work and keep development moving forward.
Part 2 will be posted this Friday.
Part 1: confirmed tasks we must deliver in 2026
Part 2: Mid- to long-term direction, covering features under active R&D
Today is a truly special Wednesday—so I’m posting on a Wednesday.
This is a thank-you note to all of you who made 2025 the most special year of my life. There’s no development update here—just something personal.
Through inZOI, 2025 became the year I discovered a new way to make games. Until now, my work usually meant intense debates in meeting rooms with teammates, or running full speed alone until an idea finally appeared. But this year, for the first time, I experienced what it means to build a game together with players, through constant communication—and I truly realized the value and meaning of that process.
I grew up in a very rural area. When I was young, I didn’t even have shoes before I started school, so I often walked around barefoot. It was quiet, empty, and remote—almost no people. Maybe because of that, I’m still shy and very introverted, and I don’t easily meet up even when someone reaches out. I’d never used social media at all, and I only created an X account recently after a friend recommended it. I was never someone naturally “good at communication.”
So for me, doing interviews for inZOI, meeting so many of you in person, listening to your voices, and then reflecting that feedback into the game—this has been a huge change.
The turning point came during an interview with a well-known influencer channel in Korea. The producer told me something like:
“I’ve never seen a developer talk about their game with so much joy. Keep building while staying in conversation with players.”
That didn’t feel like a compliment—it felt like a suggestion that could change how I develop games. And that’s one reason we chose Early Access and kept developing the way we do now.
Just like the person who builds a car isn’t necessarily the best driver, even though I made this game, I believe the people who enjoy it most deeply—and therefore understand it most accurately—are you, the players. That’s why Early Access became a process that made me happier: improving the game together with you.
My son is also making games now, and sometimes we talk about game development methods and the life of a developer. The hardest question to answer is always:
“What talent do I need to succeed as a game developer? Do I have it?”
Because most of a game developer’s life is far from success. Success comes very rarely—but most of the time, you have to keep walking quietly through indifference.
Honestly, in many ways, our lives aren’t that different, are they?
So I can now tell my son this:
“Dad isn’t a developer with special talent either. Game development is hard to succeed at. But if you love making games, then you’re a game developer. Loving it means you can walk that path. Whatever you do, do it in the way you like best.”
And after making inZOI, I’ve even started recommending the Early Access approach:
“The hardest part of succeeding is finding (or creating) something the public truly loves. One way to find the answer is through communication with players. And you also have to enjoy making others happy with what you create.”
Walking a road where nobody knows the right answer is scary and overwhelming. But going out to the market earlier, and discovering direction through communication with players—helped me stop enduring that uncertainty alone. It made development feel fun again.
The biggest gift you gave me is this:
“Development doesn’t have to be done alone—it can be done together with players.”
You didn’t just tell me that—you made me feel it. And now I can even share that experience with my son.
So, sincerely—thank you.
Everyone, in 2026, leave every burden behind in 2025.
I believe every life is a gift, and we live to understand the value of this experience.
In 2026, take one step toward the life you hope for. And if, every morning you open your eyes, you choose “a happy life”—then no trial can truly make you unhappy.
Just like this year—if something is truly meant to happen, it will find its way in the end.
Thank you.
K.jun
P.S. I wanted to send a small gift with my gratitude. I thought Canvas could become a place where I can deliver gifts to you directly, so I decided to try it. It’s a little embarrassing because it’s a small gift—and since I rushed this without any special system, I’m slightly worried whether it will work smoothly. But if it goes well, I’d love to prepare more in the future. I’m also a bit concerned that accessing Canvas might feel inconvenient.
Warm New Year Gift: “Winter Classic” Collection Items
Winter Classic Nordic Scarf
Winter Classic Knit Gloves
Winter Classic Wish Earmuffs
Download Here : https://canvas.playinzoi.com/ko-KR/creation/gal-251218-085137-3630000
※ Read All Kjun’s Brainstorm Topics: https://forum.playinzoi.com/t/topic/7762