Since the end of March, inZOI has been available in Early Access on Steam, but not all players are thrilled. Now, the developer is apologizing to everyone who is disappointed.
The South Korean “inZOI Studio” and publisher KRAFTON (known for PUBG) have released inZOI as a more realistic alternative to The Sims. Since March 28, 2025, it has been available in Early Access on Steam, where 83% of the reviews are positive.
However, inZOI is also receiving criticism:
- Characters can die in inZOI, so death is more or less part of the game. Due to a bug, it was even possible to run over people – including children. The error was quickly fixed.
- Another point of contention was the planned use of Denuvo, a controversial copy protection that many players reject. After protests, the developers backtracked and decided against it.
- Reviews also indicate that the game feels too empty for many. Our colleagues at GameStar also say: inZOI is boring, does not challenge, and resembles a playground where you are not allowed to play.
Now, inZOI director Hyungjun “Kjun” Kim has addressed fans on X (formerly Twitter). In an open letter, he thanks the community for their support – and apologizes for the frustration his game has caused.
Developer does not want to use the term “Early Access” as an excuse
This is what the head of inZOI says: In his post on X, Kjun admits that inZOI still has many weaknesses and many players find the content insufficient. “I sincerely apologize for any frustration that has arisen from this,” he writes.
He reports that he feels like a “nervous parent” when he watches inZOI streams. However, seeing the community have fun with the game feels like a huge success for him. The team takes the feedback to heart and wants to work even harder.
It is particularly important to him that inZOI does not simply become another Early Access game that rests on this status. He assures:
Even if we are not perfect right now, we want to prove that this is not an Early Access title that merely takes advantage of this label. We truly want to communicate with you, build the game together, and seriously uphold this promise.
Kjun also addressed this on the inZOI Discord server on April 1, 2025:
Additionally, we will continue to address critical issues with hotfixes as soon as they are identified. As mentioned before, it is important for us to stay true to our words and not use the term “Early Access” as an excuse. We are grateful to everyone who has purchased the game and will keep our promise through regular updates and open communication.
“The introverted version of Swen Vincke”
How is this received by the community? His words are well received: The Discord post received over 2,100 hearts, and the message on X garnered more than 8,800 likes (as of April 3, 19:35). Many players comment that they are hopeful and looking forward to upcoming content.
Also on Reddit, the message is received positively. Korean__Princess writes: “I love [the developers] even more when they send out letters like this.” And Positive-Smile-2717 adds: “All in all, it was a solid Early Access start. I can only hope that the game continues to develop and grow with worthwhile updates and changes.”
User Akasha1885 even compares Hyungjun “Kjun” Kim to Swen Vincke, the head behind Larian Studios and Baldur’s Gate 3. Vincke captivated the gaming community with his special outfit at the Game Awards 2023 and moved with his speech on X.
In his message on X, Kjun emphasizes that inZOI began as a small, personal project out of his own enthusiasm. Previously, he stated that the development of inZOI is his “greatest challenge” to date. He now understands why so few studios dare to take on life simulation. More on this can be found here: “Now I understand why so few have tried” – head of inZOI explains why it’s hard to surpass The Sims
