InZOI's lead developer kjun has shared a detailed look at the life sim's next major focus: a ground-up rethink of how Zois make decisions. In a developer diary posted today, kjun describes the current score-based autonomy system, its shortcomings, and the team's plans to replace it with something closer to how people actually behave.
How InZOI's autonomy works right now
Each Zoi currently scans interaction targets within a roughly 40-meter radius, evaluates them based on needs, traits, personality, and preferences, then picks whichever action scores highest. It's functional, but it produces some odd results: couples splitting up the moment they arrive at a park, Zois leaving buildings because a toilet outside was technically closer, or characters ignoring desperate hunger because a lower-priority action still held the top score.
What's changing
The redesign moves away from raw numerical scoring toward rule-based behavior that reflects each Zoi's identity. An outgoing Zoi should gravitate toward socializing. A family-oriented Zoi should prefer time with their spouse and children. Partners visiting a park together should walk, chat, and enjoy each other's company rather than immediately scattering.
Kjun frames it bluntly: "If someone asked me what the single most important element of a life simulation game is, I would answer without hesitation: the autonomy system that makes ZOI feel like real people living their own lives."
Alongside the philosophical shift, the update includes a batch of targeted fixes already in progress:
- Zois now interrupt lower-priority tasks to address urgent needs like hunger or bladder
- Building routing has been reworked so Zois use objects inside their current building instead of leaving for something technically closer outside
- Conversations can no longer be randomly interrupted by other Zois when they're emotionally charged
- NPC Zois will now actually use fishing spots around the city, which were previously almost never visited
- The action queue now shows which Zoi your character is speaking to or interacting with
Beyond autonomy
The same development post confirms several other additions and quality-of-life tweaks coming alongside or shortly after the autonomy work:
- Engine and collision sounds for vehicles, building on recent physics improvements
- Bed assignment on move-in, where each family member is automatically given a bed (manually reassignable)
- Build mode sub-categories to reduce scrolling through object lists
- An elevator fix preventing you from selecting the floor you're already on
- A controlled jumping feature with ragdoll physics, still in early development, that transitions into swimming mode when a Zoi enters water
The jumping and swimming work is explicitly described as being in early development phases, so it may not ship with the autonomy changes.
Timeline and context
Kjun states that improving autonomy is the team's highest priority throughout July, with August focused on connecting the game's various systems more naturally. The source reporting suggests the update will arrive in August, though no firm release date has been announced.
InZOI remains in early access on PC, with its PS5 version delayed to the first half of 2027 as Krafton works on console-specific controls and UI. Today's diary signals that the PC version's core simulation layer is getting serious attention in the meantime.
The full breakdown, including screenshots of each feature, is available at Sims Community.