Hello everyone. It’s been another whirlwind of a Friday.
This week, we finally wrapped up the build, which means I can now share the update schedule with you. I’m always sorry to keep you waiting like this.
The update is scheduled for September 3rd (Thu) at 6:00 AM UTC.
Looking back over the past two months, we’ve been working at a relentless pace. And yet, now that it’s time to show you the results, I still find myself focusing on all the things that could have been better. But when you open the patch notes, I think you’ll be surprised by just how many areas we’ve worked on and improved. I may not be perfect, but I hope you know that I’m always giving this my very best.
This time in particular, we put a tremendous amount of effort into improving the fundamental systems that form the foundation of the game. We’ve refined autonomous behavior so that Zois act in ways that better fit the context around them, and basic needs such as sleep and hunger are now handled more naturally. Zois will also sit at the table with people they are close to. (If they awkwardly sit apart at first, please be a little patient with them. It’s because they haven’t become close enough yet.) You’ll also see Zois who own vehicles get into their cars on their own and drive to their destinations.
One major disappointment, however, is that we weren’t able to fully include the venue system I promised last time. The flow where customers arrive, sit down to eat, pay, and then leave—and the more specific behaviors that prevent shop owners from casually sitting in customer seats and eating—will have a prototype ready next week, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it into this build in time.
I wanted to spend just a little more time finishing it properly, but the schedule simply wouldn’t allow it. It has been weighing on me, so we’re continuing development even now in hopes of delivering it through a hotfix if possible. After redesigning the entire autonomy system from the ground up, it’s especially disappointing that we still can’t show you this particular scene yet.
Perhaps our lives are always filled with little regrets like these. Like walking home after an exam you stayed up all night studying for, only to realize you made a mistake on a question you knew the answer to. Or saying goodbye to an old friend you haven’t seen in years, then thinking on the way home, “I wish I’d said that while I had the chance.”
Even when we give something our very best, there always seems to be a small empty space left behind. In some ways, developing inZOI feels the same. There are things we should have done better from the very beginning, and only now does it feel like we’re finally completing some of those long-overdue assignments.
Even so, because all of you continue to embrace our shortcomings with warmth and offer us such generous support, we find the strength not to become discouraged and to take another step forward.
As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I hope you have a peaceful and comforting weekend filled with warmth.
-Kjun ※ For the video, please check it on Discord or the forum.
🔗 Discord: Link
🔗 Forum: Link
Kjun’s Reply to Your Comments
Hello everyone,
August has already come to an end. Here in Korea, summer is finally starting to wind down.
We're wrapping up preparations for tomorrow's update, so I hope you'll forgive me for keeping today's post a little short. I'll share more details next week.
Thank you for all the passionate feedback on restaurants. Since this is our first time introducing the feature, there were definitely some rough edges — in particular, we're working to quickly sort out the issue of Zois leaving their seats, and we hope to get that to you soon. We've also heard a lot from you about wanting more dishes and menu variety, including appetizers and desserts, and I'll be sure to pass that along to the team responsible.
I've been watching the videos and posts many of you have shared while experimenting with DLSS 5. It's genuinely impressive to see how much of a difference the technology makes to rendering.
On the audio side, you've pointed out that the emotion BGM replays every time you switch between Zois. We'll be looking more closely at the feedback you share and moving quickly on the things we can improve right away.
I hope you all enjoy the update.
Thank you.