[Notice š ]
When I shared the āFundamentals First & 2026 Roadmapā 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 weāve 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
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Today is a truly special Wednesdayāso Iām posting on a Wednesday.
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This is a thank-you note to all of you who made 2025 the most special year of my life. Thereās no development update hereājust 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 communicationāand I truly realized the value and meaning of that process.
I grew up in a very rural area. When I was young, I didnāt even have shoes before I started school, so I often walked around barefoot. It was quiet, empty, and remoteāalmost no people. Maybe because of that, Iām still shy and very introverted, and I donāt easily meet up even when someone reaches out. Iād never used social media at all, and I only created an X account recently after a friend recommended it. I was never someone naturally āgood at communication.ā
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 gameāthis 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:
āIāve never seen a developer talk about their game with so much joy. Keep building while staying in conversation with players.ā
That didnāt feel like a complimentāit felt like a suggestion that could change how I develop games. And thatās one reason we chose Early Access and kept developing the way we do now.
Just like the person who builds a car isnāt necessarily the best driver, even though I made this game, I believe the people who enjoy it most deeplyāand therefore understand it most accuratelyāare you, the players. Thatās 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:
āWhat talent do I need to succeed as a game developer? Do I have it?ā
Because most of a game developerās life is far from success. Success comes very rarelyābut most of the time, you have to keep walking quietly through indifference.
Honestly, in many ways, our lives arenāt that different, are they?
So I can now tell my son this:
āDad isnāt a developer with special talent either. Game development is hard to succeed at. But if you love making games, then youāre a game developer. Loving it means you can walk that path. Whatever you do, do it in the way you like best.ā



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