Scoring over 60,000 players in just two hours would be impressive for any game—Krafton’s inZOI managed it effortlessly. The Sims finally has a serious rival, and it’s arriving from South Korea with momentum and ambition.

Krafton, the South Korean studio behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, has launched its long-anticipated life simulator, inZOI, into early access. After years of teasers and hype, the project has officially entered the ring to challenge The Sims—and its opening performance suggests it’s more than up for the fight. Within two hours of its Steam debut, inZOI had already surpassed 60,000 concurrent players, signaling an exceptionally strong start for the genre newcomer.

The timing of the launch—1:00 AM in Spain and other parts of Europe—might have seemed inopportune for Western audiences, but for South Korean gamers, it hit during the mid-morning sweet spot. This local advantage helped push the game to 59,000 concurrent users in just one hour, breaking the 60,000 barrier soon after and establishing a promising foothold in the simulation space.

Strong User Ratings Despite Early Access Challenges

Unlike many titles in early access, inZOI has managed to garner mostly positive reception out of the gate. Concerns about potential performance issues due to its use of Unreal Engine 5 were widespread prior to launch. However, those fears haven’t materialized on a large scale—yet. Currently, the game boasts an 88% approval rating from over 1,000 reviews, though that number may shift as more players jump in and put the systems to the test.

A Packed Development Roadmap Through 2026

Krafton has laid out an extensive roadmap for inZOI that stretches all the way to March 2026. Planned features include modding support, new cities inspired by Southeast Asia, playable ghost characters, swimming and pool systems, and expanded tools for character creation and home customization. These additions aim to set inZOI apart in an increasingly competitive genre.

Game Director Hyungjun Kim reaffirmed the studio’s commitment to player-driven development during this early access phase. He acknowledged that while the game still has room to grow and some rough edges to smooth out, the team is eager to improve inZOI through community feedback. According to Kim, their goal is to deliver a polished, long-term experience that will resonate with fans of life simulators around the world.

Source: 3djuegos