InZOI’s Early Access period will begin on June 07, 2025. Launching as Early Access is a gamble for games, as they need enough content to justify selling to players despite still being in development. However,InZOI’s proposed roadmap for its Early Access stage shows that it has considered this problem carefully, and this strategy can help it overcome some of the issues thatThe Sims 4has encountered over the years.
The life-simulation genre has been dominated byThe Simsfranchise since it launched in 2000.The Sims 4is a household name for fans of life-simulation games, and paying for add-on content is largely unquestioned.InZOI’s decision to go with Early Access, with a paid base game, free updates, and free add-on content during Early Access, can make it more appealing to players looking for a traditional approach. AsInZOIdoesn’t have the brand awareness ofThe Simsin this space yet, adopting the Early Access route for players is likely the best move for the game, as it gets a chance to prove itself through meaningful updates at no additional cost.
InZOI’s Comparisons to The Sims 4
The Sims 4has been available for over ten years as of 2025. WhileThe Sims 4’s base game is now free to play, its expansion packs, game packs, stuff packs, and kits collectively total well over $1,000. This cost is bound to increase, as EA has plans to supportThe Sims 4in the long-term, continuing to add expansion packs and other paid DLC as add-on content.
InZOI’s Early Access roadmapdetails the price of its base game in Early Access at $39.99, the same cost as one ofThe Sims 4’s expansion packs at full price. After this one-off payment, all other DLC and updates forInZOI’s Early Access will be free. This is the opposite ofThe Sims 4’s current model, which is still missing features that used to be staples of the franchise and often get added toThe Sims 4in paid content packs.
InZOI’s Early Access will include four major updatesover the course of 2025, while smaller updates that include cosmetics and build items will be more incremental. The major updates will include the implementation of an adoption system, swimming, a build mode, and a memory system. Several of these features are foundational for any life-simulation, and being able to introduce them in free updates thanks to Early Access is a good approach on the part of Krafton.
InZOI and the Pros and Cons of Early Access
The Complicated Nature of Early Access
Early Access can present a difficult balancing act for video game developers. Releasing a game in Early Access if it’s too unfinished can result in treating players like beta testers or quality assurance, which can also leave the game in Early Access for too long. It also removes the game from the marketing cycle completely, a major risk when building hype for release. However, Early Access can be a boon for developers who have a game that’s mostly finished and ready for players. Giving gamers access to it a year or so before release is a show of good faith and trust. If the game is high quality, word of mouth in gaming communities builds hype and creates a great reputation for the title.
Giving DLC content toInZOIEarly Access players without an extra price tag attached should go a long way to building trust with the developer.The Sims 4had the benefit of its previous iterations and its brand name to push players to buy its expansion packs, not to mention a lack of competititon, whileInZOIis a completely new gamein a space that has been largely dominated byThe Sims. Rather than makingInZOItoo expensive for many players, going the Early Access route gives more players a chance to get invested, while also rewarding those that do buy-in with significant updates.
