inZOI

case study
Written By Black Soup

ABOUT THE GAME

inZOI invites players to step into fully customizable virtual worlds where creativity and storytelling merge seamlessly. Whether shaping everyday life scenarios or crafting fantastical constructions, the game rewards imagination, collaboration, and exploration. With its realistic environments, deep sandbox mechanics, and robust modding possibilities, inZOI creates a space where players not only play—but live, build, and share experiences that reflect their own creativity.

Table of Contents

Early Access

BRIEFING

  • Goal: Build hype and awareness for the Early Access launch of inZOI, with the primary objective of onboarding high-quality creators into a controlled and exclusive playtest environment, while supporting launch momentum across multiple phases.

  • Release Date: Early Access – March 28, 2025

  • Platform: PC

  • Key Territories: US, GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), Spain, France, UK

CAMPAIGN APPROACH

We designed a multi-phase campaign in close collaboration with KRAFTON, balancing exclusive controlled access with wide-scale organic outreach. The strategy revolved around three pillars:

  1. Controlled Playtest Access

    • A curated list of over 550 creators (provided by KRAFTON + inbound demand via application form).

    • Strict NDA signing and structured onboarding, including a private devstream, co-stream opportunities, and playtest invitations.

  2. Launch Momentum

    • Coordinated content rollout between March 19–31, covering the playtest, private livestream, showcase co-stream, and Early Access release.

    • Paid creators embedded into the public showcase to add authenticity and amplify messaging.

  3. Organic Amplification

    • Large-scale key distribution (450+ creators activated) with continuous coordination on Twitch Drops, additional key requests, and Discord invitations.

    • Regional focus on US, GSA, Spain, and France, tailoring creator activation to audience affinity with simulation and sandbox genres.

RESULTS

PAID CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE

Showcase Creator Involvement

  • Paid creators asked developers live questions during the public showcase (later pre-recorded).

  • Added authenticity and helped explain mechanics to a broad audience.

Creator Spotlights

  • 3 waves (US, UK, EU) with 5 creators per region.

  • Despite timezone challenges, all activations succeeded.

  • Generated concentrated post-embargo attention.

ZOI Life Unlocked (Sponsored Videos)

  • Emma Nicole (UK) and NeuWorld (US) produced high quality tutorial/gameplay content.

  • Emma Nicole’s videos (here and here), NeuWorld videos (here and here)

ORGANIC CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE

  • Response rate: ~81%

  • Creators onboarded: 450+

  • Content posted: Thousands of pieces across YouTube, Twitch, and social platforms.

  • Key highlights:

    • Key distribution for 120+ additional creators post-launch.

    • Daily inbound requests showed strong organic demand.

    • Discord invitations strengthened long-term creator relationships.

YOUTUBE RESULTS

TWITCH RESULTS

  • 1.3M hours watched

  • Average CCV: 482 | Peak CCV: 40k

  • Total streams: 730 | Showcase co-streams: 130+

  • Top performers:

    • Papaplatte (DE): 33.5k avg. CCV (2 streams)

    • Rubius: 25k CCV

    • Joueur du Grenier (FR), Pandorya (DE): strong regional impact

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

  • US: 104 creators → 650 posts

  • GSA: 119 creators → 319 posts

  • Spain: 34 creators → 300 posts (very high posting frequency and engagement)

TOP POSTING CREATORS

  • Xiramira (US) – 84 posts

  • Victoriarodrgzz (ES) – 63 posts

  • BimBamGaming (US) – 57 posts

  • TigressX (UK) – 55 posts

CONCLUSIONS & LEARNINGS

  • EU Creators Overdelivered: Spanish and German creators were key drivers of visibility and engagement.

  • Coordination & Scale: Despite complexity, 450+ creators onboarded with minimal issues.

  • Community Excitement: High organic demand, sustained posting beyond sponsorships.

  • Spotlights & Showcase: Added depth and authenticity, highly valuable modules.

  • Success Factor: Creator management process proved highly effective, validating investment in structured onboarding and consistent communication.

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

DLC Campaign

ISLAND GETAWAY: CAHAYA

Briefing

Following the first inZOI campaign, where we were looking to build hype and awareness for the Early Access launch of the game, we got the opportunity to work on the first update of the title: Island Getaway - Cahaya. This free DLC introduces a brand-new, expansive map called Cahaya to the game. Released on August 20th, 2025, this DLC features two islands with tropical activities such as farming, fishing, mining, and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters.

Our goal, this time, was to generate awareness around this DLC and highlight its unique features. Our campaign approach consisted of three distinct parts:

  1. Organic Creator Outreach

  2. Streamathon

  3. TikTok & Spark Ads

Approach

We worked in parallel with the EU and NA teams, initially proposing 500 creators per territory. The requirements were clear: creators must have played inZOI (Early Access participation not mandatory), be brand-safe, and have delivered authentic content about the game — even if critical. We finally expanded to 500 EU and 700 NA creators, with each creator being individually reviewed to verify past inZOI content and ensure brand fit.

  • Three main outreaches and a minor one were conducted:

    1. Inviting creators to join any of the events (Exploring inZOI with Kjun, Content Preview co-streams, Early Access coverage, Creator Challenge).

    2. Detailed outreach to those interested in Exploring inZOI with Kjun.

    3. Detailed outreach to those interested in the Content Preview.

    4. Final outreach sending DLC keys and access instructions (with KRAFTON handling distribution for most).

  • Merch codes were also distributed in the first outreach and on request, serving as a personal thank-you gift from KRAFTON.

  • 180 creators filled out the preference form and were contacted with tailored follow-up communications.

Results 

(during DLC Early Access window: 15/08 - 20/08)

  • 2.3M views across 473 videos

  • 162k hours watched across 452 Twitch streams

  • Strong TikTok performance with creators like:

  • Key YouTube contributions:

  • Twitch highlights: Lu_K (FR), Polispol (ES), Soloumido (IT)

  • Top posting creators:

    • TheBonnetSimmer (US) – 22 posts

    • TigressX (UK) – 12 posts

    • Mprin (ES), VictoriaRodriguez (ES) – 10 each

Approach

We organized a 12-hour Streamathon on the official inZOI Twitch channel, running from 16:30 UTC on August 23 to 04:30 UTC on August 24.

  • 8 featured creators: ExtraEmily, imDontai, BurkeBlack, CodeMiko, Criken, Hanner, Stormfall33, iGumdrop.

  • Each creator streamed for 1h 30m on the inZOI channel, preceded by at least 30 minutes of warm-up streaming on their own channels to build audience carryover.

  • Focus: showcasing the Island Getaway: Cahaya DLC through fun challenges, with live audience rewards: Merch Packages and Game Keys.

  • A Gleam.io giveaway was launched to grow the inZOI Twitch channel, with prizes including a ~$3k gaming PC, Merch Packages, and Game Keys. Participation required actions like following the Twitch channel or joining the official Discord.

  • Production supported by ProjeKt GAP, providing live broadcasting, overlays, and custom animations tailored for the event.

Results 

  • Overall performance

    • +20k hours watched on the PlayinZOI channel (749 minutes stream duration).

    • 1,605 avg. CCV, peaking at 5,697 CCV.

    • +2,100 new followers (171 followers/hour).

    • 4,000+ entries in the PC giveaway.

    • Audience feedback was highly positive: chat remained active and hyped.

  • Creator impact (on personal channels)

    • +17k ACV across warm-up streams.

    • +11,4k minutes watched across personal channels.

    • ExtraEmily was a standout, driving +8,1k hours watched on her channel alone.

  • Content quality & learnings

    • Cloud streaming solution provided a clear quality upgrade versus previous Streamathon activations.

    • Challenges filled almost the full slot while leaving space for free exploration of Cahaya.

    • Transitions and CTAs improved stream by stream as learnings were applied in real time.

    • Minor hiccups (e.g. DLC activation issues, misdirected raids, challenge confusion) were solved quickly with no major disruptions.

  • Activities showcased in Cahaya

    • From snorkeling, farming, cooking, pool parties, mining and jewelcrafting to unique moments like creating Aquaman-inspired Zois, cat temple exploration, and motorbike rides with NPC Zois.

    • Covered all the main new features, achieving the first chosen challenges or changing them mid stream to ensure a smooth exploration of the islands.

    • The challenges not only kept the pace but also revealed the variety of gameplay in the new DLC.

Overall Assessment

The Streamathon delivered strong engagement, efficient CPVH, and vibrant community interaction. Content quality was perceived as significantly upgraded vs. the previous Streamathon. Minor issues served as learnings for smoother execution in future events. The PC giveaway and challenge mechanics strongly supported channel growth and chat activity.

Approach

This campaign's main focus was to generate awareness about the new free DLC coming to inZOI, while announcing the 20% discount of the base game. The goal was to invite new players to the game, at the same time as highlighting the main new features of the Island Getaway update. 

Initially scoped for Europe we ended up shifting the campaign to US, DE and UK, with a strong Spark Ads investment.

  • 9 creators secured (of 10 requested) despite an extremely tight timeframe overlapping with Gamescom in Cologne.

  • Supported with B-roll, pre-recorded footage, and clear CTAs provided by the client, which enabled us to execute efficiently.

  • Deliverables on track to meet deadlines, ensuring content could go live within the limited campaign window.

Results 

Learnings

  • An excellent coordination with the client in both timing and execution made it possible to publish all videos on schedule: clear guidelines provided in advance to be communicated to creators, footage available with sufficient lead time, and the coordinated response, review, and approval process between Black Soup and KRAFTON ensured that all videos could be posted within the agreed timeframe.

  • Extending the duration of the Spark Ads for 14 days was a smart move, given the investment.

Black Soup https://www.blacksoup.gg
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