v 0.8.0 Structural Age Morphs Age Morphs Override Custom Sculpts — Please Revert by the May Update

[FREEDOM_55]

Edit added a poll ( 2026-05-01):

How should the development team address the v0.8.0 age/structural morph changes?

• Revert to pre-v0.8.0 / v0.7.0 structural behavior
• Add a “Preserve Base Sculpt” toggle to lock custom facial structure across ages
• Add an “Age Morph Intensity” slider so players can control morph strength
• Keep the new system, but reduce jaw/midface ,head, cheek structural changes
• Keep the current v0.8.0 system as-is
• Not sure / need to test more Zois

To the Development Team,

Context

After the v0.8.0 update, the inZOI team clarified in the locked bug thread that the new age-based facial changes are intentional and not a bug. I understand the goal of making age groups more visually distinct. However, the current implementation is causing a serious character-continuity problem because the age morphs can override the player’s sculpted facial structure.

Original locked bug thread for context: https://forum.playinzoi.com/t/topic/12119/15

Main Request

My main request is simple: please revert the structural age morph behavior back to the pre-v0.8.0 / v0.7.0 behavior before the May update, or add player controls so we can decide how strongly age morphing affects our Zois.

The issue is not that age groups look different. The issue is that the system appears to change underlying facial structure too aggressively, especially around the jaw, lower face, and midface.

The Morph Distorts Jaw Structure & Breaks Character Continuity.

The Core Problem

For players who spend hours sculpting realistic Zois, the current age morph system can make a character look correct in one life stage but structurally different or distorted in another.

• Inconsistency: In my testing, the same Zoi’s jaw and facial proportions changed enough that I could not preserve one consistent version of the character across ages.

• The Conflict: If I adjusted the Young Adult version to look correct, the Adult and older versions became too wide or heavy. If I adjusted the Adult version, the Young Adult version looked too narrow.

Why This Matters

When the age morph changes bone structure too aggressively, it damages character identity. It means the player is no longer fully sculpting the character; they are sculpting around a hard-coded age preset. This is a major problem for a game built around detailed character creation, realism, and Canvas sharing.

Existing Zois are already being affected; reports in the bug thread mention hundreds of Canvas Zois now looking distorted, including male Zois showing jaw changes and separated lips/teeth.

Aging Should Not Rewrite Bone Structure

My request is not to remove aging, but to separate age appearance from player-created bone structure. Aging should primarily affect soft-tissue and surface details:

• Wrinkles and skin texture.

• Under-eye aging and nasolabial depth.

• Jowling, skin laxity, and facial fullness/softness.

It should not rewrite jaw width, mandible shape, or the base identity of the sculpt. Anatomically, forcing the mandible to widen or square off dramatically does not align with realistic facial aging.

Requested Fixes

• Revert aggressive structural jaw/midface age morphing to pre-v0.8.0 behavior.

• Add an Age Morph Strength slider so players can decide how strongly the morph affects a Zoi.

• Add a “Preserve Base Sculpt” option to keep jaw, cheek, and facial proportions consistent across life stages.

• Granular Aging Sliders for wrinkle intensity, jowl intensity, and skin aging.

• Legacy Option: A pre-v0.8.0 facial aging toggle for existing Zois and Canvas creations.

inZOI’s strength is its realism and customization. If age morphs are too aggressive and not controllable, they replace player intent with a hard-coded progression. Aging should evolve the face, not replace it.

Please prioritize reverting or providing control over this system before the May update so we can preserve the original identity of our creations.

[FREEDOM_55]

Comparison: Left (YA Before Update) | Right (YA After Update). Same Zoi, Young Adult: Before vs After v0.8.0

Caption: Side-by-side of the same Zoi in the Young Adult stage before and after v0.8.0. Nothing was manually changed. The update has forced a ‘V-line’ narrowing onto the mandible. The face looks compressed and loses the original round/oval anatomical intent. After the update, the Young Adult jaw appears artificially narrower/pinched compared to the pre-update version.

Comparison: A row of 5 images: Teen → YA → Adult → Middle Age → Senior. Inconsistent Aging Morph Logic (Original Zoi)

Caption: Progression of the original, unadjusted sculpt post-update across life stages. Teen/Young Adult appear narrowed, while Adult and older stages widen/square the jaw dramatically. This suggests the issue is age morph behavior, not shader lighting.

Comparison: Top Row (YA manually adjusted to look like the ‘Before’) | Bottom Row (That same adjusted Zoi aged to Adult/Middle Age). Manual Correction vs. Aggressive Scaling. IThe Adjusted YA Jaw Looks Correct, But Aging Morph Breaks Adult Stages

Caption: I manually adjusted the YA jaw by widenning it and adjusting the cheek structure and mouth to restore her original lpre- update look (initially assuming a shader issue). However, when aged to Adult/Middle Age/Senior, the morph widens, deforms and squares the jaw excessively to a masculine sihouette. This proves manual correction at one life stage breaks the others, I cannot fix this.

Comparison: Left (Adult Screenshot Before Update) | Right (Adult Screenshot After Update)Same Zoi, Same Adult Stage: Before vs After v0.8.0. A THEORY

Caption: Same Zoi, same Adult age stage, same default CAZ lighting, zero user adjustments. The only change was updating to v0.8.0.This shows the new Adult morph after the update resembles the old facial structure of my orginal zoi more than the new Young Adult morph stage does. My theory: the original Young Adult jaw structure has been incorrectly mapped to the Adult stage in v0.8.0.

[RubberDuck37]

This is a similar but slightly different issue: there is also a problem where the head size of ZOIs increases as they age from young adults to middle age. The reason this is problematic is that, from a genetic standpoint, the head size genes inherited by children born when their parents are young adults will differ from those inherited by children born when their parents are middle-aged. While it is good to depict the aging of ZOIs, I believe that aspects that can affect genetics should remain untouched."

Alternative, slightly more natural phrasing for game feedback:

"This is a related but slightly different issue. There’s a bug where a ZOI’s head size gets larger as they transition from young adulthood to middle age. The reason this is a problem is because, genetically speaking, children born to young adult parents will inherit different head size genes compared to children born to middle-aged parents. While it’s great to visually represent ZOIs aging, I don’t think anything that impacts genetics should be altered in the process.

If the issue you’re bringing up is also the kind of thing that could genetically affect offspring, then I agree with you.

[antonio3706.ag]

I 100% support this, I spent hours creating my zoi look as I wanted but this update broke them, and I was unable to fix them, please revert that feature, this is making player’s experience worse instead of better.
It affects teen zoids more than adults

[Aevyre]

i would be okay with this change if they add a wrinkle slider for normal adults. cus the reason i use young adult is for less wrinkles. also yeah when i go from young adult to adult, the head itself gets bigger. not like the face the head which isnt realistic imo.

[dst4R]

i got well into playing recently . I hope they revert this, Its total ruined the April update for me i dont wont load my game just incase it changes my zois. CHANGE IT BACK DONT MESS WITH SOMETHING THAT WSANT BROKEN.

[FREEDOM_55]

[Update] Community Consensus: Significant Distress and Calls for Reversion (Reddit Evidence Included)

I wanted to update this thread with the reception this issue is receiving on other platforms. I created a discussion post on the official r/inZOI subreddit, and the response was immediate and overwhelmingly in agreement. The sentiment across the community is not just one of “noticing” the change, but of genuine distress. Players who have spent hundreds of hours in the CAZ feel that their creative work has been invalidated by these forced skeletal morphs.

Evidence of community consensus and calls for reversion:

• Reddit Thread 1 (My Post): Something is off with Zoi faces after v0.8.0 — Dozens of comments confirming the same jaw/head distortion and loss of character identity.

• Reddit Thread 2 (Independent Report): Changed Jaw Evidence — Further proof that this is a universal issue affecting player-created Zois independently of my own report.

• Another reddit report of the aging paradox created with the new updated aging morph

The “Reddit mood” has shifted from initial confusion to collective frustration. Creators are reporting a profound Loss of Identity as “Legacy Zois” (pre-v0.8.0) no longer look like the same individuals across life stages, killing the immersion required for a long-term life simulator. There is a specific frustration regarding the “V-Line Bias,” which imposes a narrow beauty standard on younger Zois that overwrites facial diversity. Furthermore, Canvas Integrity is at risk; thousands of shared Zois no longer match the preview thumbnails that players rely on.

While some users initially mistook this for a lighting change, that defense has been debunked as more players test the geometry. It is now clear that the “visual identity” the developers intended for age groups has come at the cost of player artistic intent. We are now having to fight against the engine’s automatic morphs instead of preserving the character identity we already built.

I hope the development team understands that this is not a small visual preference—it affects creator trust and long-term gameplay continuity. I am adding a poll to this thread to quantify this sentiment. We urge the team to seriously consider reverting these structural changes to the pre-v0.8.0 behavior by the May update, or at minimum, adding an Age Morph Strength slider / Preserve Base Sculpt option so players can regain control over their own creations.

Update 2: Discord

I also wanted to add that players oncthe offical inZoi Discord are bringing up very similar concerns, and I think their comments show that this is not just an isolated issue.

@Duncan @Chaz Marie

Duncan said: “To reverse the jaw face changes.”

Chaze Marie said: “Yes! This! This is exactly why we need age sliders or something for us to help control their aging. Because the game do have a harder look on the zois once they start to age up lol While some adults, middle-aged, and seniors might look their age, there’s others who may not. They might look a little younger than their age. Plus me personally, I dont want all of my seniors bent over when they walk. Not all seniors walk bent over.”

I strongly agree with this point. Not every Adult, Middle Age, or Senior Zoi should age the same way. Some people look younger than their age, some age more gradually.

Dasisie Haze also described a similar issue under the Kjun brainstorm thread, "inZOI needs… (Fill in the blank)." Discord

She said (included screenshots please see link):

"This game has genuinely brought back my love of life simulation. It already feels immersive in a way I haven’t experienced in a long time.

I had a couple of small ideas while playing that I think would really support the storytelling side of the game:

Softer Aging Controls

• Right now, even a small age adjustment can feel quite abrupt, visually jumping what feels like 30–40 years rather than a gradual progression. (In one case… my poor Zoi went through what I can only describe as a full witch transformation :
• It would be amazing to have: A softer aging progression
• Reduced colour intensity changes (less red/orange shift)
• Separate control for wrinkles vs facial structure .

This would help keep characters recognisable while still allowing them to age naturally. The images attached show what happened to my zoi going from adult to middle age!!"

This matches my concern exactly: the current system does not feel gradual enough, and it can make Zois look like different people instead of older versions of themselves. Several players are asking for the jaw/face changes to be reversed, or at least made controllable. Others are specifically asking for age sliders, softer aging progression, and separate controls for wrinkles versus facial structure.

This is why I think the best solution is to preserve the base sculpt and add player controls: Age Morph Strength, Preserve Base Sculpt, wrinkle intensity, jowl intensity, skin aging, posture aging, and separate facial-structure controls.

The community feedback I’m seeing is not “remove aging.” It is “give us control so our Zois can age naturally while still remaining recognizable.”

[dst4R]

Agree. I’ve was excited to update then while updating seen this issue. Now I won’t load my game. It’s out me off wanting to play. The fact it will change all my characters identity…

[RestlessSloth]

I understand the unhappiness people feel with changes to their zois design but as for ageing, this seems appropriate and realistic. The jaw does drop and faces look a little less feminine over time.

I understand your frustration, and looking at the comments I can see you’re not alone in feeling this way, but this is the first patch where I have been able to identify seniors at first glance. Personally, I like the changes. Seniors finally look like seniors!

[FREEDOM_55]

(post deleted by author)

[FREEDOM_55]

@RestlessSloth

Edit I deleted my previous response because it was exact copy of this and I forgot to fomat directly replying to my apologies

I totally get the perspective, and I actually appreciate your opinion even if it differs—that’s exactly the kind of feedback I’m looking for here. I definitely encourage you to vote in the poll I’ve added to the thread!
I agree that seniors should look like seniors, but there’s a huge anatomical difference between the soft tissue aging in your photos and the structural bone morphing from the v.0.8.0 update.

Your photos in are actually the perfect example of exactly what I mean: they show gravity acting on soft tissue—things like skin sagging, loss of fat volume, and deep folds. They don’t show the jawbone actually growing or widening. Actually, peer-reviewed studies (like those in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) show that human aging involves bone resorption—a decrease in bone mass and density—not an increase.

Here is why the current update misses the mark on realism:

• Bones vs. Soft Tissue: Real-life aging keeps the ‘frame’ (the bone) while the ‘upholstery’ (the skin and fat) changes. Research shows the mandible recedes and loses height as we age—it doesn’t get wider or heavier. v.0.8.0 rewrites the frame itself, which is why character identity feels broken; your Zoi isn’t just getting older, they’re getting a completely different skeleton.

• The Head-Size Paradox: In this update, Zois’ heads actually scale up when they transition from Adult to Senior. Anatomically, your skull doesn’t keep growing after you’re an adult. It creates a geometric distortion that just doesn’t happen in reality.

• Global Aging Diversity: Aging isn’t a monolith. Genetics and race play a massive role in how we age. For example, people with more melanin and a thicker dermis (Fitzpatrick scale IV-VI) often see delayed sagging and fewer lines—sometimes a 10–20 year difference. By forcing a one-size-fits-all ‘V-line’ on Young Adults and a heavy jaw on Seniors, the game loses that realistic diversity.

• The ‘Band-Aid’ for Teen Height: It looks like the narrow jaw for Teens was a workaround because we don’t have height sliders yet. But distorting facial bone structure to hide a height issue isn’t a real solution; it just creates another geometric problem.

• Defining the Age Groups: Most of us weren’t complaining that we couldn’t tell who was a senior; we were worried that ‘Middle Age’ already looked too aggressive. I don’t know anyone in their 40s—including my own parents—who experience the kind of cartoonish structural collapse the current ‘Adult’ stage shows.

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The Proposed Solution:

I’m all for seniors looking distinct! But that should be done through soft tissue sliders—like wrinkles, jowling, and skin texture—not hard-coded bone changes. Soft tissue is subjective, but bone resorption is a scientific fact.

If the devs gave us a ‘Preserve Base Sculpt’ toggle, you could have your recognizable seniors, and we could keep the characters we spent hundreds of hours meticulously sculpting. It’s about giving players the control to decide how their characters age without the engine rewriting their DNA.

[dst4R]

This I has still not been ghot reversed. I really hope it is any day now. I’ve still not played. And I want to so much! It’s such a great game. But this needs to be reverted ASAP. Don’t want it tinkered with we want a full 360 reverse.