Who conceived Pokémon Pokopia after thinking about player-created Pokémon habitats?

Shigeru Ohmori conceived Pokémon Pokopia after considering player-created Pokémon habitats.

Ohmori was the director of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and Pokopia began as a possible spin-off during that game’s development. He reflected on his earlier work in the franchise as a map designer on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and imagined how appealing it would be for players to cultivate their own Pokémon environments.

That idea became the foundation for Pokopia’s core loop. Instead of only traveling through prepared routes, players shape habitats, build homes, gather resources, and encourage Pokémon to settle in the world. The game’s creative direction therefore grew from a desire to let fans design living spaces for Pokémon.

Ohmori served as the game’s concept and senior director. Takuto Edagawa of Omega Force was chief director, so the two names describe different leadership roles. Ohmori originated the central concept, while the wider development team helped turn it into a sandbox life simulation.