FFXIV Character Concept Artist Explains How Its Korpokkur Came to Be

Square Enix’s new Final Fantasy XIV Backstage Investigators column installment is here. Each one talks to someone who helps make the game to offer insight about its development. The latest person to appear is FFXIV Character Concept Artist Hiroyuki Nagamine, creator of the Korpokkur. Nagamine talked about how it came to be and how he kept asking, “Why don’t we make it a mount?”

The FFXIV Korpokkur came up when Nagamine was asked about the most memorable design he made for the game. He noted:

I remember struggling to come up with a design that I was satisfied with. Since a botanical garden was going to be added to the game, the request I received was for "a monster that looks like a moss ball with arms and legs." The Koropokkur’s facial expression and the leaf on its head were my ideas, but it was really difficult to come up with a distinct expression.

Nagamine also mentioned that the Stormblood Four Lords were also memorable, specifically mentioning Suzaku was his favorite.

The FFXIV Korpokkur Kolossus mount’s horn can be earned at the Gold Saucer in-game. In Japan, Lawson held a promotion that offered a chance to get a Choco Korpokkur mount.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. The 2021 Fan Fest will begin on May 14, 2021. The Endwalker expansion will launch in Fall 2021.