Thirdverse Co-Founder & CEO Masaru Ohnogi on ‘Hello Kitty Skyland’ & the Promise of Social VR

If there’s one thing that multiplayer games and hangout spaces have shown over the years, it’s the power of social experiences. From sitting around the campfire to fully immersing yourself in virtual worlds, it turns out that other people are often the killer app. So what happens when you take an inherently social digital space and introduce a globally beloved IP with over half a century of history?

In the case of Hello Kitty Skyland, the result seems to be a cozy casual game with fast-paced gameplay that appeals to VR newcomers and natives alike. Developed by Thirdverse, the makers of SOUL COVENANT, X8, ALTAIR BREAKER, and SWORDS of GARGANTUA, Skyland lets players step inside the world of Sanrio like never before, surrounding themselves with the likes of Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, Pompompurin, and more while hanging out with friends and making new ones.

We sat down with Thirdverse Co-Founder & CEO Masaru Ohnogi to learn more.

Masaru Ohnogi: My name is Masaru Ohnogi — most folks know me as Nogi — and I’m Co-Founder and CEO of Thirdverse, a Tokyo- and San Francisco-based studio focused on immersive VR experiences.

I’ve always been fascinated by virtual worlds. My first real encounter with VR was at CES in Las Vegas in January 2015, where I stood at the edge of a virtual skyscraper and felt both fear and exhilaration. It was at this moment I understood that VR wasn’t just a new device — it was a new generation of entertainment.

That passion led me into the space professionally. In early 2016, I co-launched one of the earliest VR focus funds, investing in and supporting more than 100 startups around the world. Through that journey, I met VR creators from over 20 countries, reviewed thousands of demos, and developed a deep sense for what makes immersive experiences meaningful and compelling.

My earlier work also includes producing TinierMe, an avatar-based social service that grew to over five million users — and an experience that taught me the power of digital identity and shared interaction.

All of these opportunities led me to Thirdverse, where our mission is to build experiences that are Only Possible in VR: worlds where presence, self expression, and social connection are at the core. This perspective is what drives every project we make, including Hello Kitty Skyland.

MO: I noticed that the VR landscape began to change around 2022, and this is where the vision for Hello Kitty Skyland began to form. Social VR games were rapidly gaining popularity, and at the same time, we saw a clear shift in VR user demographics.

As the audience expanded, it became increasingly obvious that there were two major gaps in the market. First, there were no social VR games built around well-known IPs. Second, very few VR games were designed with women and younger players in mind.

From our position as a Japanese company, we felt uniquely placed to address both of these gaps. Japan is home to some of the world’s most recognizable IPs, and we have direct access and relationships within that ecosystem. This led us to believe that an IP-driven social VR experience could open VR to entirely new audiences.

From that perspective, we initiated this project and were fortunate to partner with Sanrio. The core premise has remained consistent since the beginning: to create a social VR world that feels welcoming, expressive, and accessible — especially to players who may be new to VR.

MO: We looked at a wide range of inspirations from classic platformers and social sandbox games to theme parks and playgrounds. We were especially inspired by games where movement itself is joyful and by social spaces where people naturally gather without being told what to do.

We also paid close attention to successful social VR titles and creator-driven platforms, learning how communities form organically.

MO: Hello Kitty and Sanrio characters carry decades of history and emotional meaning for people around the world, so navigating the licensing process required a deep sense of respect and responsibility. It wasn’t just about bringing a character into a new medium — it was about understanding what those characters represent and how they should feel when experienced in VR.

Throughout the process, we worked closely with Sanrio to align on tone, values, and how the characters would behave and interact in a social virtual space. VR adds an entirely new dimension, so every decision had to be considered through the lens of presence, proximity, and shared experience.

On a personal level, bringing these characters to life in VR was incredibly meaningful. I grew up with Sanrio characters as part of everyday culture in Japan, so seeing players stand next to Hello Kitty, wave to her, or take photos together feels very special. VR allows people to feel as though the characters are truly there with them, and that sense of presence is something I believe honors the spirit of Sanrio in a new and powerful way.

MO: As I mentioned earlier, our thinking started with the market shift we began seeing around 2022, when social VR games started to grow rapidly. At the same time, there were almost no social VR experiences built around well-known IPs.

When it comes to Sanrio specifically, we felt that its world lends itself naturally to a shared experience. Many Sanrio fans have long imagined what it would be like to step inside a dreamlike Sanrio universe. VR allows us to create that kind of 360-degree environment and, more importantly, to let people experience it together as fans.

Rather than focusing on a single-player, story-driven game, we wanted to build a service where people can share happiness, joy, and fun time with others. For us, Hello Kitty Skyland is less about completing a narrative and more about creating moments where players can connect, play, and simply enjoy being together in a virtual world.

MO: From the very beginning, Thirdverse’s development philosophy has remained consistent. We’ve always focused on creating experiences that are Only Possible in VR: experiences that fully leverage presence, physicality, and immersion rather than simply translating traditional game designs into a new medium.

Another core idea behind Thirdverse is the concept of a “third place” or “third space,” a virtual environment where people can naturally gather and spend time together outside of home and work. Because of that, multiplayer has always been a central pillar of our projects.

Across many different titles, we’ve taken on a wide range of challenges and experiments. At the same time, we’ve built a team with deep experience across console games, mobile games, and other interactive platforms. Bringing together those perspectives allowed us to step back and think carefully about where VR and our studio should go next.

When we looked at the growth of the social VR market alongside the unique qualities of the Sanrio IP, the direction became clear. Rather than focusing on intense action like sword combat or shooting, we chose to design a social VR experience centered on shared joy, movement, and play.

While Hello Kitty Skyland isn’t an action game in the traditional sense, it still offers strong gameplay elements, including racing and other active, physical experiences. For us, it represents a different kind of action, one that prioritizes connection, happiness, and fun time shared with others in VR.

MO: When designing avatars for Hello Kitty Skyland, we recognized early on that players want to express themselves in very different ways. There isn’t a single “right” avatar style for social VR, especially as the audience continues to diversify.

SkyMe was designed as a humanoid avatar that emphasizes customization, fashion, and personal expression. It’s ideal for players who enjoy dressing up their avatar and presenting a version of themselves within the world.

Pluffee, on the other hand, was created as a more rounded, playful avatar optimized for movement and physical interaction. Its design makes actions feel smoother and more expressive, especially in active, full-body gameplay.

By offering both options, we give players the freedom to choose how they want to show up in Skyland — whether that’s through detailed self-expression or through playful, physical movement. This dual approach reflects our belief that social VR should be flexible and inclusive, allowing different play styles and personalities to coexist naturally in the same space.

MO: The full-body multiplayer games in Hello Kitty Skyland are designed to make play feel active, expressive, and social in a way that’s true to VR. Rather than relying on button inputs or abstract controls, we wanted players to use their bodies naturally: running, jumping, reaching, and reacting in physical space.

At the same time, we placed a strong emphasis on social interaction. The maps are designed to naturally bring players together, encouraging encounters rather than isolating them. We also incorporated simple, intuitive gestures like high-fives and other physical interactions to help break the ice and make communication feel more natural.

Our goal is to create spaces where players can easily connect, interact, and share moments using movement and physical expression as a core part of how people communicate in VR.

MO: From the very beginning of development, movement was one of our highest priorities. In fact, we spent roughly the first three months almost entirely focused on R&D for locomotion.

We chose to build on a Gorilla Tag-style locomotion system, as it has proven to be a very intuitive and VR-native way for players to move. However, rather than adopting it as-is, our goal was to refine and improve it.

During those three months, we experimented extensively to make movement feel smoother, more responsive, and more exhilarating than what players might experience in existing social VR games. We focused on reducing friction, improving flow, and making motion feel more comfortable and playful, especially over longer sessions.

The result is a locomotion system that stays true to the physicality of VR, while offering a more polished and accessible experience that supports both active gameplay and social interaction.

MO: I have two favorite aspects of the game.

First, Hello Kitty Skyland is fundamentally a platformer, and when you play as Pluffee in particular, there’s a great sense of freedom. Players can use the objects placed throughout the world in unexpected ways, leading to movement and actions that even we as developers didn’t fully anticipate. That element of surprise discovering new ways to move and play is something I really enjoy.

Second, because we’re working with Sanrio’s IP, the charm and cuteness of the characters play a huge role. Being able to enjoy dressing up with Sanrio-themed cosmetic items and expressing yourself through those characters is incredibly fun. Seeing players delight in customizing their avatars with these cute outfits is one of the most rewarding parts of the experience for me.

MO: Personally, as a male, I didn’t grow up being particularly drawn to cute or kawaii characters. It wasn’t something I was especially interested in during my childhood.

However, through working on this project, I’ve come to truly appreciate the appeal of cuteness. There was a moment when I saw Pluffee wearing a Kuromi outfit and genuinely thought, “This is really cute.” That experience changed my perspective.

Since then, Kuromi has become my favorite Sanrio character. Discovering that sense of charm first-hand has been one of the unexpected and enjoyable aspects of working on Hello Kitty Skyland.

MO: There are many Sanrio fans not only within our internal team, but also among the external partners who support development. A number of people involved in the project have been long-time Sanrio fans.

In particular, our community manager has a deep understanding of how long-time Sanrio fans feel and what they care about. That perspective has been incredibly valuable throughout development.

I believe Hello Kitty Skyland is the result of combining two different strengths: the expertise of our VR game development specialists, who have been with Thirdverse from the early days, and the passion and emotional insight of true Sanrio fans. Bringing those two viewpoints together has been essential in shaping the experience we’re creating.

MO: Our post-launch development direction is very clear. We’re focusing on three core pillars: strengthening social interaction, deepening gameplay, and further refining what makes the experience feel authentically Sanrio.

Moving forward, we’ll be closely listening to player reactions and feedback after launch, and we plan to evolve these three areas flexibly based on how the community actually plays and interacts within Skyland.

Throughout all future updates, our foundation remains the same: continuing to build experiences that are only possible in VR. By combining social connection, engaging gameplay, and the unique charm of Sanrio, we see Hello Kitty Skyland as a living world that will grow alongside its players over time.

MO: Yes, very much so. Since announcing the project, we’ve heard from many Sanrio fans who don’t yet own a VR headset but have said they’re considering purchasing one because of Hello Kitty Skyland. Hearing that directly from the community has been incredibly encouraging.

We see social VR as a kind of Sanrio-themed metaverse, and we believe users come into these spaces with very different needs and preferences. Some players are perfectly happy simply chatting casually and spending time together, while others are looking for more active, core gameplay experiences.

With that in mind, our goal has been to create a service that can accommodate a wide range of play styles. Even in Early Access, we’ve aimed to provide enough variety so that both VR newcomers and more experienced players can find something enjoyable.

By offering different ways to engage from relaxed social interaction to more active gameplay, we hope Hello Kitty Skyland can become a welcoming entry point into VR while still offering depth for those who want to explore further.

MO: The Creator Program is a very important part of our long-term vision for Hello Kitty Skyland. From the beginning, we’ve seen Skyland not just as a game, but as a social space that grows through its community.

Through the Creator Program, we want to support creators who enjoy sharing their experiences, whether that’s gameplay highlights, social moments with friends, creative storytelling, or simply capturing the joy of being inside the world. Social VR shines when those authentic, unscripted moments are shared, and creators play a key role in making that visible.

Strategically, this program helps Skyland evolve beyond what we build alone as developers. By empowering creators, we can better understand how people actually use the space and what resonates with different audiences. Over time, we hope this will help shape the culture of Skyland itself.

Ultimately, we want the Creator Program to encourage creativity, self-expression, and connection — values that align closely with both Sanrio and our vision for social VR.

MO: VR offers a level of immersion that simply isn’t possible with traditional flatscreen entertainment. That sense of presence, of truly being inside a world, is what makes VR such a powerful medium.

By combining this incredible technology with a globally beloved IP like Sanrio, we want to create experiences that deliver genuine joy and happiness to players. Our goal isn’t just to showcase new technology, but to use VR in a way that feels warm, approachable, and emotionally meaningful.

VR is still at a very early stage, and that’s what makes this moment so exciting. At Thirdverse, our name comes from the idea of a “third space,” a place beyond home and work where people can relax, connect, and simply be themselves. With Hello Kitty Skyland, we aim to create that kind of third space in VR: a welcoming world where people gather, share moments, and feel a sense of belonging.

We’re deeply grateful to the community, creators, and partners who are joining us on this journey, and we’re excited to continue exploring what the future of social VR can be.