It’s been seven years since the release ofNier: Automata. Now, that game’s producer, director, and composer are confirmed to be working together on a new project, but producer Yosuke Saito has stopped short of saying it’s a newNiersequel.
Saito, who also served as a producer onNier: Replicantand as executive producer onNier: Reincarnation, shared the news in the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu (viaGames Talk/Gematsu). All he was willing to say about his new project is that it also involves Yoko Taro, creator and director of theNierseries, and Keiichi Okabe, one of theNierseries’ composers. Saito did cheekily hint that their project could beNierrelated, saying, “It might beNier, it might not beNier. That’s about all I can say for now.”
Saito added that he’s “been talking about wanting to do something with Yoko and Okabe for some time now,” and he hopes to have more to share “in the not-too-distant future.” Hopefully, he means before the end of the year. Even if it’s notNierrelated, anything these three are working on is bound to be interesting, especially if Taro is back in the director’s chair.
That said, I’d argue there’s a good chance it is aNier 3(Ni3r?). At the very least, a newNiergame is bound to happen someday.Nier: Automatawas a huge success for publisher Square Enix, both critically and financially. Even seven years later, it’s continued to push sales, with developer PlatinumGamesannouncing this past Februaryit had sold 8 million copies worldwide. It clearly did well enough to spawn an updated remaster of the firstNier, a mobile spin-off, multiple concerts, and an anime adaptation. Protagonist 2B has become so popular that she’s made special guest appearances in so many other games, fromGranblue Fantasy Versus: RisingtoGoddess of Victory: Nikke.
I think it’s a matter of when, not if we ever see a newNier. UnlikeNier: Automata, though, it may not be a PlayStation exclusive at launch. Square Enix has recently said it intends topursue a more aggressive multiplatform strategy, suggesting an end to even limited console exclusives likeNier: Automatawas.
