Nier: Automata is one of those games where the legend continues to grow, and rightly so. The series began with a flawed 2010 RPG that would soon fade into obscurity before publisher Square Enix made the wise decision to develop the sequel, Nier: Automata, with action specialist PlatinumGames. The result remains unique in its looping structure, world-class customizable combat, unforgettable vistas and flawless end-of-the-world vibe.
Nier: Automata recently celebrated the seventh anniversary of its release in Japan, and Platinum took advantage of the occasion announce a new sales milestoneand share a ton of new artwork from the studio's staff:
“NieR:Automata was released in Japan on February 23, 2017 and is celebrating its 7th anniversary with the amazing news that it has sold a whopping 8 million copies worldwide!”
Platinum adds that Nier: Automata “shows no signs of slowing down,” mentioning the orchestral tour, the anime adaptation, and of course nothing at all about a sequel. That's really all anyone wants to know.
Don't take my word for it: People love these games and to this day I long for a new kidney to the same extent as everyone was obsessed with a church in the game in 2022. Something series creator Yoko Taro is all too aware of. The creator recently appeared at the London fair Orchestra showstold the crowd to cheer for the Square Enix president (who was in attendance) so he knew there was an appetite for an Automata sequel, and then the big joke (as reported by). a participant on resetera): The word “repent” appeared repeatedly, with the last appearance changing the spelling to “r3pent”.
Apparently people reacted cautiously. After a flurry of reports suggesting he had announced a third game, Taro subsequently took to social media and said: “r3incarnationan” [sic]. The “3” will immediately have Nier fans hanging out like they're long-time followers of Valve, but what Taro seems to be saying is that talk of a third entry in the series ignores the 2021 mobile title Nier: Reincarnation (where he served as creative director).
And Taro may be even more upset than usual because a future path for the series was recently blocked. Beginning of February Reuters reported about the cancellation of a Nier mobile game that was in development at Tencent. The game had apparently been in the works for nearly two years, with a playable demo shared internally before Tencent became concerned about monetization and royalties (Nier owns Square Enix). The project was canceled in December 2023.
Wait…there's a “3” in there. To cheer! I'm joking, of course, but what a grab bag of Nier news this is: an outstanding 8 million copies sold of a game that many would classify as a cult classic, a few hints at possible futures, and a project that has most certainly been canceled. “R3pent” may seem like conclusive evidence, but looking for clear answers here is a fool’s errand, and that may well be Taro’s point when he invokes reincarnation. In other words, people say they want Nier: Automata 2, but when has this series ever delivered what people wanted?
