The NieR community has been abuzz with talk of a potential new mainline game, following a surprise tease by series director Yoko Taro during the London leg of the NieR: Automata orchestra concert. All’s been quiet since, but a recent Famitsu interview teases that something big might be on the horizon for fans.
The Japanese gaming magazine (via Gematsu) reports that NieR series producer Yosuke Saito is working on a new project alongside Taro and series composer Keiichi Okabe. However, there’s little to go on about it, barring a name-drop.
“I’ve been talking about wanting to do something with Yoko and Okabe for some time now,” said Saito. “I’ll have something a bit more put-together to say in the not-too-distant future, so please stay tuned. It might be NieR, it might not be NieR. [laughs] That’s about all I can say for now.”
“I’m doing various things with the idea of creating something that does not yet exist,” he added. “I can’t devote my time to that fully, so most of it has been left to the staff, but it’s turning into something quite interesting. I’m looking forward to the day we can announce it.”
The news seems to align with an announcement dating back to last November, where Saito announced that both he and Taro are working on a “separate project” from the NieR series. If so, this will unlikely be the highly-anticipated sequel to NieR: Automata, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to wish.
Regardless, it’s just a matter of time before fans will get a new entry in the series. The producer previously confirmed more NieR games will be released for as long as Taro is alive, though nothing is set in stone.
The NieR lineup has built a huge following over the years, and is characterised by its memorable characters, gripping storytelling, and thought-provoking themes involving morality and the nature of humanity. Notably, the total sales for NieR: Automata now stands at eight million, with NieR Replicant receiving a remaster in 2021. Still, there’s been a strong itch to dive back into a mainline entry for a while now, and Taro is certainly happy to play up the hype.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
