It's been
almost ten years since Yoko Taro emotionally destroyed us
with NieR: Automata, and it looks like Square Enix is
finally ready for the second round of suffering. During the recent broadcast
for the ninth anniversary of the franchise, the company dropped the bombshell
that the fandom had been crying out for: the story of the
androids is far from over.
"To
be continued..."
The event
served as the perfect excuse to boast that the action RPG developed together
with PlatinumGames has already broken the absurd barrier of
10 million copies sold worldwide. But the real madness came at the end
of the commemorative video. Just as fans were already saying goodbye to
the stream, the screen launched a message as terse as it was
lethal: "NieR: Automata to be continued..." (NieR:
Automata will continue).
Knowing the
mastermind behind the saga, that message can mean anything. Square Enix didn't
clarify whether we're talking about a direct sequel starring 2B and 9S, a spin-off,
or an entirely new game set in this bleak machine universe. However, the pieces
of the puzzle are starting to fall into place if we look at recent reports.
Sights
set on 2027
In the
summer of 2025, several key developers from the original team confirmed that
they were already working together on a new secret project. At that time, they
dropped the hint that the game would not see the light of day until 2027.
This date is no coincidence; it squares millimetrically with the tenth
anniversary of Automata, becoming the ideal launch or
reveal window to bring out the heavy artillery.
In addition
to the main bombshell, the company also confirmed that NieR Replicant
ver.1.22474487139 has already exceeded two million units sold since
its launch in 2021. The numbers don't lie: the franchise is a goldmine and
putting it in the freezer simply wasn't a viable financial option for Square Enix.
