Square Enix has announced that NieR Re[in]carnation will be ending service on April 29. The final chapter of The People and the World will be released on March 28 and will serve as the conclusion to the game. Following that, the game will remain active for another month before going offline.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our players for your patronage over the 2.5 years since we launched on July 28, 2021,” Square Enix wrote. “Until the end of service, we will continue to add content and characters, as well as hold various events and campaigns, so we hope you will continue to enjoy NieR Re[in]carnation until the end.”

Between now and its aforementioned final update, NieR Re[in]carnation will also be adding new story and content updates, new events, new missions, and more.

Unlike NieR: Automata and NieR Replicant, NieR Re[in]carnation follows a turn-based combat system. You’ll also encounter a number of characters that can join your party with variations of the same (along with weapons) obtainable through gacha. The story focuses on a mysterious girl who wanders a strange world called the Cage.

Along with experiencing different Weapon Stories and partaking in battles involving their characters, the girl also runs into a being called the Dark Monster on occasion. Its story and how it relates to the girl forms the crux of the story. NieR Re[in]carnation has crossed 10 million downloads in Japan as of March 2021 so it should be interesting to see its performance in the West. Stay tuned for more details following its release.

We’re elated to confirm that NieR Re[in]carnation will be launching on schedule on July 28th PDT in the afternoon as scheduled!
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your continued patience as we enter the home stretch.

— NieR Re［in］carnation EN (@NieRReinEN) July 28, 2021

Now, a specific release date has been confirmed as well. Square Enix and developer Applibot have announced that NieR Re[in]carnation is going to launch for iOS and Android in the West on July 28. On top of reiterating that pre-registrations for it are open, they also reveal that over 400,000 players have already registered for the game- so clearly, there’s plenty of interest where fans are concerned.

NieR Re[in]carnation had already been downloaded by over 10 million people in Japan within a couple of months of its launch, so if that is any indication, the game is primed to enjoy great success in other markets as well.

Strange of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin aka Chaos Reigns

You could point to other titles in Square Enix’s showcase as being disliked but Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is on top. This is a combination that should have made an immediate impression – Team Ninja of Nioh fame working on a hack and slash Souls-like set in Final Fantasy 1’s universe. Plus, it was a surprise announcement – it had to make an impact regardless. It certainly made an impact and unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what Square Enix had in mind. From the cheesy dialogue and meme-rific spouting of “CHAOS” to the unimpressive aesthetic and blandly designed main character, Stranger of Paradise garnered mixed reactions. And unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it.

The trial went live on PS5 right after the debut trailer – surely the gameplay was solid, right? No sooner had fans downloaded it than they discovered the trial was corrupted and wouldn’t play. Square Enix would release an update to get it working and even then, impressions have been mixed. From what should have been a bright new debut to a floundering on all fronts, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin’s arrival has been painful to witness.

Square Enix’s NieR Re[in]carnation, an RPG set in the NieR universe, is one step closer to releasing for iOS and Android in the West with pre-registration now being available. A new trailer has also been released, showcasing the game’s English localization. Check it out below.

Developed by Applibot, NieR Re[in]carnation is set in a world called The Cage from the perspective of a young girl. Exploring this strange world with the help of a creature named Mama, the girl seeks to “atone for her sins.” Along the way, something called The Dark Monster also roams The Cage for its own purposes.

As players explore The Cage, they find Scarcrows which offer weapons and their associated memories (as seen in the side-scrolling segments). Though battles are fought in real-time, there’s an option for auto-battling available as well. Parties can have up to three characters with new characters available through a gacha system.

NieR Re[in]carnation is currently available for mobiles in Japan, having exceeded 10 million downloads till now. Stay tuned for more details on its Western release date.

Realizing the value of the NieR IP, Square Enix have been investing quite heavily in it with multiple releases of late, and they’re coming in all shapes and sizes. NieR Re[in]carnation, for instance, is an action-RPG that was released for iOS and Android in Japan last month, and since its launch, it’s hit some pretty impressive numbers at a rapid pace.

Most recently, Square Enix announced via the game’s official Twitter page that it has now been downloaded over 10 million times. Given that it’s just half a month old and only out in Japan right now, that’s a pretty impressive milestone. The game had been downloaded 5 million times within less than a week of its launch, so it’s clear that it’s maintaining a pretty good pace where downloads are concerned.

NieR Re[in]carnation is currently only available in Japan, but Square Enix have confirmed that it will be released in the West as well. A release date for that is yet to be announced, so stay tuned for those details.

【1000万ダウンロード突破！】

この度「NieR Re[in]carnation」は1000万DLを突破！たくさんの方々にリィンカネをお楽しみいただけて、本当に感謝のかぎりです…！予想を超える速さで、本件のお祝いの準備が追いついておりません…。準備が整い次第、改めてお知らせさせていただきます。#リィンカネ pic.twitter.com/ZQ3WVOkPAI

— NieR Re［in］carnation (@NieR_Rein) March 4, 2021

There are some franchises that tend to defy the logic of what is expected to hit it big. One of those examples is the NieR franchise, a series that began with a very small, niche title that then exploded with its sequel and now looks to be a steady franchise for Square Enix. If you have any doubt, the performance of its mobile spinoff should silence that.

It was reported just a few days ago that NieR Re[in]carnation had surpassed 3 million downloads. Well, it didn’t take long for it to shatter another goal, having surpassed 5 million downloads less than a week later. Keep in mind, while there is a western release planned, as of now this is only available in Japan. Much like their previous milestone, they will also give out 1,000 gems to active users as part of the celebration.

NieR Re[in]carnation is available now in Japanese markets for all compatible iOS and Android devices. A remake of the first game, NeiR Replicant, is due out in April

【500万ダウンロード突破記念！】

皆さまのおかげで、「NieR Re[in]carnation」は500万ダウンロードを突破いたしました！感謝の気持ちを込めまして、「ジェム×1000」と「各種強化素材」をプレゼントいたします！

〈配布期間:3/3(水) 11:59まで〉#リィンカネ #NieR #ニーア pic.twitter.com/ghQut3l0TO

— NieR Re［in］carnation (@NieR_Rein) February 24, 2021

Thanks in big part to the unexpected success and performance of NieR Automata, the franchise became an unlikely hit for Square Enix. Right now the eyes are primarily on the upcoming remaster of the first game in the series, NieR Replicant. However, it’s not the only game that’s fairly new for the franchise, as the mobile title Re[in]carnation is out in Japan, and its success shows the series wasn’t just a one-hit wonder.

As announced on the official Japanese Twitter, it seems the mobile title has been quite the success having now been downloaded over 3 million times. The game is free to play, so what kind of money it made in that time is up in the air, but 3 million is still impressive, especially since the game is only widely available in one region. They are also giving out 1,000 gems to every active user due to the milestone.

NieR Re[in]carnation is available now in Japan on all compatible iOS and Android devices. The game has been confirmed to come to the west, but as of now no time frame is set.

【300万ダウンロード突破記念プレゼント】

皆さまのおかげで、「NieR Re[in]carnation」は300万ダウンロードを突破いたしました。感謝の気持ちを込めまして、すべてのお客様に「ジェム×1,000」をプレゼントいたします。
〈配布期間:2月28日(日) 11:59まで〉#リィンカネ #NieR #ニーア pic.twitter.com/MtpHP5y3Ih

— NieR Re［in］carnation (@NieR_Rein) February 21, 2021

Last night at the 2020 edition of The Game Awards we got a new look at the remake of NieR Replicant (I refuse to say the full name) that showed how much the first game in the franchise has been redone. It’s not the only game in the franchise that is coming, though, as the mobile title NieR Re[in]carnation is also still slated to come. As you may have suspected, though, it won’t make this year.

On the official Japanese Twitter, it was announced that the game would be pushed back into early 2021. Alongside the message was a cute illustration for fans as an apology.

Re[in]carnation has been confirmed to be coming to the west, but was set to release this year in Japan. We still don’t know a lot about the game, only having seen bits and pieces scattered about. For a long time it was thought the game was just a runner until it was revealed to have some type of combat system. We’ll just have to wait and see what it looks like when it releases next year.

【サービス開始時期についてのお知らせ】
当初より2020年内の正式サービス開始を目指し開発を進めてまいりましたが、2021年前半サービス開始予定となりました。
配信を楽しみにお待ちいただいている皆さまに深くお詫び申し上げます。(詳細は公式サイトをご覧ください）#リィンカネ #NieR #ニーア

— NieR Re［in］carnation (@NieR_Rein) December 11, 2020

Yesterday was a big day for fans of the NieR series as we finally got a release date for the upcoming remake of the first game in the series, NieR Replicant. Many fans are probably not even familiar with the game since the franchise exploded with NeiR Automata, which only had small references to that first title. But if you can’t get enough of NieR, you’ll have more to look forward to as well since the first mobile game in the series will also be coming westward.

As announced by Square Enix at TGS 2020, NeiR Re[in]carnation will see an English release. The game was thought to be an infinite runner game, but was revealed to have actual combat as well, which you can check out through here. A pre-registration was announced, but it is only for Japan right now. 

It’s unclear if Re[in]carnation will launch at the same time worldwide, but either way, there’s no date set for anywhere. In the meantime, NeiR Automata is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC with NeiR Replicant coming April 23rd to the same platforms.