In the Weekly Famitsu (translation via Gematsu), Saito is also confirmed to work with series composer Keiichi Okabe. Speaking to former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi (who now leads GPTRACK50 as part of NetEase Games), Saito said he would have “something a bit more put-together” to offer in the “not-too-distant future.”

“I’ve been talking about wanting to do something with Yoko and Okabe for some time now. 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.”

Saito’s reveal comes months after stating that the series would continue, but a new game isn’t in development. Instead, a “different game” with Taro is in the works that they hoped to discuss this year. Whether it ends up connected to NieR (much like how Drakengard is) remains to be seen, so stay tuned for updates.

Interestingly, Saito has another project in development aside from this. “I’m doing various things with the idea of creating something that does not yet exist. 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.”

As for NieR: Automata, it celebrated crossing eight million global shipments and digital sales this past February. The critically acclaimed hack-and-slash action RPG is available for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch, with enhancements available on Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review here.

As reported by Japanese outlet 4gamer, speaking recently during a presentation at the G-STAR 2023 event in South Korea, Nier’s series producer Yosuke Saito said that though a new NieR game isn’t in development just yet, he and creative director Yoko Taro have every intention to work on a new instalment at some point.

Interestingly enough, Saito added that though there are certain current circumstances due to which a new NieR title hasn’t entered development, as long as Taro as alive, he will continue to work on the franchise. He also confirmed that currently, he and Taro are working together on a different game that they hope to talk more about sometime in 2024.

Given the success that the NieR franchise has enjoyed in recent years, it would be a surprise to not see a new instalment at some point in the future, so hopefully an announcement won’t be too far off. As of April this year, NieR: Automata had shipped 7.5 million units worldwide, while last November, Square Enix announced that NieR Replicant had shipped 1.5 million units.

It includes seven songs, including “Ardent Rhythm” from Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song. The LIVE A LIVE Pack is second, launching on March 1st and features four songs, like “Megalomania.” The World Ends with You Series Pack arrives on March 15th with six songs, such as “Your Ocean” from NEO: The World Ends with You.

NieR fans can look forward to the NieR Series Pack on March 29th with five songs (including NieR: Automata’s “A Beautiful Song”). The SaGa Series Pack Vol. 2 launches on April 12th with eight songs, like “The Celestial Protectors” from SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions.

If that weren’t enough, even more characters have been confirmed, unlockable through Series Quests. Check them out below:

Final Fantasy 11

• Shantotto
• Prishe
• Aphmau
• Lilisette

Final Fantasy 13

• Lightning
• Snow
• Hope
• Vanille
• Cid Raines

Final Fantasy 15

• Noctis
• Gladiolus
• Ignis
• Prompto
• Aranea

Final Fantasy 13-2

• Serah
• Noel

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13

• Lightning #2

Final Fantasy Type-0

• Ace
• Machina
• Rem
• Kurasame

Final Fantasy: Record Keeper

• Tyro

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon

• Chocobo

Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line launches on February 16th for PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Head here for more details on the gameplay styles, Music Stages, and more.

https://twitter.com/Genki_JPN/status/1596123945010618373

Original story follows:

The NieR franchise has become one of Square Enix’s biggest properties over the last few years, with both NieR: Automata and NieR Replicant having enjoyed critical and commercial success since their respective releases. That there will be more NieR games down the line isn’t something that anyone has much doubts over, though questions have, of course, been asked about when one might get announced.

As it turns out, that announcement might not be far away. Square Enix’s Automata Fan Festival is scheduled to take place in Tokyo on November 25 and 26, with plans in place for discussions and interviews with the game’s developer (including series mastermind Yoko Taro) and a concert featuring the series.

Interestingly, as recently shared on Twitter by YouTuber Yosuke Saito, a stage set up for the event seems to be hinting at an upcoming title to be announced soon. The front of the stage has three panels, with two showing the logos of NieR Replicant and NieR: Automata, and the third, curiously enough, being covered up with a black panel. The assumption is that during the event, it’ll unveil the logo of the next NieR title.

Of course, there’s a chance that tis is related to some other NieR-related reveal or announcement (like details of the upcoming NieR anime, for instance), so this is far from concrete. Either way, we’ll be keeping an eye on new details coming our way, so stay tuned for more updates.

何か黒い紙が貼っつけてあるんだよなぁ。#NieR #ニーア12022 #ニーア #ニーアファンフェス pic.twitter.com/e8P4L6eWYA

— 齊藤陽介　Yosuke Saito (@SaitoYosuke_Z) November 25, 2022

Mass Effect 3

Amid all the controversy that Mass Effect 3’s endings caused, fans still wondered: Had Shepard survived or not? If you had a high enough Effective Military Strength in Extended Cut and went with the Destroy option, then the Earth would be saved, the Reapers eradicated and your squadmates would survive. Just when Shepard’s fate is sealed, a post-credits scene shows an N7 tag amidst some rubble. It slightly moves, hinting at the Commander’s survival.

Days Gone

Perhaps the most recent example on this list is Days Gone. First revealed at E3 2016, its main calling card was the sizable hordes of undead on-screen that players could battle. It was originally slated to release in 2018 but faced a number of delays before finally launching in April 2019. On Metacritic, it averaged a 71 out of 109 reviews from critics. Some gameplay and world building aspects were praised but critics were ultimately harsh on the game for its mission design, writing, performance and myriad of bugs. While not an outright terrible review average, it was a shock to PS4 players, especially with how revered Sony’s exclusive first-party offerings had become.

After its launch, however, Days Gone attained a relatively strong following with players becoming attached to the characters and the overall world design. Bend Studio would also update the game frequently, adding new challenges, difficulty modes and bug fixes. It eventually became clear that Days Gone wouldn’t be getting a sequel or even a major expansion. Earlier this year, Jason Schreier spoke to sources that revealed a sequel proposal being rejected due to the first game’s mixed critical response and long development period. Nevertheless, a PC version arrived in May and fans have started a petition for a sequel. Bend Studio is currently working on a new IP built on “the deep open-world systems that they have developed with Days Gone” as per PlayStation Studios head Herman Hulst so at the very least, its DNA carries over in some ways.

Square Enix’s NieR IP went from being a cult hit among a small set of fans to achieving mainstream, widespread success with NieR: Automata in 2017. The action RPG was widely praised, and has gone on to sell gangbusters since then, so it’s not a surprise that Square Enix intends to invest more in the series and capitalize on its success.

NieR Replicant is coming up soon, while NieR Re[in]carnation is going strong on mobile as well, but Square Enix is looking ahead to the future as well. Via the series’ official Twitter page, they recently confirmed that they are looking to recruit developers to work on NieR-related projects. Of course, there’s little to go on right now by way of actual details about what these projects might be, but fans of the series can at least rest easy knowing that there’s stuff to look forward to in the future.

Meanwhile, series creator and director Yoko Taro has some other projects in the works as well. He’s previously confirmed he’s working on two games currently, one of which has been described as an “off-beat” digital-only title. Then again, “off-beat” and Yoko Taro generally go hand-in-hand, so that doesn’t really tell us much.

ニーア関連作品のスタッフを募集いたします。詳細はこちらをご覧ください。#NieR #ニーア https://t.co/Bhz9J60f3j

— NieR公式PRアカウント (@NieR_JPN) April 20, 2021

At the end of this month, we’re scheduled to have three streams dedicated to the NieR franchise. The series is really only two games, NeiR and NieR: Automata. The first game was more of a cult hit, but Automata was hugely successful, and people are excited to see what’s coming next. We’re hoping that new information about a new entry will be at the show, and the franchise’s oddball director will be there, too. And buddy, you better strap in, because it’s going to be a long one. You’ll need a beer or two, and Yoko Taro is definitely encouraging that.

Via Taro’s official Twitter, he said that the ‘talk show’ he’ll host as part of the streams will be 5 hours long. He says it’ll mostly be drinking beer, and he invites everyone watching to grab a few beers of their own and watch along (thanks to DualShockers for translating).

The other two streams will feature a concert and a stage play on March 29th (you can read more about it through here). Hopefully, we’ll get some kind of announcement among all the drinking. Square Enix recently filed a new trademark for the first NieR title, so a remaster or remake could be on the cards. We’ll just have to wait and see.

ニーア１０周年のオケコン・舞台が次々と中止になったので腹いせに１０時間放送やります。オケコンと舞台は有料配信だけど、観てほしい気持ちでイッパイです。無料部分は５時間くらいヌルヌルします。最後の方はどうせ飲むから皆さんもビール買って一緒にヤケクソに飲みしましょう。 https://t.co/IW0GciYYUs

— yokotaro (@yokotaro) March 13, 2020

One of the most unlikely franchises to emerge over the last decade has been the NieR series. While the first game mostly stayed in its niche, the sequel NieR: Automata ended up being a major success with one of its main characters, 2B, being part of multiple crossovers. Now you can listen to the sounds of the game on Spotify.

The soundtrack for both the original NieR as well as NieR: Automata can be found via the music streaming service Spotify, which you can see through here. It includes every track from each soundtrack. While both have been available to purchase physically and digitally on various storefronts, this is the first time either have been available via streaming.

NieR: Automata is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, while NieR is still only available on previous generation systems. This year will be the 10th anniversary of the series, and we’ve had some teases that some announcement could be coming soon, so stay tuned.

For those who first played the original NieR way back in 2010, it’s probably quite surprising where the series ended up. I’d wager no one expected the sequel, NieR: Automata, to become a huge title for publisher Square Enix with an iconic character that’s been in multiple crossovers. The 10th anniversary of the first game is here in 2020, and it seems we could be expecting something special soon.

In the latest issue of Famtisu, NieR: Automata Producer Yosuke Saito talked about the series, and when mentioning the 10th anniversary he said the company planned to celebrate the event with “this and that and an unannounced title.” It’s not clear exactly what Saito is referencing. Presumably the title he’s talking about a game, and Square Enix did recently trademark NieR again, so a remaster or remake of the first game seems to be a pretty good possibility.

There’s a 10th Anniversary website that’s live now, so at some point something will pop up there. We’ll keep you updated as information is revealed.