Teasers for Nier: Automata’s Ninth Anniversary Spark Speculation
Since the monumental success of Nier: Automata and the endless flood of 2B merchandise, it’s a little surprising that Square Enix hasn’t rolled out a new mainline installment in the past eight years. However, fans might not have to wait much longer to catch a glimpse of what’s next. Yosuke Saito, producer of the Nier series, recently hinted at something in the works for next year during a chat with Gematsu.
As 2026 approaches, marking the ninth anniversary of Nier: Automata, Saito mentioned, “We’re also preparing just a little something, so please don’t get too excited with anticipation.” His wording suggests that we shouldn’t expect a brand new game—for now, at least. Still, something with that familiar Nier flavor seems to be brewing. Whether it’s a spin-off, a multimedia project, additional merchandise, or a crossover remains anyone’s guess.
In the meantime, former Square Enix executive has voiced that “we would love to make more Yoko Taro games,” indicating that the desire is there, but they also face financial considerations since the audience size isn’t always big enough for the costs, aside from the major successes like the Nier franchise.
Meanwhile, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director hinted that after completing Part 3 of the JRPG remake, the team might venture into “a completely new IP” or perhaps explore something innovative within the Final Fantasy series.
On another note, Yoko Taro addressed fan criticisms regarding his work ethic, clarifying that several of his projects have been canceled mid-development in recent years. “I believe that if I’m going to release something weird, I’d be better off not releasing anything at all,” he remarked.
As the excitement builds, Saito also pointed out that next year marks the 40th anniversary of Dragon Quest. He expressed his hopes that fans would join in on what could be a grand celebration.
With a lot in the pipeline, fans of the Nier franchise and beyond definitely have some reasons to stay tuned.