At the firstNieR Replicantofficial stream on April 19, Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito andNieRseries creative director Yoko Taro announced a new game together - is itNieR Automatarelated? Here’s what happened.
Is it aNieR Automatasuccessor?
NieR Automatais the latest console game of theNieRseries. Since then, the series also stopped by iOS and Android, withNieR Reincarnationin early 2021 on mobile. And this week,NieR Replicant Ver.1.22, an enhanced version of the original, will be launching on consoles and PC.
As for this new game, it seems unlikely to be as grand asNieR Automata. As on stream, Yosuke Saito and Yoko Taro explained the new game is “indie like” and will only be released digitally. Though they hinted at a limited physical edition. All of this was also written on sheets Yosuke Saito displayed:
The duo also added that the game’s development recently reached a playable state. Note that they did not reveal the game’s title, platforms, or a release date estimate yet. Lastly, it’s highly likely this game is one of the two Yoko Taro games teased in 2020.
Yoko Taro’s new game - Is it evenNieR / Drakengardrelated?
While it was unspecified on stream, it’s unlikely this new project with Yoko Taro will beNieR / Drag-on Dragoon (Drakengard)related. With that said, Square Enix is definitely working on moreNieR.
Square EnixNieRteam is recruiting
Still on the stream, Yosuke Saito announced Square Enix and theNieRteam specifically, is hiring. Soon after the stream ended, theSquare EnixNieRhiring pagewas updated. They are looking for art directors and scenario designers. The page also includes messages from Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito. We summarized them below.
Yoko Taro brought up the various developments of the series for the10th anniversary, with the releases of “NieRReplisomething” and “NieRReinsomething”. He mentioned it’s thanks to the new staff they recently hired, who did most of the work while he spent his time sleeping. So if you’re motivated and want to use him as a stepping stone for your game developer career, now’s your chance.
Yosuke Saito meanwhile explained on stream one position they’re most notably hiring for is assistant producer, so you’d be working directly with him. As for his message, he stated this is a rare opportunity where you’d get to earn a living and learn from Yoko Taro, and that he would have definitely applied himself when younger. He added that it’s a lot of hard work, but still a very good environment for the game industry.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139releases on August 07, 2025, worldwide, on PS4, PC via Steam, and Xbox One.
