As ‘NieR: Automata’ Crosses New Sales Milestone, Series Producer Teases 15th Anniversary Announcement: “Maybe Something With The Next Game, Or Developments Related To That”
In an appreciation post shared via the official NieR series X account, Square Enix celebrated a major milestone for NieR: Automata. As of December 2024, the fan-favorite title has surpassed 9 million units, counting both physical and digital copies across all platforms.
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NieR: Automata is an action RPG game released in March 2017. Developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix, the title is the sequel to NieR. The story takes place in a war between alien-built machines and androids created by humans. Players experience the story through three androids, 2B, 9S, and A2. What makes it a standout title is that it the full story is only revealed after multiple playthroughs, with new details unlocked each time.
Without fast-paced hack-and-slash combat and RPG elements, all that would make no sense and probably would turn players away, but NieR doubles down and also adds from other genres like shoot ‘em ups and text adventures. All of this has made NieR: Automata one of the most popular games published by Square Enix.
The latest sales milestone comes just nine months after Square Enix announced that NieR: Automata had surpassed 8 million units in February 2024. This kind of rapid growth coming in the seventh year of the game’s existence has ignited some fan speculation and hope for a new entry in the series. In response to the official X post, many have expressed their excitement, memories, and wishes for the future of the franchise.
One user, who goes by the handle @Mahmoodism shared his desire for a sequel, “How about you give us the third game? We need a new one!”.
Another fan, @FurNieR11945, added their own reasoning about the game by saying, “So happy to see this! I’ll never forget when I bought this game 7 years ago and how life-changing it was! Hoping to see it reach 10 million someday! Here’s hoping for a new NieR game someday that will follow up on Re[in]carnation or deliver something new! Congratulations!”
Some fans, such as Mister X, pointed out that it is time for a new game, “It’s been almost 8 years. It’s time for a new NieR game.”.
In what could prove to be more than just wishful thinking from fans, Yosuke Saito, the producer of the NieR series and known for his work on the Dragon Quest franchise, recently hinted at plans for the series’ future. Saito was one of 160+ game creators who shared their ambitions for 4Gamer. In an interview, Saito discussed his ambitions for 2025, which marks the 15th anniversary of the NieR series.
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“2025 will be a milestone year as it marks the 15th anniversary of the NieR series, so I’d like to do something for it!” Saito said. “What should we do… maybe something with the next game or developments related to that… I’ve been hearing the fans’ expectations. It’s a bit tricky, though.”
Saito added further comments, saying that he might be stepping away from the producer duties and focusing on another IP but that fans should remain patient and look forward to what’s next.
Although concrete details are missing, there might be something brewing up behind closed doors. It remains to be seen whether Yoko Taro, Yosuke Saito, and Square Enix deliver something in the NieR form for the franchise’s 15-year anniversary. If something in that vein happens, a new NieR: Automata game will surely set the internet ablaze.
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