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In honor of NieR’s ninth anniversary, Yosuke Saito, executive producer at Square Enix and producer of NieR: Automata, Square Enix executive producer and NieR series producer Yosuke Saito hinted at an upcoming surprise related to the game, but stressed that expectations should not be too high.
Speaking with Gematsu about his aspirations for 2026, Saito noted that next year marks the ninth anniversary of the release of Nier Automata, saying:
“We’re preparing something very simple, so please don’t get too excited.
Despite Nier Automata’s tremendous success in terms of sales, the global popularity of the 2B character, and the wide spread of associated products and collaborations, Square Enix has not released a new major game in the series in nearly 8 years, making the new hints highly intriguing for fans of the game.
However, Saito’s cautious tone does not suggest the announcement of a new home console installment at this time. Rather, speculation suggests that the next project could be a spin-off game, a limited experience, a multimedia project, or even new Nier Automata-themed collaborations and products, though no official confirmation has been made yet.
In a related context, Yoko Taro, the director and creator of the NieR series, responded to criticism from some fans who called him lazy, explaining that a number of his projects have been canceled during the development stages in recent years:
“I think that if I’m going to release something weird, it’s better not to release anything at all.
On another occasion, Taro stated that he has no real regrets about his past work, but at the same time admitted that he never felt he had fully completed a project, a reference to his rigorous view of the creative process.
Saito also noted that 2026 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series and expressed his hope that fans will be able to take part in a big celebration, reflecting Square Enix’s busy calendar.
In the end, while the details of the Nier Automata surprise remain vague, the current hints confirm that something is indeed coming, albeit on a modest scale, and until the official reveal, fans of the series will remain in a state of cautious anticipation, just as its producer asked them to do.
