Square Enix is famous for making role-playing games, with the Final Fantasy series being its most popular. They also have other successful franchises like Dragon Quest, Octopath Traveler, and Kingdom Hearts. Plus, many older games, such as Vagrant Story, are ripe for a modern update. However, Square Enix has so many amazing games that it’s hard for smaller, less well-known series to gain traction. One particular series has a dedicated fanbase, but hasn’t had a new game in almost ten years.
Released in 2017, NieR: Automata became the most successful game in the NieR series. However, Square Enix hasn’t expressed any desire to expand on it beyond a remake of the original NieR game and a brief mobile title. While the series continues to thrive through events like concerts, partnerships, and merchandise, many fans feel it deserves more. Now is the perfect time for Square Enix to commit to the series and deliver the sequel that NieR: Automata fans are hoping for.
How NieR Became One of Square Enix’s Most Important Series
The NieR series wasn’t initially intended to be a huge success. The first NieR game, released in 2010, started as a spin-off of the Drakenguard series and had modest sales. While the original Drakenguard was popular, its sequels didn’t perform as well. NieR offered a fresh and unique voice, even if it wasn’t perfect. Creator Yoko Taro focused on storytelling through different viewpoints, recurring themes, and complex moral choices, which deeply resonated with players. Its unusual, sad, and realistic tone laid the groundwork for the acclaimed NieR: Automata.
Created with help from PlatinumGames, the game uniquely blended fast-paced combat with a thought-provoking story. It featured a complex narrative, a memorable soundtrack, and wasn’t afraid to make players question their choices and the game’s meaning. Many fans consider it a landmark title for Square Enix, as it moved the company away from its typical, predictable role-playing games.
What really stood out about NieR: Automata was its emotional impact. I distinctly remember being lost in thought after seeing Ending E. Discovering the complete story through multiple playthroughs felt fresh and I was completely captivated – and many other fans feel the same way. The game took creative risks, similar to the often-overlooked gem Xenogears, and those risks paid off beautifully.
Nearly a Decade of Silence After Automata
Considering how popular NieR: Automata was, it’s surprising we haven’t seen a full sequel yet. Square Enix has revisited the NieR universe with things like the NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… remake and some crossover events, but these just expand on what’s already there—they don’t move the story forward. While the collaboration with Stellar Blade was a cool surprise, fans are really hoping for a brand new NieR game.
Square Enix appears happy to continue releasing content related to NieR without making a brand new main game. While this might work in the short term, it could lose the excitement that made Automata so popular. Fans aren’t asking for a new game every year—they simply want Square Enix to recognize that there’s more story to tell and that they care about this world.
A lot of the disappointment stems from the difference in how Square Enix treats its franchises. They’re consistently releasing new and expanded versions of Final Fantasy, a well-known and established series. However, NieR, a smaller but dedicated fanbase, isn’t getting the same level of support. Final Fantasy’s popularity means it doesn’t need frequent releases to stay popular, but NieR relies on exciting new content to keep fans engaged.
NieR Still Has So Much to Offer
As a huge fan of the NieR series, I think there’s so much potential for new stories! The world is just so expansive and weird, and we’ve only scratched the surface. I’d love to see a new game with completely fresh characters, but still exploring those core themes of what it means to be alive, the weight of sacrifice, and that unsettling feeling of existential dread. It doesn’t have to be a direct sequel to 2B and 9S’s story to feel like a true NieR game, but honestly, a little nod or Easter egg to Automata would be amazing!
As a huge fan, I think the core gameplay of NieR is already amazing. Automata really proved how PlatinumGames could combine incredible, responsive combat with a story that really makes you think. With today’s technology and how game design has evolved, a new NieR game could be something truly special. It could mix up genres and tell a story in a way that feels innovative, not just a rehash of what we’ve seen before. That’s always been a strength of the series, and I honestly believe the next game could be the best one yet!
Square Enix frequently emphasizes innovation, and the NieR series perfectly demonstrates what that looks like in practice. It would be a missed opportunity to leave NieR undeveloped, considering it’s one of the publisher’s biggest successes in recent years. While another hit game would be welcome, Square Enix should prioritize showing how it continues to grow as a developer, and NieR has already proven it’s capable of leading the way. Given the series’ increasing popularity almost a decade after NieR: Automata, it’s surprising that Square Enix hasn’t fully committed to further installments.
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2026-01-19 18:11