Square Enix has officially confirmed that NieR: Automata has crossed a staggering milestone: 10 million units in worldwide shipments and digital sales. To celebrate the occasion, the franchise dropped a cryptic but explosive tease: “NieR: Automata to be continued…”
It’s a massive moment for a franchise that, a decade ago, was considered a niche cult classic. But what makes this milestone even more fascinating is the cultural juggernaut the series has become since 2017, and the wild new project its creator just announced.
Before Automata, the NieR (and Drakengard) universe was beloved by a small, dedicated fanbase that appreciated Yoko Taro’s unconventional storytelling and penchant for crushing depression. Automata changed everything. The fluid combat by PlatinumGames, combined with the hauntingly beautiful score by Keiichi Okabe and a deeply philosophical narrative, transformed the IP into a global powerhouse.
But the real story is how NieR’s popularity sustained and even evolved after the game’s initial release. The success of Automata completely reshaped Square Enix’s approach to the franchise. It justified the massive 2021 remaster of the original game, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…, introducing millions of new fans to the franchise’s tragic roots. It spawned orchestral concert tours, stage plays, endless crossover events, and a highly successful anime adaptation (NieR:Automata Ver1.1a) that actively played with and expanded the game’s lore.
NieR didn’t just sell well; it became a permanent fixture in gaming culture. 2B and 9S evolved into iconic industry figures, and the game’s exploration of existentialism resonated profoundly with a modern audience. The phrase “to be continued…” isn’t just a marketing hook; it’s a promise to a fanbase that has grown exponentially and is starving for whatever mind-bending tragedy the team cooks up next.
As if the NieR news wasn’t enough to break the internet, Yoko Taro just dropped another bombshell. During the 30th Anniversary celebration for Neon Genesis Evangelion, it was officially announced that a brand-new Evangelion anime series is in production at Studio Khara and CloverWorks—and Yoko Taro is writing the script.
If that wasn’t perfect enough, legendary NieR composer Keiichi Okabe is providing the music, reuniting the creative duo for one of the most influential anime franchises in history. The project is being directed by Rebuild veteran Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toko Yatabe.
For fans of Taro, this is the ultimate full-circle moment. He has openly admitted on numerous occasions that Evangelion was a massive, direct inspiration for NieR: Automata. Handing the keys of the Evangelion universe over to the master of video game existentialism feels like a match made in heaven—or a beautifully orchestrated apocalyptic hell.
Whether we are getting a new NieR game, a continuation of the anime, or something entirely unexpected from Square Enix, one thing is clear: the era of Yoko Taro is far from over. Between Automata’s continued dominance and his new role in the Evangelion universe, fans of philosophical, heartbreaking media are going to be eating well.
