NieR:Automata director Yoko Taro and producer Yosuke Saito have shed light on the enigmatic "NieR:Automata to be continued…" message that appeared at the end of a recent video celebrating the game's milestone of 10 million copies shipped or downloaded. In a recent interview with Famitsu magazine, Saito revealed he was the one who insisted on including the message, feeling it was essential for the ninth-anniversary commemoration.
Taro offered a humorous interpretation, suggesting the message was a statement about the franchise's ongoing profitability. Saito further elaborated on the timing, implying that ending the anniversary video on such a note felt incomplete and hinted at a desire to continue the series toward its tenth anniversary.
The interview also touched upon the staff's recent April Fool's Day prank, which teased a "New NieR Project Production Kettei." The joke cleverly employed a homonym kanji, 血定 (literally "Established Blood"), instead of the standard kanji for "green-lit" (決定) to create a layer of playful ambiguity. Saito confirmed the post was intended as a joke, but noted the surprising level of excitement it generated among fans.
Initially, the staff considered wording that directly translated to "Release Not Green-Lit," but concerns arose that this could be misinterpreted. Taro explained that Saito pointed out the irony: on April Fool's Day, saying something isn't green-lit might paradoxically imply it is actually approved. Ultimately, they settled on the more obscure kanji for the prank. The team has not officially announced any new NieR projects.
Source: Famitsu (Famitsu, Famitsu website, Square Enix YouTube, NieR X/Twitter via Hachima Kikō)
