Will NieR 3 become a reality? According to various teasers from the license's masterminds, this is entirely possible. But new discoveries are already raising concerns.
With more than 8 million copies sold, NieR Automata is not only a huge commercial success, but also a huge critical success. This is the game that exploded the license created by the flamboyant Yoko Taro. A strange and classic work at the same time that captivates players. Fans who were there during the Drakengard era and are waiting for only one thing: a new NieR game. Given the sales numbers, there's no real reason why it shouldn't happen, but developments might be a little more complicated this time around.
NieR 3 at PlatinumGames in danger?
Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito, the franchise's producer, play on fans' nerves about the existence of a NieR 3. In the last few months, teasers have been posted online several times or broadcast during a concert. Additionally, here is what Saito-san said earlier this year. “I've been talking about my desire to do something with Yoko for a while now [Keiichi] Okabe (Editor's note: the series' composer). I'll have more concrete things to say in the relatively near future. It could be NieR, maybe not NieR (laughs). That's about all I can say at the moment..
We also know that Yoko Taro has been thinking about other projects for some time and NieR 3 could well be a ready candidate. But new discoveries raise concerns about the hypothesis of a new game. As you know, Hideki Kamiya has left PlatinumGames to form CLOVERS, which will develop Okami 2 with M-TWO and Machine Head Works.
But on Reddit, an Internet user noticed that this was by no means the only departure. Kenji Saito (Metal Gear Rising), Takahisa Taura (Astral Chain, Nier Automata), Masaki Yamanaka (The Wonderful 101) and Asebe Tinari (Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon) have removed all mentions of PlatinumGames from their network. Bayonetta Origins' game director even left Japan to return to Finland.
Departures that raise questions
This exodus of PlatinumGames developers comes as Hideki Kamiya unveiled his new studio and first project. Is that related to that? It's not impossible. During an interview, Kamiya-san confirmed that he had entered into creative discussions with Atsushi Inaba, one of the founders, and about the direction of the company. It was no longer possible for the creator to express his creativity and this would have killed his artistic spirit. The GG project and the service orientation despite the failure of Babylon's downfall would be reasons for dissolution.
So what does this have to do with NieR 3? Well, with all these departures, things could get complicated for the next game, which may continue to be the case in the coming months. Of course, the license was born and continues thanks to Yoko Taro, but the partnership with PlatinumGames on NieR Automata made it possible to offer a very solid action dimension. If developers gradually leave the studio, there is a chance that this will have significant consequences when Square Enix eventually decides to contact the company again. If you want to find 2B again, the Nier Automata X Stellar Blade DLC is still available.
Source: Reddit.
