Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito Explain the 'NieR:Automata to Be Continued' Message
The interview clarifies that the 'to be continued' tag was a deliberate emotional hook from the producer, not a confirmed sequel announcement, and that the staff's April Fool's prank was designed to confuse fans without committing to a real project.
Key Facts
- Producer Yosuke Saito personally requested the 'to be continued...' message in the ninth-anniversary video for NieR:Automata, which aired on February 20.
- Saito said he does not know whether a sequel to NieR:Automata will happen.
- Director Yoko Taro joked the 'to be continued' message means they want to keep making money.
- The staff's April Fool's Day post used the homonym kanji 血定 (meaning 'established blood') instead of the standard 決定 (green-lit) to announce a 'New NieR Project Production Kettei.'
- Saito confirmed the April Fool's post was a joke, and no new NieR projects have been officially announced.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
In a Famitsu interview, producer Yosuke Saito said he insisted on adding 'to be continued...' to the ninth-anniversary video for NieR:Automata, though he does not know if a sequel will happen. Director Yoko Taro joked the message means they want to keep making money. The pair also discussed an April Fool's joke that teased a new NieR project.
The May 14 issue of Famitsu published an interview with NieR:Automata director Yoko Taro and producer Yosuke Saito, who addressed the cryptic 'to be continued...' message that appeared at the end of the game's ninth-anniversary video on February 20. Saito said he personally requested the line, adding that he does not know whether a sequel will materialize but felt the phrase was necessary for the milestone video. Yoko offered a deadpan interpretation: 'We're not done, we're going to keep raking it in.'
The interview also covered the staff's April Fool's Day post that announced a 'New NieR Project Production Kettei' using the homonym kanji 血定 (literally 'established blood') instead of the standard 決定 (green-lit). Saito confirmed it was a joke, but noted fans reacted more enthusiastically than expected. Yoko explained the team initially considered 'Release Not Green-Lit' but worried that phrasing would be read as a reverse confirmation. They settled on the nonsense kanji, which Yoko later admitted he does not fully understand. No new NieR projects have been officially announced.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Yokō Tarō, Yōsuke Saitō Explain "NieR: Automata to be continued …" Message