Industry insider Nash Weedle claims that SE is developing a new entry in the NieR series. However, the project has not been officially confirmed and should currently be regarded as an unverified leak.
Current information only indicates that the project has entered production. The official title, gameplay direction, platforms, development team, announcement date, and release window have not been disclosed. Nash Weedle has previously provided leaks that were later confirmed, but his track record is not entirely accurate.
The previous main entry in the series, NieR: Automata, was developed by PlatinumGames. Since its launch in 2017, it has sold over 10 million copies, propelling this spin-off series originating from Drakengard into the mainstream market.
The remake of the 2010 title NieR, titled NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139..., and the mobile game NieR Re[in]carnation were both released in 2021, but neither constitutes the major new sequel players have been waiting for. For reference, there was about a year and eight months between the announcement and release of NieR: Automata, but current information is insufficient to estimate the release timing of this rumored new title.
Detailed report by foreign media Comicbook:
It is reported that an SE RPG series, which has not seen a new release in nearly a decade, is finally getting a new game.The news comes from industry insider Nash Weedle. His leak record is not entirely reliable, but he has indeed revealed some undeniable exclusive information in the past. Unfortunately, he only stated that a new NieR game is in development, something many people may have already guessed..
When mentioning "SE RPGs," most people probably think of Final Fantasy first. Some nostalgic players might also think of Dragon Quest. If neither of these series comes to mind first, Kingdom Hearts is likely to appear sooner. However, SE now has another RPG series second only to Final Fantasy in status. Surprisingly, this series has not released a true new entry since 2017.
Back in 2017, developer PlatinumGames and publisher SE revitalized the relatively niche NieR series with NieR: Automata, successfully bringing it into the mainstream.
NieR: Automata was one of the best games of 2017 and has sold over 10 million copies to date. Before this, NieR was merely a spin-off of Drakengard; most people had never even heard of it, let alone played it. After the huge success of NieR: Automata, many assumed a sequel would follow quickly, but that was not the case. The 2010 predecessor, NieR, was later remade as NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139..., but otherwise, the series has remained largely quiet. This is indeed surprising, but reportedly, this situation is about to change.
In addition to the recent announcement that a 2012 game will return in a brand-new version for the Nintendo Switch 2, SE fans can apparently look forward to a new NieR game. Unfortunately, it is currently unclear when this game will be released or what content it will include.
Aside from the Voice of Cards series, NieR series creative director Yoko Taro has not released many works in recent years. There is also the aforementioned NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... and the mobile game NieR Re[in]carnation, but neither counts as a major project, and both date back to 2021. This suggests that he and his team have clearly been preparing for a project, seemingly for several years. This might mean the next game is not far off, although the long silence makes it difficult to draw that conclusion.
Predicting a release date based on current information is largely meaningless. However, we do know that NieR: Automata had an interval of one year and eight months between its announcement and release. Therefore, if the sequel follows a similar promotion and release schedule, it likely won't be released anytime soon unless it is announced very soon.