NieR: Automata Hits 10 Million Copies Sold and Teases "To Be Continued"

Ten million copies. Eight years. One very cryptic tease.

Square Enix has confirmed that NieR: Automata has surpassed 10 million units shipped and sold worldwide across all platforms. The announcement landed on the game's eighth anniversary, with the official NieR Twitter/X account posting "Glory to Mankind" alongside celebratory artwork. Shortly after, Square Enix's Japanese YouTube channel dropped a commemorative trailer looking back at eight years of the game's life, from iconic story moments to orchestral concerts and crossover appearances. Then, in the final seconds, four words appeared on screen: "NieR: Automata to be continued..."

Predictably, the internet lost its mind.

Whether that tease means a full sequel, a port, more merchandise, or another stage play is anyone's guess right now. Yoko Taro being involved means nothing is ever straightforward. The man once said a NieR: Automata follow-up would be "something nobody would have thought about" which is either a sign of creative ambition or a warning. Possibly both. Geoff Keighley also drew attention to the message on social media, adding fuel to an already raging speculation fire.

It's worth keeping expectations in check. Square Enix's wording is specifically "Nier: Automata to be continued" not "NieR 3 announced." That leaves the door wide open for continued crossover projects, more 2B merch drops, or another musical event. The series already has a DLC collaboration with Stellar Blade under its belt from 2024, and the NieR Orchestral Concerts have been a consistent presence over the years.

That said, there are reasons for cautious optimism. Several of NieR: Automata's lead developers were reportedly working together on a mysterious project as recently as last summer , which points to something being in active development. With the anniversary timing and that tease sitting right at the end of an official trailer, a follow-up reveal feels less like wishful thinking and more like a matter of when.

For context on how far the series has come, the original NieR in 2010 was a modest cult hit at best. NieR: Automata first launched for PlayStation 4 in Japan on February 23, 2017, followed by a North American release on March 7 and Europe on March 10, before hitting PC via Steam on March 17. Xbox One followed over a year later in June 2018, and a Switch version launched in October 2022. That steady platform expansion clearly helped. The game was last reported at nine million units back in December 2024 , so climbing that final million took only a couple of months.

Square Enix also dropped updated numbers for NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139, the 2021 remake of the original game. That title has now sold over two million units worldwide. Solid numbers for a remake of a game many people slept on the first time around.

Ten million copies for a game built on existential dread, androids in combat boots, and multiple playthroughs that dismantle everything you thought you understood about storytelling. Not bad at all.

Whatever "to be continued" actually means, Square Enix knows exactly what it's doing with that wording. Whether fans get a sequel, a spin-off, or an announcement that 2B is joining yet another gacha game, the NieR series clearly isn't going anywhere.