A new Nier horror project is coming, and hopefully it's a game

Nier: Cosmic Horror could be anything, but fans are hoping it's a follow-up to Nier: Automata

Yoko Taro, haven't your fans suffered enough? Evidently not, otherwise I can't explain why an official Nier account has decided that March 31 was the best time to vaguely announce something called Nier: Cosmic Horror, a new "project" that may or may not be a game.

The teaser is only 21 seconds, during which we see the series mascot Emil smiling menacingly in the background. As unsettling music plays, the teaser reveals a biomechanical monstrosity that could have been designed by H.R. Giger. "Is hope born from nothingness?" the post reads. "Or is it despair disguised as salvation?"

It's been nearly a decade since Nier: Automata, the beloved existential action game known for its twists and multiple endings. Since then, protagonist 2B has shown up in all sorts of places, from Rainbow Six Siege to Overwatch. Series director Yoko Taro has also seemed open to a new game in the universe, once notoriously claiming that he would consider doing nearly anything if he got the money for it. So far, that's mostly resulted in re-releases, collaborations with other games, or tertiary projects, like concerts and anime.

The world is yearning for a full-on new Nier game, though, which makes this announcement kind of cruel, as fans are left wondering if they're being trolled or not. In Yoko Taro's defense, the game developer revealed in 2025 that he's been busy since Automata, except his projects apparently keep getting canceled. At the time, Taro joked he didn't really mind that since he still got paid.

“I don’t view [the cancellations] as a negative thing,” Taro said. “I believe that if I’m going to release something weird, I’d be better off not releasing anything at all.”

Whatever Nier: Cosmic Horror turns out to be, a more frightening take on the franchise makes sense. The franchise is an unsettling, constant assault of tragedy and death. One could argue that Nier: Automata is already a psychological horror game for protagonist 2B, who is forced to shut down her emotions as she fulfills gruesome orders.

One reason to be hopeful here is that, every so often, Japanese developers legitimately announce real games on Aprils Fools. Publisher Square Enix did say Nier: Automata would somehow continue in February 2026. Cross your fingers that this isn't a fake-out.

At this point, even The Weeknd is waiting for a new Nier game.