Even if you enjoyed NieR: Automata and its predecessor, NieR: Replicant, you could be forgiven for not knowing that game actually got a sequel, and a pretty good one too. Unfortunately, that sequel, mobile game NieR: Re[in]carnation, hasn't been available for almost a year after being taken offline in April of 2024.
But fortunately, a Square Enix website is dropping some pretty wild in-universe hints that this might be about to change.
As pointed out to us on BlueSky by journalist Willa Rowe, an official NieR website that's currently publishing a NieR special movel to commemorate the series 15th anniversary is teasing something NieR: Re[in]carnation-related via cryptic in-text hints and webpage source code. As a part of today's update to the novel, the just-published chapter 4 ends with some strange text that reads as follows:
[WARNING] : Recovery protocol initialized…[ERROR] : Redirecting to backup node: < https://www.jp.square-enix.com/nierreincarnation/ >[INFO] : Analysis comments added to the source code.
[FATAL] : Process forcibly halted.
What does THAT mean? Who knows? But wait, there's more. If you hit "View Source" on that page, there are even more weird teases in the code comments, as hinted at above. They read, in order:
SECURITY NOTICE: Unauthorized transmission detected. Signal disruption logged. Countermeasure protocol active. Redirecting to backup node: https://www.jp.square-enix.com/nierreincarnation/
TODO: Optimize rendering efficiency. Contradictions in "Her" emotions may interfere with signal clarity. Ensure transission remains undistorted.
FIXME: Visibility settings enabled for crashed observer system. He is watching…Adjust access permissions before deployment. His name is…………
HACK: Log discrepancy detected. Records indicate previous modification attempts due to excessive interference from The Cage. Cross-check against original transmission before proceeding.
Okay, there's a lot here, some of which is inscrutable and some of which makes sense. "The Cage", for instance, is the main location where most of NieR: Re[in]carnation takes place. And "Her" is a key character (yes, that's Her name) in Re[in]carnation as well. Between that and the hyperlink, it's pretty obvious what all this is referencing, but what exactly will become of it remains anyone's guess.
The two final chapters of the novel are scheduled to publish on May 2, a week from today, and it's possible it may also pull back the curtain on whatever's happening here. Fans are speculating that it may be leading up to some sort of port or re-release of NieR: Re[in]carnation, which has been completely unplayable anywhere since it went offline last year. They're also pointing out that the chapters of the special novel, which are currently only available in Japanese (but which fans are translating), have some pretty significant tie-ins to all three other NieR games.
If you're unfamiliar with Re[in]carnation, I highly recommend keeping an eye on this, especially if the end result is another opportunity to play it. Re[in]carnation is a good game in its own right that many slept on due to its being a mobile gacha game, but critically, it's also the direct sequel to NieR: Automata, and effectively is NieR 3, for those who have been waiting for it. Who knows? Maybe a new Re[in]carnation release could include some new content that ties the ongoing stream of loose NieR-related threads together at last.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
