{"rewrite":{"id":"r_3a7504e34b134bb984f036e3","clusterId":"c_0aa9cffc1b2a46759a1b8c91","slug":"yoko-taro-and-yosuke-saito-explain-the-nier-automata-to-be-continued-message","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito Explain the 'NieR:Automata to Be Continued' Message","summary":"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.","whyItMatters":"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.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe 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.'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Yōsuke Saitō admitted he added \"to be continued\" to the ninth anniversary video without a sequel green-lit. The decision forces every subsequent NieR teaser to be read through that ambiguity.","twitterPost":"Saitō added \"to be continued\" without a sequel green-lit. Every future NieR teaser now carries that ambiguity.","threadsPost":"Yōsuke Saitō confirmed he personally added \"to be continued\" to the NieR:Automata ninth anniversary video. No sequel has been green-lit. The phrase was a feeling, not a plan. That distinction matters because it means every future NieR tease will be interpreted through that same uncertainty, including the April Fool's joke that deliberately played with kanji to confuse fans.","newsletterBlurb":"In a Famitsu interview, NieR:Automata producer Yosuke Saito revealed he insisted on the 'to be continued...' tag in the game's ninth-anniversary video, though he does not know if a sequel is coming. Director Yoko Taro offered a blunt interpretation: they want to keep making money. The pair also discussed their April Fool's Day prank, which used nonsense kanji to tease a new project without committing to anything real.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2026-05-21/yoko-taro-yosuke-saito-explain-nier-automata-to-be-continued-message/.237524\",\"title\":\"Yokō Tarō, Yōsuke Saitō Explain \\\"NieR: Automata to be continued ...\\\" Message\"}]","lintFlagsJson":"[]","lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":3819,"outputTokens":772,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1779826570,"createdAt":"2026-05-22T05:19:01.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-22T05:30:43.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-22T05:30:43.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_0aa9cffc1b2a46759a1b8c91","canonicalTitle":"Yokō Tarō, Yōsuke Saitō Explain \"NieR: Automata to be continued …\" Message","representativeArticleId":"a_66b406058896629dc2453b65","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Yokō Tarō\",\"Yōsuke Saitō\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-05-22T03:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-05-22T03:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-22T05:30:43.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2026-05-21/yoko-taro-yosuke-saito-explain-nier-automata-to-be-continued-message/.237524","title":"Yokō Tarō, Yōsuke Saitō Explain \"NieR: Automata to be continued …\" Message"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Yokō Tarō","Yōsuke Saitō"],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["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."]}