Yoko Taro Reveals Many Cancelled Game Projects After Working Behind the Scenes

The creator of the NieR series, Yoko Taro, assures his fans that he hasn’t been idle and has been busy developing new games all this time. The issue, however, is that none of these projects have reached the release stage, as they were all canceled before they could be made public.

Taro shared this information during a discussion at the Korean G-CON 2025 conference, where he was on stage with Clovers Studio founder Hideki Kamiya. When both were asked to reveal their current projects, Taro admitted that, while it may seem from the outside that he is inactive, he has actually been working hard; unfortunately, the games were scrapped midway through development.

According to him, he often receives requests for a sequel to NieR or complaints suggesting that he is “not doing anything.” However, in recent years, he has amassed a number of initiatives that have never been completed.

Yoko Taro

Taro expressed that he doesn’t feel distressed about this situation. He believes it’s preferable not to release a game at all than to bring something strange or unsuccessful to market. This approach, he argues, protects both his reputation and gamers from disappointment.

Two years ago, Taro and NieR producer Yosuke Saito mentioned they were working on a project unrelated to the franchise, with plans to unveil it in 2024. That hasn’t happened, leading to speculation that it might be one of the canceled developments he referred to. At that time, Saito noted that the NieR series would continue as long as Taro was creating, but currently, there are circumstances that hinder the quick release of a new installment.

The creator of  NieR: Automata is also contemplating the future of the industry. Earlier this year, he warned that artificial intelligence could leave most developers jobless within 50 years.