In a tweet this morning,Nier: AutomataandBayonettadevelopers PlatinumGames revealed what the studio may be working on next. That game may be the next project fromNiercreator Yoko Taro. The tweet suggests that Platinum will be developingDrakengard 4, the next in Yoko Taro’s long-running fantasy RPG franchise.
The originalDrakengardtitle was a PS2 game, the first game that Yoko Taro directed. The game, and its two sequels, were all published by Square Enix, who also published his second seriesNier. In 2017, after having a cult following,Nier: Automatawas a critical darling and a successful collaboration between Yoko Taro and a new team, PlatinumGames. The game went on to be huge to Square Enix, even letting Yoko Taro write a quest line inFinal Fantasy 14.Drakengard 3was released seven years ago, in 2013.
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Early this morning, the official PlatinumGames account tweeted out a photo of the number four and a link to a new landing page of its website. Nothing of consequence exists on that page right now, or so it seems. Followers of Platinum and Square Enix believe this strongly hints at the studio’s next game beingDrakengard 4. It would make sense that Yoko Taro would be involved in this new project, but technically that detail has not yet been confirmed. No details have been confirmed at all aside from the number four.
This is the first ofPlatinum’s big 2020 announcements. ADrakengardgame with the expertise of developers who have crafted great action could be a bold new direction for the series. Now that Yoko Taro has hit a new level of mainstream success, he may have more free rein to go in even wilder directions thanNier: Automata, a feat that seems nearly impossible.
2020 and the following year could be big ones for Yoko Taro. Square Enix is already capitalizing on the 10-year anniversary of the originalNierby filing a trademark in Japan. It is rumored that aNierremakeis in the works, and potentially another sequel as well. Earlier this month, PlatinumGames received an investment from Chinese gaming conglomerate Tencent. This suggests it could also be working on another project entirely separate fromDrakengardandNier. Platinum is a studio known for juggling multiple projects at a time, so it is well within reason it is working on three different games right now.
