NieR Series Apologizes for April Fools’ Day Fake Game Announcement
The official NieR series account @NieR_JPN has issued an apology for a fake game announcement that turned out to be an April Fools’ Day prank. On April 1st, the Japanese account clarified that the previously announced “new project” titled NieR: COSMIC HORROR was actually an April Fools’ Day campaign and not a real game in development. The announcement had been made at midnight local time on March 31st, creating confusion among fans who believed it was a genuine new entry in the popular series.
At midnight on April 1st (Japan time), the official account first released a mysterious teaser with the caption: “From nothingness is born hope, or despair called salvation—Coming Soon…” The teaser featured a short video with a dark, eerie style showing a robot with tentacle-like elements. This maintained the philosophical atmosphere and dark aesthetic that the NieR series is known for, making the announcement appear authentic to many fans.
The teaser quickly sparked heated discussion among global fans, with views surpassing 3 million in just a few hours. Many excited fans speculated that this might be a proper sequel following NieR: Automata, even connecting it to cosmic horror themes. The reputation of series director Yoko Taro for unconventional marketing tactics made many people initially believe the announcement was real, adding to the confusion surrounding the prank.
In the official statement, @NieR_JPN wrote: “Thank you for your continued support of the NieR series. NieR: COSMIC HORROR announced today at 0:00 is an April Fools’ Day campaign. We apologize for any confusion caused. Please continue to support the NieR series.” Since the great success of NieR: Automata, the series has not seen a proper sequel or major new project, leaving fans eagerly awaiting new content. This context explains why the April Fools’ prank generated such significant reaction from the community. The fake announcement serves as a reminder that fans remain hungry for new content from this beloved series.
