Nier: Automata Creators Deny Censorship Claims, Blame Mistranslation for Design Restrictions Rumors

06/15/2025 Action RPG

Hold on to your hats, folks! The creators of the iconic Nier: Automata, Yosuke Saito and Yoko Taro, have stepped into the fray to address some swirling rumors. Speculation arose when a mistranslated subtitle suggested that Square Enix might have imposed restrictions on character designs to cater to Western audiences. Can you imagine 2B in a different outfit? Unthinkable!

The buzz started during a "GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE" livestream where the developers discussed their creative process with former PlayStation executive Yoshida Shuhei. Taro explained that their core philosophy is to be different, citing examples like choosing a female protagonist for Nier: Automata after Nier: Replicant featured a male lead. He mentioned how they deliberately went against typical Western sci-fi tropes, opting for Gothic Lolita outfits instead of the usual "Marine-like soldiers." Talk about a unique vision!

However, things got a bit murky when subtitles suggested certain character aspects deemed "problematic" overseas might have influenced design choices. Saito's comments implied that while something might fly in Japan, it could cause issues elsewhere, even preventing the game's release in certain countries. This ignited a firestorm of speculation among fans, who feared censorship had impacted their beloved game.

But fear not, Nier fans! Yoko Taro himself quickly jumped on X/Twitter to squash the rumors, stating he'd "never heard of such a thing happening." Saito echoed this sentiment, suggesting the comments were mistranslated and promising clarification in a future livestream. It seems like a classic case of "lost in translation," which can happen to the best of us!

Interestingly, the same interview also highlighted Nier: Automata's significant impact on the Japanese games industry. Yoshida credited the game with revitalizing the scene, noting that during the PS3 era, Japanese games struggled to sell and often tried to emulate "overseas tastes." However, Nier: Automata, released in 2017, defied this trend. Yoshida praised Taro for creating a game without worrying about international appeal, which ironically became a massive success worldwide. It's like that indie band that suddenly hits the big time – sometimes, authenticity wins!