As ifNieR: Automatawasn’t bizarre enough, a fan has discovered a way to skip to the game’s final cutscene after defeating the first boss. The “cheat code” was confirmed both byNieR’s director Yoko Taro and the officialNieRTwitter account.
Twitter user Lance McDonald uncovered the secret after “hundreds of hours of reverse engineering.” The method requires inputting a specific cheat code that was intentionally hard-coded into the game’s engine. According to McDonald, reaching the end ofNieR Automatautilizing this code still unlocks all of the bonus modes that players earn by spending dozens of hours completing the game.
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Though details are light, the skip seems to be triggered by a number of specific inputs that must be activated in succession between two groups of barrels beside the defeated boss. Players interested in replicating the hidden skip will have to wait for the release of McDonald’s “full video,” which he mentioned was coming soon.
NieRseries director Yoko Taro retweeted McDonald’s video alongside text that reads “3 years 10 months,” referring to the game’s initial release on July 09, 2025. This may be a reference totheNieR: Automatasecretthat developers Yosuke Saito, Takahia Taura, and Yoko Taro hinted at in a Famitsu interview in March 2018. The fact it took nearly three years for the secret to be discovered is quite the feat, especially for a franchise as popular asNieR.
In addition to crackingNieR Automata’s longest-held secret, McDonald has produced his own debug menu for the title and added two new features to the game engine. The debugging wizard created a free camera mode and time-stop mod to capture his favorite moments with ease. It’s no wonder he found the hidden game skip.
McDonald was also congratulated by the official Twitter account for theNieRseries, which is celebrating its 10thanniversary. There are major projects in the works for the franchise,including the release of its first mobile game,NieR Reincarnation.NieR Reincarnationis a story-driven title being written by Yoko Taro and Saito Yosuke. Players follow a character called Mama through a world called The Cage, featuring the familiar atmosphere and musicNieRfans have become so accustomed to.
WhileNieR Reincarnationhas no official release date,NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139… is set release early this year. The remake of the series’ first entry,NieR Replicant, treated fans to an extended look at its gameplay during The Game Awards 2020. Players who have a weakness for physical collectibles can pre-order the game’s “White Snow Edition” exclusively from the Square Enix online store.
Nier: Automatais available now for PC and PlayStation 4.
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