Tencent cancels unannounced NieR mobile game

Tencent was developing a new mobile game for the Nier series but stopped development in December, according to a new report.

As reported by Reuters, sources said the game had been in development for almost two years. There was reportedly a playable internal demo, which showed some of the game's combat and story.

The company is said to have "struggled to find a compelling monetisation model" to offset the high costs of the mobile entry.

Sources also said Tencent is unwilling to pay royalty fees of over 10 percent to IP owners for mobile adaptations, which are usually expected to be from 15 to 20 percent. These factors reportedly led Tencent to cancel development on the game, sources said, as it was too expensive.

The Nier series already has a mobile game - Nier Reincarnation launched in 2021 but will shut down on 29th April, after two and a half years of service.

We don't know what's next for the Nier series, despite producer Yosuke Saito claiming Nier will continue for as long as eccentric director Yoko Taro is alive.

Tencent's recent strategy has seen the company "aggressively" seek majority stakes in other companies, including Dying Light developer Techland, Riot Games, and Sumo Digital. Recent rumours suggested Tencent was looking to buy Dungeons & Dragons from Hasbro, something which even Larian boxx Swen Vincke stepped in to deny.