Yoko Taro: Still Making Games to Prevent Dementia

Ever wondered what keeps a legendary game director going after they've already achieved everything? For Yoko Taro, the mastermind behind Nier: Automata, it's not fame or fortune—it's literally brain health.

In a recent chat with Ender Lilies director Keisuke Okabe at The Tenth Mosaic opening ceremony in late September, Taro got candid about his career. The conversation, covered by 4Gamer and translated by Automaton, revealed that Taro feels he's accomplished all he set out to do in games. The first Drakengard, he said, was a distillation of everything he wanted to achieve in the medium. Everything since? Just using up his "remaining days."

That's a pretty heavy statement from the man who gave us some of the most mind-bending RPGs of the last two decades. But Taro isn't just being philosophical—he's genuinely considering stepping away from full-time development. Financially, he's in a place where that's increasingly viable. "Therefore, speaking from just an emotional standpoint - it's over," he said. "I'm done working, I don't want to do it anymore."

But here's the twist: he's not completely walking away. Why? Dementia prevention. Taro mentioned that data suggests retiring early can increase the risk of developing the condition. So even when work gets frustrating, he powers through by telling himself, "This is good for preventing dementia." Honestly, that's a motivation we can all respect.

Since the early 2000s, Taro has delivered a trilogy of Drakengard games and two Nier installments. Nier: Automata, in particular, exploded onto the global stage, turning the franchise into a phenomenon and cementing Taro as one of gaming's most celebrated creative minds. For Automata, he simply made the RPG he wanted to and "tried to stay hidden from Square Enix as much as possible." Classic Taro.

So what does this mean for fans hoping for a third Nier? Taro's not promising anything, but his dementia-prevention rationale might just keep him in the game long enough to deliver another masterpiece. And if that happens, we all win.

What do you think? Should Taro step away while he's ahead, or keep making games for the health benefits? Will you be picking up his next project, whenever it arrives?