A misunderstanding stemming from a misinterpreted phrase during a recent live stream led to speculation that Nier: Automata’s character designs were subject to censorship by Square Enix due to Western market demands.

According to studio heads Yosuke Saito and Yoko Taro, a double negative in Saito’s statement contributed to the confusion. Saito explained that while certain content may not resonate well in international markets, this doesn’t directly imply that they alter character designs to align with those standards.

Taro emphasized that their approach to character creation aims for uniqueness, often choosing directions contrary to mainstream Western design preferences. “If Western Sci-Fi is heavy on military aesthetics, we may opt for something entirely different, like gothic elements,” he asserted.

In the midst of clarifying these points, both creators took to social media to reiterate that there are no imposed limitations concerning character design by their publishers.