2021 has been a rollercoaster of emotions for fans of Square Enix’sThe World Ends With Youfranchise. The announcement and subsequent release ofNEO: The World Ends With You, a sequel released 14 years after the original game, must have seemed a miracle to fans who have patiently been waiting. However, Square Enix then confirmed thatNEO: The World Ends With Youhad underperformed, a disappointing conclusion to such a long wait. It’s no surprise then that Square Enix now says the series' future is up in the air.
The World Ends With Youproducer Tomohiko Hiranowas perhaps a little too blunt with fans in a recent interview with PC Invasion. Hirano says straight away that Square Enix doesn’t have any plans for what’s next inThe World Ends With Youseries. However, he encourages fans of the franchise to continue sharing their love for the two games with Square Enix. He says that if fans do that then it’s possible Square Enix “will have us make a sequel.”
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Hirano doesn’t completely pull the rug out fromThe World Ends With Youfans, however. He also mentions that he still has ideas for what could be featured in aThe World Ends With You Part 3. More specifically, he mentions that there are still “many areas in the city of Shibuya” that they could put into a game. As such, if Square Enix approved it, Hirano would very much love to make anotherThe World Ends With Yougame.
However, Hirano is only one piece ofThe World Ends With You’s development team.Series director Tatsuya Kandois also a key component of the franchise’s past, as well as any future it could still have. But Kando isn’t as interested in the series' future as Hirano is. “I feel like I’ve done what I can for the time being,” says Kando, adding that he packedNEO: The World Ends With Youwith “fourteen years' worth of thought and emotion.” For now, he’ll focus on fan feedback and how the game was perceived, then think about “the best path forward” after.
For fans ofThe World Ends With Youand its sequel, these comments are obviously not what anyone wants to hear. A third game will likely require just as much of a miracle as it took to get the second game.The World Ends With Youis, for the time being, going back onSquare Enix’s shelf.
With that said, it’s not all disappointing news. Tatsuya Kando believes thatNEO: The World Ends With Youis everything that he wanted a sequel to be. He got to say everything he wanted to say. IfThe World Ends With Youhad to end as it is, then Hando seems to be content with it. For fans, that’s hopefully enough. Perhaps anotherThe World Ends With Youanimewould be a better fit.
NEO: The World Ends With Youis available now on PC, PS4, and Switch.
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