Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #14 kicked off the main story in a big way, and it sets up a dramatic turn for episode #15 and beyond. The story has reached the same climactic point that changed the trajectory of the game, and with how the anime has handled the game’s story up to this point, there’s no telling how things will play out.

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #14 began what was said to be YoRHa’s final operation against the machine lifeforms, a victory there meaning that humanity, or what was believed to be humanity, could finally reclaim Earth. What follows is a large battle of appropriately epic scale, but soon enough, YoRHa’s latest offensive against the machine lifeforms gradually shifts into their greatest failure.

It’s an appropriately dramatic turn for the series, and it left a lot to be excited about for episode #15’s release.

What Time Nier: Automata Ver1.1a Episode #15 Releases

The exact moment fans can see the latest episode in one of the strongest video game to anime adaptations

As with previous episodes, the Nier: Automata Ver1.1a anime streams exclusively on Crunchyroll, accessed through their app, website, and third-party streaming services like Amazon Prime. Assuming there are no delays, Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #15 will premiere on Friday, July 19 at 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST), 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), and 5:00 PM British Standard Time (BST).

What Happened In Nier: Automate Ver1.1a Episode #14?

Produced by A-1 Pictures; Directed by Shiraishi Keisuke & Watari Akiyoshi

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #14, “mission [F]ailed,” opens with YoRHa taking advantage of the disarray caused by Adam and Eve’s deaths to launch a final offensive against the machine lifeforms and reclaim the Earth. 9S, having been revived after his previous murder at the hands of 2B, was working separately from 2B to lead the Scanner models in a plan to hack the Goliath-type machine lifeforms to keep them from attacking, a plan that initially appeared to be successful.

As YoRHa and the Resistance worked in tandem to destroy the machine lifeforms, the Goliath-types suddenly reactivated, reverse-hacked the Scanner models, and used them to release a massive EMP. At first, it seemed like nothing happened, but it was soon revealed that the EMP had infected nearly all the androids with the Logic Virus, a deadly virus that drives androids insane and makes them kill their allies and themselves. Soon enough, the battle became a scene of chaos as YoRHa became more preoccupied with destroying each other than the machines lifeforms.

The operation against the machine lifeforms was a failure, but 9S was pushed to at least figure out why. After tracking down a YoRHa unit left unable to fight following a crash landing, 9S discovered that all the androids were infected with the Logic Virus because of a backdoor secretly installed in their data synchronization ports, with 9S only avoiding the same fate because he had procrastinated on synching his data with the Bunker. Upon realizing that, 9S realized that 2B was in danger, and he moved to find her before it was too late.

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a Might Have Already Revealed 2B’s Fate

While fans of the game know what’s coming – the anime just dropped a major teaser for new audiences

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #14 ends on a cliffhanger surrounding 2B’s fate, but the anime might have already revealed what happens to her. The opening and ending theme songs to season 2 depict 2B as someone 9S is losing forever or someone who’s become removed from all the fighting, so that could mean that Crunchyroll’s Nier: Automata Ver1.1a has already confirmed that 2B is going to die. That, of course, would be in line with the original game, so it would make sense for the anime to draw attention to it.

All of that could easily be a red herring, of course. 2B’s death is one of the most well-known parts of the game to the point that even people who never played it are aware of it, so Nier: Automata Ver1.1a could be alluding so heavily to 2B’s death to make it a bigger surprise when something different happens. The anime has already changed several things about how the game played out, so hopefully, it won’t be long before the anime clarifies if this is another case of that.

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a Episode #14 Is a Brilliant Example of “Calm Before the Storm”

The latest episode builds up to something huge

Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #14 was an episode of mostly setup, but it was still great, nonetheless. The gradual switch from YoRHa’s long-awaited victory to their impending destruction made for a lot of tense drama to watch, and the way the music and overall direction played into that helped sell the intensity of it all even further. Overall, Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #14 did a great job of setting up a dramatic turn for episode #15 and beyond, and watching that play out is sure to be great for the Summer 2024 Anime season.

Be sure to watch Nier: Automata Ver1.1a episode #15 when it releases on Friday, July 19.