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6 months after Yoko Taro thanked fans for archiving his work on Nier and Drakengard, Square Enix is shutting them down
Square Enix has shut down Accord's Library, a fan-run website archiving Yoko Taro's works, including Nier and Drakengard, due to copyright concerns despite Yoko Taro's appreciation for the site's efforts.
Accord's Library is a fan project aimed at "gathering and archiving all of Yoko Taro’s work," including all of the side material created alongside beloved RPGs like Nier and Drakengard. Earlier this year, Yoko Taro himself gave the site a hearty thank you, but now Square Enix has taken notice and is shutting the whole thing down.
"These past few years have been a pleasure, but we regret to inform you all that we've been contacted by the Square Enix Legal Team," the Accord's Library organizers say in a Discord message. "And after some private communications, based on the outlined requirements we have come to the conclusion that Accord's Library must close its doors by the end of the month. While we are sad to have to go, we also must respect the wishes of the Legal Team. The Library and Gallery will remain opened for the next two weeks and will be officially closed on Oct 31."
The Accord's Library site includes a library of materials related to both Nier and Drakengard, including official guides, short stories, and manga expanding the games' shared universe. In some cases, the site includes scans of these books and unofficial translations - which is likely the core of what Square Enix took exception to.
Nonetheless, Yoko Taro himself seems to appreciate the site's work. The director famously wears a mask in basically all of his public appearances, and he got in contact with the site back in April to request the removal of a video showing his face. Alongside that request, he provided a message of thanks which was also shared in the Accord's Library Discord.
"The series of NieR and Drag-On Dragoon (Drakengard) was niche, but thanks to all the fans who supported us, we were able to make it this far," he says. "Once again, please convey my thanks to all of you. Thank you very much."
While Square Enix has published most of Yoko Taro's games, he is not an employee of the company; instead, he works essentially as a freelancer. That might go some distance to explaining why he and Square Enix have quite different views on Accord's Library. The company is, of course, well within its legal rights to shut down any unauthorized use of its copyrighted material, but it's a shame to see what appears to be a genuine community labor of love caught up in the crossfire.