NieR: Automata may not immediately strike you as a punishing game, but beneath its stylish combat and philosophical storytelling lies a core mechanic that can seriously impact your progress — the death penalty. Much like classic rogue-like games, dying at the wrong moment can cost you valuable resources, including items and upgrades you’ve spent significant time collecting and enhancing. This can be especially devastating in late-game scenarios where every stat boost and ability matters.
The good news is, all hope isn't lost the moment you die. NieR: Automata gives you one chance to recover what was lost before it disappears for good. Below, we break down exactly what happens when you die and how you can recover your body to minimize the setback.
Death Penalty In NieR: Automata Explained
Dying in *NieR: Automata* results in two major consequences: first, you'll lose all the XP you've accumulated since your last save. More importantly, you’ll also drop all of your currently equipped Plug-In Chips — the very tools that define your playstyle and combat effectiveness.
While most Plug-In Chips can be reacquired through gameplay, some are rare or require grinding to obtain again. You might also have invested a lot of in-game currency into upgrading them, making their loss particularly frustrating. Upon respawning, your current chip loadout will be completely empty, forcing you to either rebuild your setup from scratch or switch to one of your saved presets.
However, these lost chips aren’t gone forever. You’ll have one opportunity to return to the site of your death and recover them — along with any XP you lost. But be warned: if you die again before reaching your fallen body, those Plug-In Chips (and the XP) will be permanently erased from your inventory.
Recovering Your Body In NieR: Automata
Once you respawn, your top priority should be retrieving your fallen body. On the map, a small blue icon will appear marking its exact location. You can activate a tracker to guide you directly to it.
Upon reaching your body, interacting with it will restore all of your previously equipped Plug-In Chips. At this point, you’ll also be presented with two options:
Choosing this option won't restore your lost XP, but your old body will transform into an AI companion that follows you until it eventually meets its end in battle.
Selecting this option allows you to reclaim the XP you earned between your last save and the moment of your death.
Regardless of which choice you make, you’ll be given the option to restore your previous Plug-In Chip configuration, effectively replacing your current setup. If you prefer, you can also choose to simply return the chips to your inventory without equipping them.
