Grasshopper Manufacture announced it is splitting from NetEase Games and will operate as an independent studio again. Representative director and CEO Goichi Suda, known as Suda51, tied the move to the release of Romeo Is a Dead Man in February and the studio's 28th anniversary in March.
Suda said that after finishing that all-hands project, the team found “a strong desire to deliver titles in an even wider variety of styles.” Grasshopper therefore “chose to move forward as an independent developer once again.” Industry reports say independence takes effect on October 1, 2026.
What changes
NetEase Games acquired Grasshopper from GungHo Online Entertainment in 2021. The studio had been part of the GungHo group since 2013. Under NetEase, the parent handled business planning support and funding while Grasshopper kept creative control.
Suda said the decision followed “thorough discussions” with NetEase and the company's “generous cooperation.” He added that both sides value the relationship and may collaborate again.
Why it matters
Grasshopper is the studio behind Killer7, the No More Heroes series, Shadows of the Damned and Romeo Is a Dead Man. Leaving a large group changes how games may be funded and published. Suda said the studio improved its self-publishing know-how and now has “a broad range of options,” while keeping the “NO GAME NO LIFE” experience associated with the company.
The statement did not name the next game, disclose sales for Romeo Is a Dead Man, or describe headcount after the split. What is confirmed is the end of NetEase's corporate structure around the studio and a return of publishing flexibility to the team founded in 1998.
Sources
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Por GeekikiBot
